I have Standards; Who Knew?

It's funny, I've always been extremely critical of RTW. I'll go into a store and paw through the racks and find a design I like, only to discover a mis-matched plaid or a crooked seam and put it back, muttering about shoddy workmanship and lack of care and how can anyone expect me to pay money for that.

So why have I put up with some of these same things from myself? Why haven't I held myself to the same standards that I hold the "pros" to?

Sewing is something I've done since I was a kid, but only in the past few years have I taken it really seriously and understood that a lot of the work I admire is actually within my range if I'm willing to do it (i.e., my long refusal to deal with linings and invisible zippers, without which a lot of garments can't be completed properly). It was always about the process for me, and it didn't matter so much that I didn't wear my clothes all that often – I enjoyed making them.

I'm past that now. Why am I doing all that work, whether I enjoy it or not, to have to still go out and buy unsatisfactory retail when the clothes in my closet that I have made should be good enough?

In the last year I've turned out a few things that I want to wear, and a large number of things that I will wear quite happily, though not with the same glow of pride. I discovered something that actually makes me step it up, and while it's kind of silly, it's been working for me. I ordered a batch of labels last year, thinking that I should start sewing them in all this stuff I make.

Don't ask me why, but seeing my name on a garment makes me take it more seriously, like it's more real for some reason. I've found myself hesitating about sewing labels in work I'm not totally satisfied with, and even taking things apart and correcting mistakes that are only visible to me before I'm willing to mark the piece as mine. Interesting.

All this time, I thought I was objecting to the imperfections, but what I was really objecting to were the imperfections that someone was willing to put their name on and release out into the world.

So that's an addition to my resolution list: only sew things that I'm going to be proud to put my name on.

It's in the bag

The jacket is finished! And despite having done this "slowly," not cutting any corners and going what I would normally consider "above and beyond," I think this was record time for me for a lined jacket. I started fusing the fabric on January 2, and I finished pressing last night somewhere around 11:00 p.m. And promptly cut out the next project.

FYI, if you're looking for a pattern with good instructions for bagging a lining, this is the one. I've gotten the bagging part down before, but not that well, and I've never figured out how (despite instructions in books or in patterns) how to go about machine sewing the sleeve linings to the sleeves. Sandra Betzina explained it very clearly, and this is definitely the best lining I've ever done.

That said, there is a lining issue, but it's not in how it was sewn. It lies in the fact that, once again, I put rotary cutter to fabric after 10:00 p.m. It took a little while to convince myself to sacrifice the Kashi silk for this jacket, but isn't that just another variation on the "too good to use" theory? When is the project ever going to be good enough? Just cut into the damn fabric already. So I did.

The problem being, when I went to sew the darts the next morning (8 in the jacket, 8 in the lining – can I tell you I'm tired of sewing darts?), was that I had cut two left backs. And there wasn't quite enough silk left to cut a right back that exactly matched the left. I almost chucked the whole thing and used a plain lining, but (a) I didn't have enough plain lining for a whole jacket, only sleeves, and (b) I decided that it was just the sewing gods being malicious because I hesitated to use good fabric, and I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of pitching it. It's not that far off and the pleat in the back covers some of the mismatch, so I can live with it. How well the lining went in was my reward for not giving up on the silk.

I pressed everything one last time and was trying it on when the boy got here last night. Sometimes his cluelessness is cute; sometimes not. This was one of those not times. He has this idea that the clothing we make should cost less than the crap you buy in the stores. He said, "What did this cost, about $10?" Yes, per yard for the fabric, so that's $25, and then $12 for the silk lining, a little more for the acetate sleeve lining, and 2 yards of flannel for the underlining, and a separating zipper, and about 10 hours of my time. But that's not why I do it. He doesn't understand why I would go to all that effort unless I'm getting it for pennies on the dollar.

It's not even really about the clothes, it's about the process. Clothes are just the visible reward I get for doing something I love.

Next up: BWOF 2/2007 #113 - a skirt to be worn with the jacket, fabric stash-swapped with Trena. I think that's going to be the theory for sewing this year (unless I'm interrupted by something like a gift or a special occasion outfit) - each project has to be able to be worn with the previous project. This will ensure that everything I make will work together. I'm pretty good about my colors now (as opposed to in the past, which explains some random purple stretch velvet deep in stash), but this will definitely keep me from those occasional "but it was so pretty" color choices that make me look like death sucking a lemon.

Houston, we have achieved sleeve

However, we have also achieved dead camera battery, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Last post I was worried about sleeve ease in this jacket vs. the leather version yet to come. I measured the sleeve cap against the armscye, and there was 2" of ease there. I decided that as a test run for the next coat, I'd see how this worked with 1". I wasn't sure it would work this way, but since the sleeves were already cut out there was no going back - I measured how much I would have to take off the top of the sleeve cap to lose an inch of ease, closed my eyes and cut. I put in two rows of ease stitching and pinned it into the jacket. It fit, and looked okay, so I tried it on. No binding or pulling, and I could raise my arms, so I did the happy dance, took the jacket back off, took the sleeve out, and steamed it into shape over the ham. I was right - the flannel backing on this makes it shape like a dream.

