Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A TNT jacket pattern - New Look 6782 Out of Print


New Look 6782 jacket, vest, skirt and pants   is now out of print - if you seek that number in the catalogue, you get a dress top. The older version, which I bought years ago, has become a favourite.  While the illustration looks very ordinary, the pattern offers   a great princess seamed hip length jacket with false welts.  Princess seams help small stout people like me get a good fit because you have six vertical seams where you can add or reduce.  I like the raised back neck too- a few years ago I saw some tops with this feature described as ‘neat neck’.  Since my neck is short, jacket collars often overwhelm it, and the neckline on this jacket doesn’t do that
New Look 6782

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After tissue fitting at a sewing class, I cut the jacket size just a bit under a 14 at the neck and shoulders, easing out to a size 16 at the bust and a little larger at the waist.   With the shoulders narrow enough and the waist wide enough, the jacket hangs nicely.  The alterations at the top meant that I ended up with a very strangely shaped back neck facing, but it worked.
The strange altered back facing


I’ve made three of these jackets now, each with slightly different details.  I added a lining to each one.  Making a lining was fairly easy. I cut the pieces using   the garment pattern, omitting the front facing and back neck facing and adding a 2.5 cm (1 inch) pleat for movement at the centre back.  The first (least successful) jacket had the lining loose at the hem.  The next two versions had fully bagged lining.


I made one visible design change to the original pattern, curving the centre front at the hem. 

I made an invisible design change, creating working pockets.  In the original, the welts are simply decorative. They are just folded strips of fabric placed on an angle on the side front and caught in the seams.  I think jackets need pockets, so two of my jackets have pockets behind the welts.  The first version had pockets made by tracing the bottom portion of the side front (below the placement line for the welt) sewing the welt to these.  The new false fronts and welts were then attached to the side fronts and caught in the side seams and the hem.

This was dead easy, but I didn’t like the hang and feel of the pockets – my hand kept catching in the hand stitches of the hem.  (Yeah, I know I shouldn’t slouch round with my hands in my jacket pockets…) A slightly more complicated version worked better for me. I learnt it  from Kim at The Cloth Shop .

 To make them, start by making the welts as per the pattern.  Pin them on the side fronts and fold them up into position.  Now carefully mark the top of the welts the side seams.   Next, cut the side fronts on the placement line for the welt so you have a side front top and a side front bottom (don’t lose those marks that show where the top of the welt will come).   Cut pocket pieces the width of the side front, long enough to give the depth you want when folded in half, and with the two ends following the lines of the side front top and bottom.  You end up with a piece like this.   



 Sew the pockets to the welt then to the side front bottom and to the side front top.  Carefully put the side front top and bottom together, using the marks for the top of the welts to make a side front that is exactly the same as the original pattern, but has a pocket at the back of the welt.  Now you can go ahead and sew the side fronts to the side backs and the fronts, which will hold the pocket in position.


As I said, each jacket had some slightly different details.  The first version, in black micro fibre, is the least successful - I don’t like the pockets, and the hem is a mess.  But the decorative element on the welt is my favourite.  I simply used a twin needle to make false pin tucks on the straight grain of a piece of fabric.  Then I cut the welts on the bias (as the pattern recommends).    

The pin tucked welt


Decorating the welts with embroidery, ribbon or appliqué would also be easy. They are small pieces so it would also be possible to make them out of really luxurious contrasting fabric.

The second jacket was in a furnishing fabric – not the nicest feeling  fabric, but a soft lining helps.  



Because it was so patterned, the only detail on this is the buckle fastener.  It’s a belt buckle that my great-aunt purchased in London in 1911.  I stitched the pieces to two lined strips of fabric (as though I were making a belt) then attached the ‘belts’ to the jacket front. 

An antique buckle  fastens the jacket



Because there are no pockets on the outside, I added two welt pockets to the lining, following the instructions in Claire Shaeffer’s High Fashion Sewing Secrets for a pocket on a lined jacket.It's just a big bound buttonhole that spans the  front facing and  the lining side front with a pocket made out of a folded  piece  like the one I  described above.



 I couldn’t use the pin tucked welts on the latest version- the silk tweed was too loose to pin tuck using the twin needle. 

Version 3- in silk tweed  with two  vintage French buttons
  
...And silk lining



I think this pattern  ( reviewed for Pattern Review) is a definite keeper.  If you come across it in a market, give it a go!



Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Which side of the fabric to use?



I wanted to make Kwik Sew 3462 into a reversible vest that would do double duty for work/party.  My stash contained some floppy lightweight nylon and Lycra in a dark grey that would do for the work side.  For the party?  All I had that was soft and wide enough (the pattern needs at least 115 cm of 45 inch width fabric) was a black and white synthetic lace full of roses.  One of those fabrics that shrieks you fool why did you buy me?  You aren't planning to make any curtains!   The answer to that question of course is you were cheap.  



I was about to donate the lace curtain fabric to charity, and put away the pattern. But then I saw that the reverse of the lace resembled those skeleton leaves that you sometimes find in the garden- a bit moody and mysterious.  



So I made my vest after all. KS 34622 is pretty easy to make.  The only tricky thing is that the collar is part of the vest front and you have to get your head around a slightly strange pattern shape and wrangle the shoulder seams and the back neck together. 

Making it in a single fabric you would sew the centre back seam of the collar as a French seam.  I didn’t do that.  I cut two garments and  sewed them separately.  I basted a line round the armholes of each garment at 1.6 cm (5/8 inch).     Then I placed them right sides together and sewed the collar edge, centre fronts and hem.  I turned the garment to the right side through an armhole.  I then folded a hem in the armholes using the basted line as a guide.  I top stitched all edges including the armholes at 6mm (1/4 inch).   


Because I was in effect lining the vest edge to edge, I cut nearly 20cm (8 inches) off the length.  The pattern calls for a very deep hem to give enough weight to the waterfall front.  Making a reversible garment you get the weight from the two layers.

 The result isn't perfect and could  certainly use another press. The floppy collar hides a bit of puckering in the shoulder seam of the work vest, and the lacy pattern hides a few small imperfections in the party side fabric.  (Now I know why the fabric was so cheap).But I like the idea and may use it again.You'll find my review on PR.




a year or so later I found some reversible two faced  fabric in  Cleggs Melbourne that  seemed ideal for  the jacket from this pattern. .  It was a knit with one side striped the other spotted.
double layered knit


Jacket and T shirt from double faced knit
The jacket went together as easily as the vest.  I used the spot side, and the stripe shows on the collar. I rolled hemmed the fronts and sleeves, and used the deep hem allowance on the pattern at the bottom.  I made a long sleeved T to go under it using the stripe with the spot as trim at the neck and cuffs.   As winter draws nearer I''m finding it a comfortable smart casual pairing.

I think there are lots of possibilities with this pattern. The vest is easily reversible.  You  might find a fabric that had two distinct patterns as my lace did but, unlike my lace, patterns that appeal to you on either side, as  the double faced knit did.  Then you could make the vest in a single layer, using an appropriate seam finish and  perhaps rolled hemming.If you had two beautiful  thin silks (maybe sari pieces) you could rolled-hem them together with multiple toning thread  to make   a  small work of art. Making the jacket out of two thin fabrics would be harder but not impossible.   I imagine that lining  edge to edge would be a real pain, but you could rolled hem or bind the edges
Hope this idea is useful.