Monday, October 18, 2010

Vogue 2734 - Anna Sui brown corduroy jacket

Remember this OOP pattern? Back in April I sent out a request to purchase it from one of my faithful readers. I got some great responses, including a notification that it was currently for sale on Etsy.com. Except I didn't check my comments to the post for several hours, in which time it was purchased. (No doubt by someone reading my blog. How mean!) Anyway, a very sweet lady contacted me through patternreview.com to let me know she had it and was willing to mail it to me. For free!!! So a big thank you to Stephaney Thomas, aka mrs quickly. You rock!

I love this design! It has really interesting design lines and is like a jigsaw puzzle to piece together. I cut the pieces out singly to ensure they all were on grain. The sleeve caps have a fair amount of poof to them which balances out the bottom flare from the peplum. (I also made this little white top back in January. It is proving to be a much worn garment.)

Here at the side you can see the fun cut of the sleeve. This jacket has a ton of topstitching, another element I adore.

The pattern pieces for the peplum were actually much more flared, but I didn't think that would look very nice in the thick corduroy I chose. A total of 7" was removed from the bottom hemline. I also had to go up a whole size in the waist, as the pattern is very tiny in that area.

I have to show you this buttoned up on my dressform because it currently doesn't close on my body. However, I'm not even sure it will get worn this way - looks a bit Little House on the Prairie to me.


Okay, I've got to tell you that this was not fun to make. I wanted it to be a casual garment, so decided not to bother with a lining and finished the exposed seams with bias tape. Lots and lots of bias tape. Which alright, that gets pretty monotonous after awhile. But keep in mind this corduroy was thick. That makes trimming it with bias tape harder. And remember all that topstitching I mentioned earlier? I'm kind of a perfectionist and wanted my topstitching right along the edge of my inside bias tape. Since I was not having fun, I didn't want to work on it much in the evenings. That's why this project dragged on for 3 weeks.

I spent one whole evening trying to get the bottom hem sewn down. There was so much ease to work in that I just couldn't make it look neat. I got frustrated and went to bed. The next evening I figured it out. I sewed a gathering stitch close to the edge, steaming it in place along the jacket seamlines, and ran another strip of bias tape along the bottom which was also topstitched down. It worked beautifully!

The sleeves were the perfect length without a hem in place, so I cut a facing and stitched a scant 1/4" seam to attach it. It was too small an opening to sew with my machine, so I whipstitched it down. The construction seams on the sleeves were finished with a zigzag stitch instead of bias tape since they will never be seen.

Oh, and this is my jacket for October.

Baby Rachel is now 7 weeks old and is tipping the scale at 10 pounds. She's such a tiny little thing that I regularly get comments about having a brand new baby. Here she is fresh from the bath, channeling Richard Simmons. Isn't that curly hair a riot? Once it gets brushed it totally flattens out.

55 comments:

  1. Your jacket is great but I agree it looks like it would take a long time to make. I think you have persevered well to get it finished. Rachel is beautiful.

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  2. I am revising my opinion of cordouroy after seeing your jacket and another by Claudine. I love the way you worked the grain in different directions and your finishes, as ever, are perfect. Rachel is gorgeous.

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  3. Wonderful work, I love all the different fabric directions and seams and as usual the inside is impeccable - 3 weeks sounds quite good going to me. Rachel seems to have completely different hair every few weeks!

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  4. Wow, it's amazing! I love it!
    Your baby's so sweet!

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  5. Oh my goodness, Rachel and her hair are so adorable! Your jacket looks awesome. I love the color you chose and the finish is impeccable. I think the jacket has a kind of military feel, but not obviously so, which makes it all the more desirable for this fall and many seasons to come.

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  6. Rachel is gorgeous! Lucky girl with all that curly hair!

    Your jacket looks amazing. I can just imagine how much work it was to finish.

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  7. Another fabulous jacket. You must have a wardrobe of amazing jackets now!

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  8. The jacket is so chic! I love it unbuttoned over the jeans. You look amazing just 7 weeks out from delivering.
    Rachel is so beautiful! What a lovely, sweet face she has.

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  9. Cute, cute, cute! Both the jacket and Rachel.

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  10. Amazing jacket and Rachel is darling.

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  11. Olá!
    Parabéns,seu trabalho é primoroso..muito bem feito.Os acabamento são perfeitos.Amei...!!
    Bjus e uma ótima terça-feira.
    Silvana

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  12. My heavens, Rachel is just gorgeous! Love that hair!

    Your jacket is beautiful and I can see why you searched out this pattern. It would be wonderful to work up in a stripe. As always, you did a beautiful job!

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  13. You make the most AMAZING jackets, and of course this is no exception. You know how to make corduroy very stylish and went above and beyond the basic corduroy "jean-jacket style" pattern. Also, you've got the cutest little girl. She's just soooo precious:)

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  14. That jacket is beautiful. I love your version with the contrast texture of the corduroy at the waistline. Also, thanks for helping me start my day with a smile -- what an adorable little girl you have!

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  15. I lurve that jacket! So sorry it was such a pita, but well worth the grief. Your daughter is just beautiful. So sweet........

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  16. Love the jacket nearly as much as the picture of baby Rachel. I'm especially glad to see you modeling your sewing again.

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  17. The jacket looks great. Must be nice to start seeing your "former" self starting to appear. That post baby time can be a drag - but you look wonderful! You daughter makes me miss having little ones...

