Sunday, October 10, 2010

Okay, so I lied

I said there wasn't going to be any more pre-vacation sewing, but it didn't work out that way.

Does it ever?

The first thing to emerge from the workroom this weekend wasn't a complicated project. Matter of fact, I've made the KwikSew tshirt so many times that it basically sews itself. This one is in a light aqua (a little brighter than in the photos) and it was made specifically to go with my charcoal gray and aqua plaid pencil skirt, which was lacking a specific top and let me know it wanted one.

As far as the embellishment on the top, who knows where that came from? It was finished, all but the hems, and I decided suddenly that it needed fluffle. Two layers of fluffle, to be exact, hand-gathered, pinned down and stitched over the neckline seam. The knit keeps the ruffles from being too fluffy and out there, and I can always pick them off if I get tired of them. For the moment, I like it.

The monster project, the one I can't believe I did - and I'm not done yet - is to reline the jacket I decided to take on vacation. It's a navy blue pea jacket, bought last year for about $10 at the thrift store. Beautiful jacket, all the buttons still there, warm as anything . . . but the lining was completely ragged on the bottom of the inside. I meant to reline it last year, but I wore it instead.

When I put clothes away for the summer, I left the jacket out, intending to reline it over the summer. Nah. Summer clothes got in the way. We looked at the weather forecast for vacation and it looks like about 10 degrees cooler than here, which means I'll need a substantial jacket. Like my pea jacket.

Which still needed relining. But what better way to force myself to do something I've been putting off than give myself a deadline like vacation? So tonight after dinner I laid it out on the table, carefully sliced out the remains of the original lining (and why did such a well made jacket have such crappy lining fabric anyway?) and made a pattern from it. The basic shapes were still intact, just most of the bottom portion was shredded in the middle; I still had seams left to add seam allowances to.



The lining fabric has been in stash for a while now, not sure what its original project was. But I think it will jazz up basic navy blue quite nicely. I got the lining constructed and inserted it into the jacket. That is some seriously bulky wool, what with all its added interfacing and the buttons already sewn on to work around. Tomorrow I'll sew the hems, but I think rather than trying to burrito fold this baby I may take the easy way out and do it by hand.

And then there will be no more sewing before vacation.

Really.

9 comments:

Karin van D. said...

Cute shirt with those ruffles. Err.. fluffles :-D

The lining is great, I love a fun lining in a jacket!

Lori said...

Cute shirt and great job putting the new lining in your jacket.

Eugenia said...

Very nice shirt - I love your fluffle addition! Great job on relining your jacket - the fabric you have used is lovely.

Little Hunting Creek said...

I love the fluffle t shirt -that's my favorite color. Cute lining, too!

Irene said...

Lovely t-shirt. Adorable "fluffles" - is it? You're very brave to reline the coat. Looks wonderful.

Gail said...

Mental note. Must have a ruffled tshirt. No a fluffled one!

SEWN said...

Wow, I can't believe you attempted a re-lining! That's amazing. Have fun on your trip!!!

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

Love the lining you chose for the jacket! What a great surprise, when you unbutton the jacket!

Andrea said...

I'm loving what I'm seeing. Beautiful!!!