The not so black little jacket and holiday break

Hi everyone!

just a heads up to say that I will probably not be able to post anything for a month I think.

Want to know what I'll be doing all this time?

Oh, yeah!!! Patisseries, Easter chocolates, I'm going back to France for a few days and I intend to eat as much of this babies as possible!!

And then well,

 And after that:

Do you know Beatrix Potter's stories? This is where she lived.

On the subject of the little black jacket, it's going on nicely but slowly,

I have begun to attach the lining, I will have to do quite a lot of hand stitching, I might put to use my time in the train (more than 6 hours!). I put the pockets and a bit of my hand made trimmings to give you an idea of the final result. What got into me, when I decided I would be the next queen of Chanel's trimmings?

I have a lot of things to says on this jacket, can't wait to tell you everything I learned (and failed of course :-)).

Have a good time everyone, summer sewing is coming along, we should discuss that when I come back!

Cheers!

Project underwear!

Please someone help me!!

I am addicted to project runway, I really am. I cannot stop thinking about it. I imagine what I would do if I wear a contestant (probably cry after 4 days with not much to sleep!).

How creative are this people! And also, can you believe the wonky seems they sometimes produce? It makes me so happy to see experienced people like them fail at basic sewing, hihi, I know, I'm horrible.

Anyway, it seems that some of them have not tackled yet all the challenges offered buy the sewing and pattern making world. Many of them really don't have a clue about men's wear, underwear or French seams (that one is unforgivable).

One may ask: and what about you, you horrible judgmental seamstress?

Well, let's just says this:

 OH YEAH! UNDERWEAR BABY!!!

I looove making underwear, it's so fast and easy, provided you have all the little bits and pieces required. I have made those in a few hours. Of course the pattern of the bra took some time to make, and it's my first, so perfection is not there yet, but it will come... I hope.

Most important it fits. The cups of the bra are the most delicate, you really have to give them a nice form, my first attempt ended a bit like that :

Pointy, pointy

It was not really the effect I wanted. But it' easily rectifiable.

I made the pattern for the bra with become a pattern drafter, women's underwear, from ESMOD editions. The explanations can be challenging sometimes, but I guess it's because the book is supposed to be used in class with a teacher who fills in the blank. The drawing in the book have names for the different lines of the pattern, like a,b,c,d... So, I have my finished block, I turn the page to transform it into a push up, and I don't see my a,b,c and d!!! It is full of k, g and h!! And I am supposed to have put the pieces of the cups together but it is not explained how. If you have the same problem, don't worry, they just changed the names: c becomes b, h3 becomes ff' etc.

 WHY????

I added some very small elastic to the cup, I felt I needed to do something to have the lace properly laying on the skin. This worked all right.

I also lined it , but realized afterwards that you should line with a non stretch fabric :-) But it's all right, I have worn it already, and it very confy!

I made a matching tanga.

I used the pattern I made with my other book: "la technique de la coupe" by line Jaque. I prefer her technique. Remember when I tried to make panties for the first time? Well I find that the Esmod looks are quite dated, a bit like that:

There is no hip line and I don't felt at ease working with it. 

My lace is 16 cm wide. I decided to use it entirely. Next time I think I will try to make a smaller hip band.I ruffled it a bit, it gives it a V shape, do you know the "butt puckered"? Well that's it!

I had panties and a brad next to me the whole time to figure out how to sew the elastics .
I was very happy with my machine, she made nice elastic seams, it's probably the only thing she sews correctly nowadays. I couldn't get her to make buttonholes for my Chanel jacket, and I thought it was because of the bizarre elastic, bulky fabric. Turns out it's all fabrics!! And let's not talk about the embroided stitches, what a mess!! Back to the shop missy!!

As a final touch, I cut out some flowers out of my lace and sewed them on. It's so much cutter and hum, hum it sort of hides one thing I messed up a bit! But I'm not showing you because now, no one can see it!!

What do you think? My opinion, is it's fun easy and really quick to make. underwear making is really a winner!!

Next time I'll make some bating suits. I used to buy some at Victoria's secret, but I find it so cool to just make my own version, or completely copy, just cause I can!

What about you? Do you sometimes make you own underwear?

The little black jacket, done !

Yes! It's finally done! This jacket seemed to have no end, maybe because I tried to make it between two travels!

Anyway, I like it, it fits well, and I might even have a chance to wear it in the following weeks, the weather is so hectic, in the same week I can wear shorts and the day after a wool sweater, go figure...

gnaa, happy!

Here it is: four pockets, trim (not everywhere :-), fancy buttons. Yeah, in my mind it really looks like a Chanel jacket.
I used the video realised buy Chanel that I put in my previous post to figure out the details of construction.

They don't use fancy techniques, I have to admit this is what attracted me first. It is not a hard jacket to make, I made one big mistake though: this kind of fabric is very strechy. Big fail below!!

