Sunday, November 22, 2009

BWOF 5-2009-102B - Brown brocade jacket

What'cha think? I'm in love with this jacket. It looks very fall and harvest-y to me. I especially liked the buttoning cuffs and interesting welt pockets of this design.

This pattern is top-notch. Everything lined up exactly right and the fit is superb right from the tracing paper. This is why I love BWOF so much; their patterns fit me really well without a lot of headaches.

This fabric is from JoAnn's Monaco collection which I bought online since it sold out quickly at my local store. It's just the right thickness for a jacket, so I left off a lot of the interfacing Burda "suggests". I did interface the center fronts and front/back facings.


These are two-part sleeves with the cuffs lining up with the outside seam.

The full lining is brown Ambiance. I know I've mentioned before, but I love linings. There is no finishing of the seams to be done and just a bit of hand sewing for the bottom and sleeve hems. I'm weird in that I actually enjoy hand sewing, in moderation.

The instructions for these welt pockets were A.W.F.U.L. I must have read over them at least 20 times before I gave up and just did my own thing. I did take pictures of the process and planned to do an online tutorial for it. However, blogger was not my friend yesterday, and after 45 minutes of frustration, I gave up. (I was trying to put the pictures on the left with type on the right. I kept deleting my pictures somehow.) Anyway, if anyone is truly interested in making this jacket and is perplexed about the pockets, I'll go ahead and try to post it again.

I had button issues with this jacket. In order for the button by the welt pocket to not have it's buttonhole sewn too close to the welt, you have to install an inside button and buttonhole. Okay, not a problem. But then when you sew the inside button to the inside and the outside button directly on top of it on the outside, you can't get it buttoned. My solution was to sew the inside one on first very loosely, then wrap the thread around and around, making it elevated and a little floppy. I'm sure there's a name for this technique.

Here's the sad news and why you don't see this jacket paired with any of my other wardrobe garments: it doesn't look good with them. There's too much brown present with all the brown bottoms I made. The tweed skirt does look nice, but I've no shirt to wear peeping out of the top. The jacket has to be worn closed since it's double breasted, and all the tops I made either disappear under it or have sleeves too cumbersome to be comfortable. I love the jacket, but it was the wrong pattern choice to go with everything else. And the wrong color. This just goes to show you can have a lovely array of coordinating fabrics and still not have a cohesive wardrobe.

Do I have time to make another "topper"? No. Even if I had the time I don't know what I could come up with that would pull everything together. I've sewn myself into a corner by picking these colors. I should have chosen several different shades of neutral. Or perhaps a different color scheme with more then two colors in it. Come to think of it, I should have picked one or two knits instead of all fitted garments. Or designs that were more simple then complex. I should have, but I didn't.

The good news is that with the exception of this skirt, I really love all the garments I made. So many of them do coordinate with each other. And while I'm tired of brown and teal at the moment, I know I'll like it again soon and they'll get lots of use.

38 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, gorgeous jacket. Shame about it not being the topper for the wardrobe but you do now have some wonderful garments.

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  2. Wait, so does that mean you're not in the contest? You did so much beautiful work!

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  3. Looks beautiful. I particularly like those button cuffs. You sew beautifully, and make great choices in patterns and fabric.

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  4. Your jacket is absolutely beautiful! I hope you really enjoy wearing it, even if it isn't with the rest of your wardrobe garments.

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  5. Fabulous jacket! The welts turned out perfectly. Yeah, there's a name for that button sewing technique but I can't remember it...basically you're sewing a shank. Hey, maybe that's it?

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  6. Beautiful jacket!! I've seen so many lovely things come out of this issue of Burda. Naturally, my subscription starts in June! I may need to scout Ebay for it though - this is fabulous.

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  7. Gorgeous jacket, I really love the sleeve detail and you did an amazing job on the welt pockets.

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  8. Beautiful jacket, very flattering, I'm so happy to see it made up - it's going on my "must make" list ASAP.

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  9. Beautifully constructed jacket. Fits you perfectly. Make it work!

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  10. Lovely jacket. The color and fabric are very nice, not what I would expect to find a JAs, and it fits beautifully.

