Sunday, April 5, 2009

It's getting there

The trench jacket, that is.

Though I've been motivated to sew, this project just isn't coming along quickly. Part of it, I think, is the material - it sticks to itself, it sticks to my fingers, it sticks to the presser foot, necessitating strips of tracing paper so that it doesn't stretch itself out of shape. So it's taken longer than it should to get this far.

This far, now, is jacket mostly constructed, lining finished and inserted at the facing seam, though not sewn to the jacket yet at the sleeves or at the hem.

I'm still trying to figure out exactly how I want to handle the sleeves. The original jacket was unlined, and when the sleeves were rolled up and buttoned with the cute little tab, the reverse of the fabric showed. Here, it would be the quilted lining, which I don't want, so I think what I'm going to have to do is cut off some of the quilted linin sleeve and replace it with fabric, so that when the sleeve is rolled up, the right fabric will show.

Other than thinking a little too hard about the sleeves, I'm pretty much there. I still have to cut and sew the belt, but that's not a biggie. I think I'm going to reinforce it with a strip of the coutil I used to strengthen my orange leather bag - regular interfacing will mush down after the belt's been tied a few times.

I did use regular interfacing on the facings for this jacket, but it didn't strike me as substantial enough, so today when I sewed the facings to the jacket, I cut a strip of fusible hair canvas about 1" wide, and ironed it along the edge of the facing. It made for a nice sharp edge but didn't make it too thick, and I think it will only help with the buttonholes. I used the same fusible hair canvas for the collar, and I think it's my favorite part.

I also sewed on the pockets and the belt loops before I added the lining. I'm going to say it again - I love the pockets.

Next up: tonight, if I can get rid of my post-gardening back/ headache, I'm going to deal with the belt and add the buttonholes to the front of the jacket. There's still a bit of hand-sewing needed to the inside because the lining fabric is apparently the only thing without the natural tendency to stick to the underside of the fabric, and it's moviong around a little. I need to stabilize it under the arms and in a few other places to keep it from shifting, and then . . . I need to deal with the sleeves.

Stay tuned.

5 comments:

gwensews said...

This fabric is so unusual, and it sounds like it ws a learning experience. It's going to be an awesome coat. You are sue to get attention when you're wearing it!

Dawn said...

This coat is going to rock. How cool is your fabric?

Gretchen the Household Deity said...

It is coming along! Can't wait for the finished product.

Salinda said...

Do you have a rolling foot? I grabbed mine at Hancocks or Joanns for less than $5, I think. Anyway, I use it when I sew with vinyl because the fabric doesn't stick to the presser foot. I still have the problem of the fabric sticking to everything else, but...Just a thought.

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