The first picture is a pocket before sewing, and the second after :-(

Epic fail haha!

Fortunaltely the solution is simple, just lower the tension of the thread, and you should be fine.

I also had a BIG problem with the shoulders, they were many centimeters too long because I didn't used interfusible on them, I thought it was only used to give structure to the jacket, and I was so wrong. It prevents the fabric from stretching, my advise is to put some everywhere there is a seam, it is really infuriating to pick out seams and cutting the fabric again while you have already begun assembling your garment.

I attached the lining to the jacket buy hand, it was OK until my sewing book told me to attach the lining of the sleeve to the rest of the lining buy hand, while I had attached all the others parts together on my machine. What?? Why?? I did it because I like my book and it is usually right, but I don't like to do something when I don't understand why, anyone has an answer? 

I also had to sew the button holes by hand! My machine couldn't manage the fabric, maybe it was a little bit too thick, or maybe it needs to go to the store. Anyway, took me a bit of time, this is how I begun to look at project runway!! This show really makes me want to sew and just sit and watch at the same time! And also: what's with the attitude? Some people really need to take a humbling  pill!

For the trimmings I couldn't find something I liked is the store so I did it myself using sailor's knot (because I'm from Brittany) that I found on this site, it was really funny to make:

I basically removed all treads from the fabric, assembled them together by colors to make longer treads and then plaited them.

self made trimming

I'm just a bit embarrassed, that I didn't have enough to put everywhere, but I might be able to buy some more fabric in two months, then I'll make some more.

 

See, no fancy trimmings on the writs, this is what you get when you're too cheap when you buy fabric! No one will notice but you :-)

Soooo, tell me, who looks like she earns the big bucks in her fancy Chanel jacket?

I have some white tweed  in my stach, I'm seriously thinking about making another one, whith some slight ajustments to the pattern.

But at the same time: spring!! I have ideas for two dresses ,one inspired buy a dress I saw at the Victoria and Albert museum in London (maybe my favourite museum so far, and I have visited a few), and the other one should have a bra top, very sexy, very Dolce Gabbana!
For the moment I am trying to master the art of pattern drafting for lingerie, man, this is not easy, and I haven't try to sew a bra yet...

Cheers!

The little black jacket, la petite veste noire

A few months ago, Karl Lagarfeld and Carine Roitfled realised a book and organized an exposition on the little black jacket, Chanel's classic vest revisited.

Many sewist make the trip to tailoring land in hope to make their own true Chanel vest. One could says it's the holly grall of sewist (for some of them anyway).

I never dreamed of owning one, but this new jacket is really attractive. It's really modern, not too old lady like. And I had a lovely piece of tweed, so why not? 

Me wants it!

Of course the tweed is not black... It as a nice Briton color: green, pink and orange, exactly like the Moore in October.

I spent many hours trying to figure out the pattern. It's very lucky that a video on the making of the vest was realised. Thanks you dear Karl!!

It's awesome, when you look at it frame by frame (you understand why it was so long) you can see how the pattern was drafted as well as the sewing techniques.

Today I am concentrating on the pattern. So here we go:

 First I copied my block pattern for light vests. Then kept referring to my notes and playing again and again the video.

I also found an very revealing interview saying the vest is: straight, structured, closed "bord à bord".

The pockets are placed so that you can put your hand in them (which apparently was so far reserved to the men...), there are no underlining nor epaulets. The vest is not in the bias (thank you!!) with no bust dart, WHAT???

And with a simple straight seam in the back.

the length

 The length is pretty easy to figure out,because of the tape marking the hips, I chose 7 cm above the hips.

 

Despite what is said to the media the vest has some shaping, look at the sides, it is slightly curved.

This is my pattern during the process, you can see in black the lines of the vest (black vest, black lines, original no?)
It was really fun to make. You can see that I shaped the pattern, but I only kept a fraction of the original darts.

For the bust dart I could not really believe it. How is it possible to omit the bust dart???

Well, turns out it's not!! I knew it!! I almost tried without it, but gave a last chance to the video and saw this:

See the side? Oh yes, this is a bust dart! I win!!

It is small and on the side because it's the best place to hide it, completely under the arm.

You might not need to have one if you have a small bust, but if you are like me, you need a dart for a good fitting. I saw that some people didn't use a darts for this vest, but formed some small gathers instead, not a bad idea.

This is how I moved the dart.
On the fist picture, I slashed the paper at the  new place of the dart, and closed it with tape, the direct effect of the closure is to open the new placement.Then I reduced the dart of 3 cm and drew it again properly.

I also changed the neck line, making it a little bit wider than on the block pattern. And omitted the neck dart, because, well, they say there is not one, so...

the pockets

 I draw in red all the important placements, and things to remember, I try to be nice to myself, because I know I always forget something, it's normal I think when you don't sew your garment in one day. I am a slow sewist.