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  11. It's a shame your jacket doesn't "go" with the other pieces. It's really nice. I suggest making a knit cardi-wrap for the topper. (in maybe a offwhite/cream knit). I'm a beginner-intermediate sewist and I've made three so far from the Simplicity2603 like many other bloggers out there. Since I'm relatively new at this and still slow it took me about 5 hrs. start to finish on the last one I made, but yours would go so much faster! They are very versatile and I think it would look great with with rest of your pieces.

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  12. Wow, nice job on the jacket! It looks nice with the jeans, and it would also look great with a matching skirt, for a ladies-who-lunch sort of look.

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  13. Great jacket - love the design elements!
    Too bad about the coordinating issue. This is a problem I've run into with my SWAP's too. Makes me appreciate what it means to put together a "collection". Like you said you did get many beautiful pieces.

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  14. I love your jacket. I'm really into texture these days and the fabric is awesome. What a bummer it doesn't work with your collection as you planned.

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  15. Hi Amanda,

    This jacket is beautiful....fits perfectly, and looks great on you!!

    I hope you're not giving up on the contest after all your hard work. How about a vest as a topper....in a solid color, either brown or turquoise? Or possibly a cocoa or tan color. Or how about a darker brown velveteen? If you have any more of the aqua tweed, that might work also.

    Take all your swatches to the fabric store and find something that blends with them all. Just photograph it with what it looks best with and later you won't have to wear it with everything.

    Lined vests are very quick to make (no seam finishes), and you may already have a pattern. Be sure it is simple...no collar or pockets. You could even make it with a front zipper instead of buttons and buttonholes....and wear it open. I'm sure you can do it, so don't give up now. Good luck.

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  16. I love the style of this jacket, I might give this a try very soon...I've never made a welt pocket before, so if you ever make a tutorial, please do one on welt pockets!! Thanks!

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  17. that jacket is so lovely and flattering!

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  18. What a pity this jacket doesn't coordinate with your other garments for the wardrobe contest! I hope you will manage to make another topper.
    At any rate, you have a gorgeous jacket! Beautiful style, beautiful fabric, beautiful color and it fits perfectly!

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  19. It's nice job and looks great on you!

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  20. This doesn't have to coordinate with the other items in your wardrobe plan because it goes perfectly just as you are wearing it - with jeans and tee(and I bet it goes with a lot more of your beautiful clothes too).

    Thank you for your efforts on trying to put up the tutorial too. I can relate to the frustration.

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  21. Great jacket~!! It looks impeccable!

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  22. Stunning jacket. I love those beautiful cuffs and the welt pockets - all beautifully constructed. I really don't think it matters that it isn't a perfect match for your wardrobe plan - it is such a wonderful garment and suits you so well.

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  23. What a beautiful, well-constructed jacket! You look great wearing it.

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  24. That is fantastic on you. The welt pockets look amazing too. Bummer about it not matching the rest of the wardrobe, but if you're going to wear all the pieces anyway, you've already come out way ahead.

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  25. Fabulous jacket! I feel your frustratin about the final collection not coming together. Something about the best laid plans.... Anyway I am with the others and hope you are able to finish another item for the contest. I have enjoyed reading about it.

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  26. A+ Love the fabric and the jacket looks fab on you!!!

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  27. The fabric does all the work on this beautiful jacket

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  28. Wow, this is amazing, what a fantastic looking jacket! I just made my first flop jacket, and I kept thinking I should try a BWOF jacket next - and you've convinced me!

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  29. Gorgeous jacket! I really like the combination of the style and fabric. And your garments always fit perfectly! I know what you mean about having garments in coordinating fabrics, but they don't work well with each other because of style. But I am sure you will sew some tops and bottoms in the near future that will look fantastic with this jacket.

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  30. You did a fantastic job on that jacket. I look forward to your tutorial on the welt pockets.

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  31. This jacket is absolutely lovely!! It is a great design and very flattering on you! Wonderful job!

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  32. Beautiful jacket, the fit looks perfect and the fabric is a great choice :)

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  33. What a gorgeous jacket. I love the fabric and the fit is great!

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  34. Oh my gosh, that is a great jacket! I really , really like the brocade and the way the front closes with the v at the bottom. You've done it again, girlfriend!

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