Slow Progress 3 – McCalls 5860
Posted: December 12, 2011 Filed under: Dressmaking, Uncategorized | Tags: English Couture Company, JAM 2011, McCalls Leave a commentI am still making slow but steady progress in my half hour slots on the McCalls 5860 jacket .
Facing + interfacing sewn onInterfacing giving clean finish
I have pressed the interfacing onto the main fabric where needed – I used Supersoft Superior (you can get this from The English Couture Company). The photographs show how I sewed the pieces onto the facings before pressing in order to get a clean finish. Nice and easy.
Interfacing giving clean finish
Undercollar on cross + seamed
The collar was a place I varied from the pattern slightly. Rather than cutting two identical pieces I cut the under collar on the true cross and trimmed about 1/8th of an inch off all wound the outside edge to ensure it sat behind the top collar when turned.This was a process in one of the wonderful ‘tip’ boxes on this pattern – if only all patterns offered this sort of advice. I have left it sitting round Bessies neck to cool having been steamed.
Collar setting on Bessie
There doesn’t seem to be a lot left to do on the jacket – maybe if I allocate an hour tomorrow I will be able to finish? I hope so.
Progress – slow – but still progress….(McCalls 5860)
Posted: November 30, 2011 Filed under: Dressmaking, Jacket a month | Tags: JAM 2011, McCalls 2 Comments
'The chosen one'
Following my last post I spent about a week circling the fabrics. I changed my my about which colour velvet to use for the McCalls jacket about every half hour. Eventually I made up my mind. I went for the beige tweed – bet you didn’t see that coming! I checked the wardrobe and decided that if I used the tweed I would be able to use the jacket with stuff I already have. But I still want to make trousers in the almond velvet.
Having finally made the choice I prepared my pattern. I hadn’t used a ‘Palmer/Pletsch Perfect Fit’ pattern before so was surprised to find a whole sheet dedicated to preparing the pattern.There was lots of good, encouraging information on the sheet which helps to get the best fit possible. Just follow the words and don’t try to overthink and you will get the desired result.
I cut the size 16 and made a full bust adjustment before shortening the body and sleeves a little (I am 5’4″).I was fairly sure that Gigi had mentioned that this jacket was a fairly close fit but I rarely wear thick jumpers with a jacket so I was happy to go with that ( I have checked her blog and can’t see where I saw that – maybe I imagined it!). Having sewed the backs and fronts together I can confirm that it is a close fit but I am happy with that.
I will be lining the jacket so that it slides more easily over t-shirts etc. and was delighted to find in a little ‘pro tip’ box the instructions for doing it. The suggestion is to simply cut the backs, fronts, and sleeves and baste to the jacket before sewing the collar, cuffs and hem Simple and effective. There are a number of these little tip boxes in the pattern which I think is really good.
Because I have been very busy with client work I decided to do 1/2 hour at the end of each day to make this jacket. That means it will take a while – but at least it is progressing from the little pile of pieces it has been for about a week. Yesterday I managed to sew the body together to check the fit again and I plan to sew the pocket & flaps, and sleeves today. I will report on progress as I can.
M5860 Front
- M5860 Back
As you can see this didn’t get as far as the ironing board before being flung on Bessie to be photographed – I will be pressing the seams before they are topstitched. Hopefully it will look more presentable next time!
Patrones and planning
Posted: November 8, 2011 Filed under: 'The Material Lady', Computing, Jacket a month, Patrones | Tags: Computing, JAM 2011, McCalls, Patrones, The Material Lady Leave a commentYet again I am the lucky recipient of not one but 2 Patrones magazines! My dear friends came back from Spain with these issues last week and I have spent hours poring over them.
I absolutely love the neck detail on the cover picture of issue 308, and the grey dress on page 11 (2nd down, first column on the middle picture) is simple but lovely. I am also looking at several pairs of trousers to try a pair in a wool tweed to go with my next planned jacket – but more if that later!
The other issue was a ‘Patrones Extra Tallas Grandes’ Issue 8. Not quite so much in this issue that I really liked until I got towards the back. Pages 42-45 looked appealing – but also strangely familiar. I trawled my past issues and, sure enough, found these designs in Issue 274 (Especial Fiesta).
Same model, same garments – actually same photographs. Did they think we wouldn’t notice? I love Patrones magazine but this does rather cheat its buyers don’t you think? I still like the first and last tops in the pictures and may make them at some point – but I still have the patterns from Issue 274.
Enough of that – I have finally got to the end of my computer course and passed the exam (Hurrah! I hear you say – perhaps the quality of the blog will improve! – don’t hold your breath) so I have a bit more time to sew for myself. I have long planned to make McCalls 5860 – which I first saw on Gigi Sews site. Gigi made a lovely version of this jacket and I lusted quietly after it – silly really since the pattern was available and I could make my own (not quite as good as Gigi’s) jacket. I thought this would be a very useful ‘anytime’ jacket – the sort you can throw on to go shopping or dress up to go out. The fabric I am intending to use is the stretch velvet I have in the winter collection. Now all I have to do is decide if I want blue or almond…….
The Material Lady 