I am actually sewing it, I am looking forward to the result, it's never easy to tell before it's finished. For the moment it as no sleeves, no pockets and no lining.

I really enjoyed the pattern making process, I think I even prefer it to the actual sewing! Next month I'll present you my trusty pattern making book, even thought it was probably written before the 70's  it's has everything you need and it's really cheap.

What about you, have you ever made a Chanel vest? Do you make you own patterns?

Oulàlà ! The panty.

I have been meaning for quite some time now, to make some underwear, but couldn't find a drafting pattern book on the subject. Then a few month ago I discovered that ESMOD, the fashion institute has it's own line of pattern making books!!

I purchased the one called "become pattern drafter, Women's underwear". I will not make a revue here. I will just give an advise for those interested in buying it, it would be better first, if you have already taken a few classes on how to draft patterns or with a pedagogic book (like I did). 

I also found a great shop on line for lingerie's lace and notions: http://www.elingeria.de/catalog/, and big plus for me, it's located in Germany. I don't really like ordering overseas, local is better in my opinion, and faster!

I tried to order everything I needed, but of course failed to. Sooo, I am waiting for another small shipment!

OK, so when I said I wanted to make underwear, I meant ALL sorts of underwear! Yeah!!

Tangas, bras, bodysuits, and oh yes: bikinis!!

As you can see I don't have yet everything that is needed for my sewing plan, but I have some beauties hidden in my closet and I will order along what I need.

I decided to begin with something simple (or so I thought...). A simple tanga made with a large band of stretch lace. 

 

Those pictures are from Victoria's secret, but it seems to me I have seen this kind of panties made by many other brands. The reason is as simple as the pattern I imagine !

It's two simple piece of stretch lace sewn together at the center front and back, and at the crotch.

The instruction book made me do this:

In red: waist, small hip and hip. I added the first and last line because I didn't like the way the pattern was made. I am used to "working" with the waist an hip measurements, this small hip thing didn't convince me. It's placed at 5,5 cm from the waist, and in my opinion it's ether to high or too low on the body to be elegant or sexy, i made a muslin to see the fit and looked like an horrible 80's thong!!! 

So I compared it to an older pattern I made, with a book for garment pattern drafting, that has a few pages on panties.

This is perfect pattern to make a 50's pantie, high waist and low on the leg.

For fun I put them on top of each other :

It is quite different no? I have decided that concerning panties I will stick to my old pattern, but will follow the advices on how to reduce the block pattern to the stretch of the fabric. But even with this two patterns I couldn't figure how to make the one I had in mind.

I ended up on the Internet, lurking at other people's panties!!! But for a good reason, and it help me to figure out how to make this "satanné" tanga.

The pattern on the left is the one I used to make my tanga and the other one is the pattern before the reduction induced by the stretch of the lace (it's just folded on the middle to remove the excess fabric).

I could have never drawn it without the pictures posted on many blogs of people making Jalie 2568.

Look at what it looks compared to the block pattern :

Who thought of changing the place of the crotch?? It's genius! 

 

Unfortunately I bought the lace before knowing how much I needed :-)

For the record 1 meter is not enough, I would have needed 1,1 m I think. But it was just a try, and the lace costs only 4 euros.

tada!

I like it and will probably make some more. I tried to use a zigzag stitch, but it didn't work, I had to unscrew the machine 4 times because of mechanical problems caused by the treads, and then... I found the marvelous stitch number 14 

 

I creates a straight stitch and serges (is that the word?) the edges at the same time, it's really fast and the machine seems to like it as well! See:

Next time I make panties, I will make something like that I think:

That I can make with my pattern, see, the crotch is made with another piece of fabric in the "wright orientation".

As a conclusion, and a gift! I share with you the measurement chart from ESMOD, on witch I have my measurements. You will immediately see why I don't buy pattern:

The pink circles are the bust, waist and hips. I do not fit in the chart!! Do you believe me when I tell you I have no problem dressing in RTW? Because it's true!! This is crazy, but at the same time, I think ESMOD doesn't take into account the recent campaign of measurement that took place in France and changed the sizing of clothes. Now the shirts fits me better, more place for the boobs and longer arms, yeah!!

But still it never fits me as good as when I wear the close I make for myself. You can understand why.

Another one?

This chart doesn't correspond to me at all! I wear a size 34 in pants!! The hardest part was to measure those two weird thing circled in violet, I think this book lacks in explanation. ESMOD teachers must give them in their classes, the measurement on the back of the panty is supposed to be taken at the beginning of the legs. I don't know about you, but I always thought my legs begun after my butt, not in the middle...

What about you, have you already made underwear, or underwear patterns? And Where do your legs begin?