Did this for both sleeves, re-pinned and sewed them in. The instructions call for a 2" wide strip of lambswool or mohair extending beyond the seam to add shape to the sleeve head. Having neither lambswool nor mohair around (nor even batting, after the Christmas quilted bag extravaganza), I cut a strip of the lining flannel, doubled it, and hand-sewed it into place. It worked again. Probably not as well as the recommended material, but it worked.

Those shoulder pads I tried the other day no longer worked for me when I tacked them in. I had already shifted the shoulder seam a little when I first made the jacket, and with the extra flannel at the seam head, every size pad I had still seemed too bulky. So I'm going with my own shoulders, which seem to fill the jacket just fine.

After that, I hemmed the bottom and the sleeves, and said enough for a while. Tomorrow is another day, Scarlett.

Sir Thomas Gray, one of my best helpers.

And so it goes on

I stayed up way too late Thursday night. I got a late start on the jacket because I was reading sewing blogs and buying a new sewing machine. (I've been threatening my not-quite-two-year-old Singer with violence for some time, and when it abruptly refused to buttonhole and made strange noises at me, I knew the end was near. The end of my patience, at least.)

I've been looking for a new machine, for the first time giving myself a real budget - I've had a succession of $150-$199 models and beaten them into the dirt, all the while muttering because they don't have all the features and functions I want. I finally acknowledged that sewing is important enough that it deserves to be done on a quality machine. And I deserve a quality machine, not another rattly piece of junk that will do nothing but frustrate me. I'd much rather be frustrated by a complicated pattern than the machine I'm working on. I had narrowed my decision down to 3 machines, and then I meandered over to Dressaday last night and found that Erin had purchased one of the same machines I was looking at. She said such nice things about the Juki E80 that it sent me right over to Sew Vac Direct to buy my own. (And now, having spent $599 on a machine, I can justify not buying fabric for a while. The lengths we go to . . . )

What I eventually got done: realized that I had already flannelled the sleeves, so the interface/flannel decision had already been made, just forgotten. Interfaced the facings/back neck facing, but after they were sewn together because it had another one of those tricky reverse corners and I didn't want the added bulk when I sewed. It worked. Sewed the facing to the jacket, having only minimal problems with sewing over the zipper, and one super-dramatically bent pin. Pressed, pressed, pressed. Tried shoulder pads, found a pair I liked. Decided to use the Kashi scarf-square silk for lining (originally intended for the leather version of this jacket), because I don’t have another lining fabric I like and I can't buy any. Pressed again, and pinned the entire edge seam for one last press and then basting. Don’t think I’m going to topstitch, but maybe? I don’t think the style or the fabric would benefit from it but it's not over yet, so who knows.

Really pleased with how the collar turned out (it's basted in pink thread right now, so I can continue to press the living crap out of it.) Not so happy with the zipper, but that’s a length of zipper thing vs. a pattern or skill issue. I think for the leather version, the zip is going to be a good bit longer, but I’ll determine that when I’m finished this one.

I've been reading a lot about sleeves, because I realized there's no way I can ease a sleeve in a leather jacket. Sandra Betzina's patterns are drafted with a better shaped sleeve, I’m just hoping it's a sleeve cap with minimal ease or I'm going to have to draft a replacement sleeve and try it out again before I make the sleeve in leather. In the current fabric, it will be fine – the flannel especially will add the kind of body that will make it steam into shape very well. Spent most of the morning stealthily surfing Kathleen Fasanella's site. I should have bought her book on Amazon instead of some of the other stuff.

Shopping (but not for fabric)

I got $75 worth of Borders' gift cards for Christmas. Last night, when it was no longer safe for me to sew (you know when you reach that point), I went online. Caught up on Patternreview, posted a UFO, read some blogs, and then settled down to the serious business of spending $$.

$75 doesn't go far on Amazon/Borders, but I opened Half.com in a new window and checked everything I was interested in on both sites. Here are the results:

From Borders:

The Zapp Method of Couture Sewing: Tailor Garments Easily, Using Any Pattern - Anna Zapp

Easy, Easier, Easiest Tailoring - Pati Palmer

Theatre de la Mode: Fashion Dolls: The Survival of Haute Couture - Edmond Charles-Roux

The Tudor Tailor – reconstructing sixteenth-century dress - Ninya Mikhaila

I had to have the Tudor tailoring book. I'm a sucker for historical costumes and I love knowing how the real stuff worked.

And from Half.com:

Chanel : Amy De La Haye

The Complete Book of Sewing Shortcuts : Claire B. Shaeffer

Bridal Couture : Susan Khalje

Distinctive Details: Great Embellishment Techniques (Threads)

Dressmaking : Leila Aitken

The Dressmaker's Dictionary : Ann Ladbury

How to Start Making Money With Your Sewing : Karen Maskowski

Sew to Success : Kathleen Spike

Not sure about the two "make money from your sewing" type books, but the last 4 on the Half list were under $2 each, so it's worth the browse. All in all, I spent about $10 over on Borders, and the Half haul only cost me about $40, with postage. And now I have 12 new sewing books to read in my abundant spare time.

