Blasted Blazer!

SO, people blog about all kinds of things that matter to them. Of course this blog and so many wonderful others, share the ups and downs of sewing and creative endeavors. Well, this blazer nearly sent me over the edge! The funny thing is I cannot tell you why. So hopefully someone will read this and share some insight.

 

First, here is the pattern.  Pretty straightforward.  In fact, this is from a line of patterns where they give you additional fit tips and ways to create an "Amazing Fit".  Next, let me say that I am not a novice.  While I would not be so bold to call myself an expert or even advanced, I believe I have completed enough garments to move out of the beginner category.  AND, I have not purchased a ready to wear garment in THREE years, save for a sorority t-shirt. Hell, I've made two coats, three gowns, more dresses than I can count and four suits (yes, jackets and skirts!) in the past year alone. Having said all of the above, in the words of Tim Gunn, I am simply "flummoxed" at the strife this blazer caused me. :-)

I love to sew and I am always seeing things that I want to create. So, I like to complete garments as quickly as possible because there is always something else in the queue to be done. This blazer languished for two weeks! This is something, under normal circumstances, that would have been done in two nights - max. I put in and removed the sleeves FOUR times. Then, there was the magic extra fabric. No matter what I did, this thing was always too big. I put in the darts under the lapels, I took it in three or four times AND still, there seemed extra fabric, just showing up for no reason, each time I tried it on for a fitting OR thought I was ready to move on to the next step. And then the lining. I put it in like a dream. Then it became the nightmare fabric shift. Before that, I realized, when I was ready to cut out the lining, that the fabric I had - well, see for yourself.                      

Besides the pooling in the sleeves(WT?), did you notice the lovely color variations?  That's because the lining fabrics were two different colors of red!  Did I notice this when I cut out the lining?  Noooo!  But, I wasn't about to drive to the fabric store (as this was all stash fabrics) so I decided it would be intentionally unintentional.  Besides, unless I revealed it, by putting photos on my blog and talking about it, who would ever know? (And I would never do that!). But, finally, the last button was sewn and I was as done as I could or wanted to be. I like the final project. But, I just have not had this much trouble with a "simple" jacket in forever. I even had stress over the buttons. Perhaps because red is one of those colors where there are thousands of variations, I could never find the button that I liked. I wanted something funky and different. After going to both Hancocks and Joanns, I decided on covered buttons. At first I used the fabric for a perfect match, but it felt too, "where is the skirt that goes with that jacket" and my intent was always to create a blazer that I could mix with jeans and slacks. So, I settle on this cute fabric I found at Hancock's to cover the buttons.

WHEW! I gave serious thought to burning it all in a quick fire, but as any fabricologist would tell you, that's tantamount to heresy! So I fixed all that I could and put the scissors down.  If anyone can offer suggestions, ideas on fool-proof set in sleeve insertion and sure-fire pooling lining suggestions, I am soooo receptive. All of this was user error I know.  But, time to move on.  Tonight's episode in maniacal obsessiveness: my LBD from start to finish to wear to a party tomorrow night.

Stay Tuned!