A Week Late And A Muslin Short

This little lady wants a Little French Jacket

UPDATE:  With the holiday rush, an ice-storm induced power outage and various and sundry illnesses and obstacles, mom's decided that the suit will be her birthday present in February.  Whew!


I wanted to show my mom my LFJ project this weekend, so I gathered all the goodies. . .fabric, patterns, tools, etc.  She ran her fingers along the boucle, shot through with gold.  She happily looked over the design elements in the patterns and told me which she preferred.  She adores the skirt in the Kwik Sew pattern. Then, she began trying to decide how long she would want the jacket to be. . .you know, if it were going to be hers.

Mom is 92, and has always had excellent taste.  When she was young she sewed most of her wardrobe. Even today, she relishes describing certain dresses she remembers making and wearing, and there's always a special detail.  . .a little embroidered embellishment, self-covered buttons, French seaming. . .that were especially satisfying to her.

As she continued looking over the elements of my dream jacket, she wondered aloud if her plum dress pants might look nice with it.  In case I wanted to borrow them.

Well, what could I do?  All my life, my parents did their best to make my dreams come true.  Can you think of a lovelier Christmas gift than a Little French Jacket?  With a matching skirt, maybe?  Ho, Ho, Ho! 

/CherylAnn

Ready, Set. . .Go! I Mean SEW!

It's Muslin Monday!  The Little French Jacket sewalong swings into action with Step 1:  Constructing the muslin.  I've selected a companion pattern to Kwik Sew 2577, which will be the foundation shape of the garment.  However, Vogue 7015 contains some shaping that I may want to include.  It just depends on how I think it will look on the fashion fabric, which has some elaborate metallic motifs that may not look right with darting.

Both patterns are, alas, out-of-print.  Both Vogue 7015 and Kwik Sew 3577 can be found online.  The book in the photo is the venerable Couture Sewing Techniques, by Clair Shaeffer.  Her new book - ideal for this sewalong - is, unfortunately, still not on my shelf.

If we follow the calendar for this sewalong, in just a few weeks, we'll each own a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, thrill-to-wear, honest-to-goodness COUTURE jacket!  We're off to the races. . .which, come to think of it, would be a smashing place to wear a couture jacket!



/CherylAnn

To Begin: Joining the Little French Jacket Sew-Along

Fabric and (possible) Pattern for the LFJ Sew-Along

This is my first post on this blog, and I know it should be an introduction to my point and purpose in starting it, but I don't have time to write that right now.

There's an exciting sew-along in the works!  I've been checking out a lot of sewing blogs recently, and I found an irresistible challenge:  The Little French Jacket Sew-Along!

I follow the blog My Sewcial World, where I found this enticing post.    I have devoured sewing books, patterns books and magazines for years.  (I used to sew quite a bit, and I always thought that someday, I would master some real couture techniques and create some timeless clothes that are truly satisfying to make and to wear.)

More recently, I have found inspirational treasure in blogs, such as Goodbye, Valentino, La Petite Josette, Red Point Tailor and Sewaholic.  I also signed up for the Craftsy class, The Couture Dress!

Following the links at Annika's sew-along announcement post, I found the original challenge, including the schedule and suggested patterns.

Being a bit of a crank, I'm strongly tempted to use a pattern I already own and love, but that lacks some of the traditional elements of a couture piece, such as a two-piece set-in sleeve.  My fabric is also quite ornate, so many of the delicious details of a traditional Chanel-style jacket might be, uhmmm. . .de trop.

The Little French Jacket Sew-Along begins on October 6, 2013, and ends just before Christmas.  There is also a bonus Skirt Sew-Along in January.

All of this nicely coincides with what looks to be a can't-do-without new book by couture master Claire B. Schaeffer.  I may just have to make this book my birthday present to myself!

It's shaping up to be a very satisfying autumn!

N.B.  The Kwik Sew Pattern shown in the photo (K3577) is, apparently, SO out-of-print, it doesn't even show up on Kwik Sew's Out-Of-Print Patterns page.  I found one on eBay

/Cheryl Ann