Many people in the sewing world have heard of the concept of sewing “icing” versus “cake” (an analogy that originated with Tasia of Sewaholic, I believe). This project is pure, sweet, luscious icing. It’s not something I would ever buy in a million years. But if we can’t sometimes make things purely on a whim, then what is the point of sewing?
This jacket is definitely a fabric-inspired project. I first spotted the fabric on Mood’s website and was drawn to it. Why, I can’t say. It is not like anything I usually sew with: it is polyester (I am a total natural fibers snob), it is lace (something I have never sewn with), and it was pricey. It probably would have stayed on my list of beautiful fabrics that I can’t have if it weren’t for Mr. Kiri Knits. He is definitely a stash-enabler, even going so far as to buy me fabrics which I can’t justify buying for myself. (It’s terrible, really.) He bought me quite a bit since I wasn’t sure exactly what it was going to be yet, and I have enough left over for another project– maybe a princess-seamed sheath dress?
 |
| My pattern, minus that stupid bow (seriously, who would want that?). |
 |
| Sorry for the blurriness; I was using the self-timer and there were no non-blurry pics of the back. |
 |
| I used the edge of the lace as the sleeve hem. |
I also decided to go with a collarless jacket (Lekala 4082), because I felt the fabric needed really simple lines. However, this still left the problem of what to do about finishing the edges of the jacket. I decided to use white silk organza for the facings; it is transparent enough to maintain the see-through-ness of the jacket, but it has enough structure to support the hems. I straightened out the sleeve hems and removed the hem allowance so that I could use the edge of the lace to finish the sleeves. Lace doesn’t have a grainline, but in order to keep the orientation of the pattern consistent, I placed the grainline of the pattern pieces roughly perpendicular to the edge. This was also very efficient in terms of fabric usage. The seam allowances are finished with silk-organza bias strips, which I then catchstitched down. (I was hoping that serging would work, but it just looked really terrible.) Working with the polyester reminded me of one reason I hate it; it doesn’t press at all!
Although this jacket does not seem very practical, it is actually pretty versatile. Since it is so colorful, I can wear it with almost any of my dresses. It can easily dress up jeans and a t-shirt, or add color to an outfit. It’s light enough to wear in the summer, but could be worn over long sleeves in the spring or fall. What I like most about it is that it is unique. It is something that I get to wear because I dreamed it up and made it. Yay for sewing!