Hey, it's better than fabric. I never swear off book-buying.

First Project of the New Year

Somewhat of a UFO, but only just - I had the fabric, the zipper and the pattern together, but scissors were not yet involved.

This jacket is going to be an exercise in slow sewing. One of my resolutions was to to take my time and do more quality work on my projects. So what if I don't make as many garments in 2008? If they turn out better, and I feel good wearing them, why should I trade that for more that feel less good? If I wanted that, I'd buy retail.

This jacket is technically a muslin. I bought some black lamb leather at LSS during PR Weekend in November and I want to make it up as this jacket, but no way was I cutting into that leather without a trial run in real fabric. So far, this is behaving well.

The fabric is a lightweight wool/silk blend from my local fabric store. The owner said it was a roll-end from Burberry. Whether that's true or not, the quality is way better than his usual fabrics, and I bought the last 2.5 yards (this was in October, so it doesn't count against my Fabric Fast). My problem was that I loved the color and the look of this fabric, but the weight was all wrong for what I had in mind. And yes, it would have been easier to just find the right weight fabric, but what's the fun in that?

I had some fusible web in the workroom for no apparent reason, and 2 yards of cotton flannel bought as interlining for a project that hasn't happened yet, so I block fused the three together and came up with a fabric that had approximately the same body as my leather. I didn't just want to use the flannel as interlining; I wanted the hand of a heavier fabric, and this worked surprisingly well, despite being a royal pain to do. I did like that I could write all my pattern markings and fitting adjustments on the flannel. It made the fitting process much easier. I haven't decided whether I'm going to use regular fusible interfacing on the facings and the sleeves - I don't want the sleeves floppy, but I'm not sure if I want them in as structured a fabric as I had concocted for the body of the jacket.

Leather being what it is, I wanted to get it right the first time, so I chose this pattern because I thought it gave me the best chance of getting a good fit. There are 3 side darts on the front, back shoulder darts, low back darts and a center back seam. If this jacket doesn't fit, it's not because there weren't a dozen different ways to alter the pattern. That being said, I didn't make too many alterations. I lengthened the low back dart by about 1" and took in the CB seam toward the bottom because the jacket seemed particularly spacious in back (front fit fine, which just proves my dress form and I have entirely different breasts). I sloped the shoulder a bit at the outside and ended up taking in the side seam at the very top, but only a little, and altered the sleeve accordingly.

Something I'm pleased I took the trouble to do: when I finally sewed the main pieces together, I pressed all the seams open. (Hey, I even used a pressing cloth - going all out for the new year!) I peeled back the fusible and the flannel and trimmed them to the seam line, then I hand-sewed the seam allowances to the flannel backing only. I also did this with the back darts, which are pressed open. All the seams are completely flat. It really made a difference in how the jacket felt when I tried it on, and I like knowing that the seams aren't going to rumple up once they're under the lining.

So this is where we are right now - darts sewn, back and front sewn together, zipper in, collar and shoulder seams done (contortionist sewing at its best; it was one of those hellish pivot-on-the-small-dot moments that we all hate. Sleeves and facings are interfaced, they just haven't met the jacket yet. I want to work on taking some ease out of the sleeve head because I'm not going to be able to ease the leather.

Right now I'm also thinking about linings. I don't have anything in the lining drawer that works with this - except the silk scarf square print that I bought from Kashi, which was intended as the lining for the leather jacket. Or maybe not. What if I never get around to the leather? That silk shouldn't sit, unwanted and unloved, in a dark drawer. It should probly sacrifice itself to be sewn into this jacket - if the jacket continues on its current path of worthiness.

One of my favorite Christmas presents . . .

After the Mood gift certificate, and the Lowe's gift certificate, and the three (!) Borders' gift certificates. The boy tried his best this year to get me sewing-related books, and when he couldn't find anything new at the store, he improvised. I'll take a good used book any day. In addition to this one, I also scored a book on Art Deco textiles, which made me drool. This book is just plain fun - it's all reproduced pages from old Sears catalogs from the 1920s.

The only thing that would make it better would be patterns, but a lot of the things I really like have fairly simple lines and I like to think that maybe, just maybe, I could reproduce them without too much hair-pulling.

I love the coat on the left. Those insets in the skirt make it look more like a dress than a coat, and I love the wrap-around cuffs. Much as I loathe working with fake fur, I could deal with it long enough to do a collar. I think.

This one I had to add just for the giggle value - does that look like the "New Freedom in Corsetry" to you? I don't think so. All they did was go from pushing the girls up under your chin to squashing them flat, and Mother Nature will do that quickly enough on her own, without laces, elastic panels or any other instrument of torture. I'll remember this next time I complain about a poky underwire or the constriction of shapewear. Not so bad after all, right, ladies?