Monday, August 12, 2013

Chanel Tweed Jacket Underway: Trim and Fringe

It's been 4 years since I made a jacket like this, so the details are slowly coming back to me.  This one won't be "couture", but there's still a fair amount of hand-stitching with all the trim and buttons!
 
I picked up 2 different trims at Joann's yesterday, not quite sure what combination would look best. Did I mention that I had 3 kids in tow, so I felt like I was on Project Runway... "Designers, you have 30 minutes before the children start screaming for Chicken Nuggets and French Fries and most trims will only have 3 yards available while you need 6. Ready? Go!"

I found 2 that I really liked, and while I knew they worked together, I wasn't sure how to work in some fringed tweed and what combination would look best. So, once we got home, it was time to play...
You can see both purchased trims in the top right corner, a ruffled chiffon and a flat embellished ribbon with a small black/silver chain bordered by a double line of beads.  I tried a plain fringe, a bias fringe, and no fringe.  The black on black was just too strong and stark, and the no fringe option was the opposite, just a little too quiet. The texture of the bias fringe stands out in a more "fun and young" way than the plain fringe of the top left, so that's the one I went with.
I used my clear ruler with the 45 degree marking on it, and made bias strips 1" wide. I ran them through the machine with a double row of small straight stitches, then used my finger to fray the edges.  I machine stitched the fringe on the top of each pocket, then hand-stitched the chained trim on top, folding the raw edges over each side.

 I'm afraid that I should've chosen a button with more black and less silver, but hindsight is 20/20. Time for more hand-stitching while I attach the pockets to the jacket fronts. I'm using Simplicity 2284 this time (I can't find my Vogue pattern from last time), view D with 3/4 sleeves and added trim at center front, neck, and hem.
 
Lastly, I'm using silver silk charmeuse for the lining (see top pic), which is the first casualty according to "Murph's Law".  Not Murphy's Law, but Murph's Law... "If you have a puppy that leaves various and numerous water puddles around his water bowl, your silk will get water spots when you go to refold it and it briefly touches the floor." I thought that I had cut around the marks, but I just noticed a spot at the bottom of one of my front lining pieces. It's faint and barely noticeable, and my own fault, I should've known better. We took him camping this weekend and were stopped no fewer than 1,000 times by kids and adults with requests to pet him, love on him, and comment on the size of his paws!

10 comments:

annie said...

I love your choice of trim. I finally found some for a jacket I want to make. It really takes lots of thought to get it right and I think you've done it.

becki-c said...

I love the look of the trim which is bias, the diagonal lines make a nice contrast that stands out.
Very pretty, the silver lining will look nice and maybe a drycleaners can get those water spots out for you.

L said...

You made the perfect choice for the trim and I can't wait to see your finished jacket. I have this pattern and have been meaning to make a Chanel-inspired jacket. Thanks for the inspiration.

Gail said...

The bias trim is fantastic! I'm looking forward to seeing this project to the end.

Ana Stepalica said...

Hi Kristine, I’m launching a new sewing pattern line, and would like to treat you with my first pattern. If you’re interested, please email me at anajan.stepalica[at]gmail[dot]com. For more info about the pattern, feel free to visit my blog http://www.stepalica.com.

Sally said...

I'm loving this jacket! Can't wait to see the finished look!

Harpa Jónsdóttir said...

Beautiful. I am planning to make a Chanel inspired jacket and this post is very helpful.

Anonymous said...

Love it! Where did you find the f
abric?

Alice said...

I am going to sew a Chanel jacket and I am doing extensive research before I start. Thank you very much for sharing. I really appreciate your pictures and thoughts.
Alice

Unknown said...

Hello,
Thank you very much for your this post! I was looking for how to create the fringe for a while. This is perfect!