Empire (State of Mind) Jacket

Burda Jacket, August 2009, #118 (Click above pic to enlarge.)

Fabric: 2 yds of blue/grey wool and 2 yds of blue lining, both from Paron's in NYC.

Notions: 5 large pewter snaps, from Pacific Trims in NYC.

Here's my review at PR.

This was my first project using one of the New York fabrics I bought in August during the Sit and Sew class. I really took my time making sure I did things right (rather than just getting to the finish line), so it took a lot longer than expected, but came out very nicely.

I made 2 muslins to un-petite the sizing, ending up adding an inch to the length (above the waist), scooping out the armscye a bit, and letting out the side seams a pinch. I am very, very happy with the resulting fit (doesn't the back look amazing?).

The pattern went together nicely, I only had to refer to the directions for the shoulder placket placement and the sleeve vent construction. I pretty much put it together my own way, and used Claire Schaeffer's book to confirm my interfacing suspicions. I don't like how Burda shows a "ring" of interfacing around the armscye, and ended up interfacing the whole top-half of the back pieces as Schaeffer recommends. I suspect I should've used a higher quality fusible interfacing, as this one was slightly too heavy for the weight of the wool. The other issue with this wool is the thickness of the seams were allowances were doubled up. I used a lot of steam and pressure (aka hammering/clapping) to flatten out the hem and collar bumps. Below, you can see how the plackets curve over the collar and attach at the lining seam.

And above, you can see the inside of the sleeve vents where the sleeeve facings and lining meet.

My biggest headache was the should placket parts. I placed them incorrectly 2 or 3 times, having to rip and restitch them. Then they wouldn't lay nice and flat (like the magazine photo), so I really steamed and slapped them around a bit. A few extra stitched to tack them down in certain places, and I'm finally happy with those lil' buggers.

Overall, I'm pleased with the appearance of this unique jacket. The snaps are little big for my taste, but I love the color of them with the fabric, and couldn't bring myself to cover them. Susan Khalje showed me how to correctly stitch them down in class, so I used her method. I adore this shade of blue, and plan on wearing this with grey dress pants or jeans, and I also have a piece of grey doubleknit from Gorgeous Fabrics that wants to be a sheath dress to match.

I won't be updating again (probably) until after Christmas, so I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. This year, Little Miss Princess got to help me set up my Swarovski Snowflake collection. I started in 1995, my first Christmas with DH, and have every one made since. They are so beautiful, and thankfully I have this super safe curio to showcase them in (where little hands can't reach, and balls can't hit and tails don't wag...). The back of the cabinet is mirrored, so it may look like more than 15 ornaments! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!