I desperately need lightweight jackets that I can wear from fall into winter, and I prefer to be able to dress them up or dress them down. I will defintely be able to do that with this jacket. Hancock Fabrics had the fabric labeled as ponte, but trust me, this is much lighter weight than a ponte knit and it has a very soft drape. It was my plan to wear this to church yesterday, but with the temperature still in the low 90’s, I opted for a short-sleeve blouse (made by me) with the black skirt instead. So here I am sweating perspiring just long enough to get a few shots of the jacket. Sorry the pics are not the best quality. DH was in a hurry to get back in front of the TV so as not to miss one of the rare games where the Redskins were actually scoring!!!
Here is the pattern description from the Simplicity Web site: “Simplicity misses’ & plus size jacket has shaped armholes, side seam pockets and top stitching; skirt in two lengths has asymmetrical yoke and front cascade. Pullover knit top has 3/4 sleeves. Khaliah Ali pattern collection.” I beg to differ with the shaped armholes. The pattern has dolman sleeves, which is why I chose it because the dolman sleeve seems to be a big trend this season. Okay, there is a seam that could give the armhole some shape – that is if the sleeve circumferance wasn’t so dang large. No, I didn’t make a muslin. Next time I will take in those sleeves a bit so the jacket is not so overwhelming.
I’m thinking if I belt the jacket, or add a couple inconspicuous hook & eye closures just below the bustline, it might accentuate the waistline a bit and draw attention away from the huge armholes. Maybe, I’m just not used to the dolman sleeve anymore. It has been out of style for a number of years now, but it is making a reappearance this year. So, with all that said and after seeing the above photo, I decided to restyle the way I wear the jacket.
Deep in thought, I contemplate other ways I might style this jacket. Belted over a black sheath dress might be another option. Hmmmmm, do I have a black sheath dress in my closet?
So what if I don’t have that LBD in my closet – I can always make one. After all, I do know how to sew!!!This jacket does have some great lines to add topstitching and other embellishments. Here is a close up of the seams with toptstitching. It looks like a pocket, but it is not. I also added self-made cording between the front facing and the body. I wanted a faux leather trim, but alas, my local store did not have any pleather. As I passed the Halloween costume section, a shiny, black, leather-looking fabric caught my eye. So, yes, I used cheap thrifty black (very thin and stretchy) costume fabric for my cording. It actually looks very much like leather trim. 🙂
This knit fabric was misbehaving under my presser foot. The top layer was bunching up and not feeding properly. Unlike quilting and home dec projects, this is a garment and it is three dimensional so I did not want to use my walking foot. So I used my teflon foot and it worked beautifully.
Today was quite warm again, but very rainy and overcast. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same. Yay! Another no guilt, stay inside and sew kind of day. Yard work, beh!!
Do you feel guilty about spending time sewing when there is outdoor work to be done? Or, perhaps you are lucky enough to live in a condo or apartment and somebody else takes care of those chores. 🙂 However you might be spending your time, have a pleasant week.
A Notion to Sew 