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  18. Your bias-taping skills are incredible and make me quite envious! The corduroy was a great choice for the jacket; it really shows off all the interesting seaming.

    Love that curly hair!

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  19. Ok, I have to admit that the first thing I did when I opened your blog was to scroll down to see if there were any pictures of Rachel. lol She had a wonderful head of hair and is adorable. Thank you for posting a new picture of her.

    Now for the jacket, another wonderful creation. The corduroy is perfect for the pattern and the finishing is perfection.

    Thanks for sharing,
    Barb

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  20. Amanda your sewing projects are always magnificent. Allow on-friend to look at patterns. Thanks.

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  21. Wow, Rachel is so beautiful...the great hair and those wonderful big eyes just adoring you. Your jacket is another designer's delight. Terrific use of the "cords."

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  22. I love the finish on your jacket, and the color is divine! You always add such beautiful touches to your work, and though it took you time, your craftsmanship is excellent! Rachel is still a cutie! Are your sons still doing well with their little sister?

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  23. You are most definitely Jacket Queen for a reason - another stunner here Amanda! Btw, I totally thought of you last week when I spent more time that I care to admit finsihing off seams for a bunch of baby clothes with bias tape. The final result was so great, but man, it's time consuming. ;)

    Rachel is just so precious! Thank you for including pictures of her with your posts. :)

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  24. The jacket is to die for. Nice work. I'm like you, it looks really good unbuttoned.

    Rachel is adorable. they are the sweetest things ever. It makes me remember when my daughter was that small; about 10 years ago.

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  25. The hunt for the pattern was worth it ;-). The jacket is wonderful! Fit perfectly!
    Baby Rachel must love ,.... she is soooo lovely!

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  26. Hey, I just saw Anna Sui up close and personal here in NYC and here you are paying great tribute to her with this fabulous jacket.

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  27. Your jacket is the bomb! You should be so proud. Using the corduroy fabric grain on bias as contrast in the waist inset looks lovely.

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  28. Hi Amanda,

    Your jacket turned out great...you did a wonderful job!! I love the different angles of the corderoy. Very nice pictures of you too.

    Little Miss Rachel is looking very adorable with all her curly hair. Does she still hate baths? :-)

    Love, Mom

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  29. It really is an interesting design. You pattern/line matching is impeccable and the jacket looks fantastic on you! Your little one is so adorable!

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  30. Hi Amanda - I've just discovered your blog & love it. You are an excellent seamstress. Is there any way you could add an email feed option?
    Thanks!

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  31. Oh my gosh Rachel is soooo cute! Ih yeah, the jacket is nice too.

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  32. Your little girl is a super-cute lady!
    And so is your jacket. I like the special and interesting lines of the pattern.

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  33. hmmm......I meant to say your jacket is super-cute....not a lady of course...

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  34. What a cool, unique jacket with those sleeve seems. And keep those baby pictures coming. She is beautiful!

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  35. Rachel is adorable, funny that she is only 10 lbs now, mine were all born at least 10 & 1/2 lbs.
    The jacket is just fantastic! great work expecially with a new baby in the house.

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  36. Аманда,невероятно красивый пиджак сшили и очень красивая изнанка получилась у вас! Мне нравятся ваши работы и с удовольствием захожу в гости к вам.

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  37. I love jackets with interesting seams. It looks great. I don't know how I missed this pattern when it originally came out.

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  38. Beautiful jacket. It must look amazing when the light catches the different angles of the pile. Your baby is just--precious! Those eyes!

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  39. Congratulations, I can not imagine myself doing as much stitching or able to match all the lines of this coat, my skill in sewing decidedly not reached this level walks

    I'm a fan sau.

    Eilane Vida
    www.eilanevidacostura.blogspot.com

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  40. The October Jacket is beautiful inside and out. And Rachel is just adorable.

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  41. You did a beautiful job! I love the care you took pressing this so the corduroy looks elegant.

    And your Rachel is simply beautiful. Congratulations!

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  42. Ohhhh, now this is beautiful work. Definitely :)

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  43. Great jacket- I can see why you wanted that pattern. i love all the details and your work is so clean and precise.

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  44. This fabulous jacket is so YOU! All those interesting seam lines have been perfectly showcased by your choice of fabric and skilful work. I am so glad that you managed to get hold of this pattern - what a nice person mrs quickly must be to gift it to you. And you have certainly done the pattern justice!
    Your lovely Rachel is looking so cute - her curly hair style is adorable!

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  45. Gorgeous Jacket, Amanda...well done. Even more gorgeous Rachel...and even more well done!

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  46. Your jacket is perfect in corduroy. It looks fantastic! When the pattern first came out I made two of these and wore them to death - it is a fab design.

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  47. That has to be the most sophisticated corduroy jacket I've ever seen! I love the zigzag midriff. Impeccable, as ever.

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  48. Great, great jacket! And perfect, as always.
    Rachel is sooooo lovely!

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  49. Amazing work and a gorgeous baby. Can't believe a new mom is so productive.

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  50. She is such a cute little baby. Those eyes, so big and beautiful!

    Your jacket is, as always, very nice. I really admire your talent.

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  51. Lovely jacket. She's so ADORABLE!

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  52. Love the jacket. It looks like it took a lot of work, good job!

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  53. Fabulous jacket, super cute baby! My little one has tons of curls as well... and wow am I impressed that you managed to sew something so detailed so soon post-partum. It's been four months since I had my baby and I still have only managed to make really simple baby clothes!

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  54. Love your jacket!!! Beautiful baby!

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