We are completely lacking in energy here. The temperature hit 32 C (89 F) today. Not a common thing for us! The whole family just lounged around waiting for the cooling fan to rotate towards them.
Needless to say, after a long work week and today’s heat nothing much has been accomplished. But I did get a lovely package in the mail and another from a friend at work. Let me show you …
I have watched the Craftsy course “Sew Better, Sew Faster: Smart Construction” quite a few times while waiting for the accompanying sewing pattern to arrive in the mail – the “Motor City Express Jacket“. I have wanted to start working on that one for a long time!
And with such good timing, a friend at work gave me about 2 meters of fabric that she had purchased but decided not to use. When I first saw it I asked her “Was it going to be curtains?” No, she replied. No matter how many times I asked her “So, was it going to be curtains?” The answer was always No. Eventually, I had her yelling from her office “It’s NOT curtains!”
Can I help it if every time I looked at her lovely fabric all I saw was curtains? It happily reminded me of Carol Burnett’s lovely dress from curtains, when Ms. Burnett did a parody of “Gone with the Wind” on her TV show. It’s on Youtube, you should check it out, but here’s a photo for you…
I suppose that was Vintage Refashioning? 🙂
I am not sure of the content of this lovely woven fabric, but the embossed design shows up differently on the right and wrong sides and even in different lights and at different angles. This is exactly what I imagined when dreaming of fabric for my Motor City Express Jacket – a solid colour that is not really a solid colour!
It was a substantial length of fabric but I still needed a length of matching but contrasting fabric for the front flaps/facings and luckily I found it in the remanent basket of my local fabric store.
When I cut my fabric out I use weights and I love using my ruler with the lip on the edge. It holds my fabric in place while I slide up and down my fabric to check if it is on grain, before I place my weights and cut.
I decided to use the wrong sides of both my fabrics. The wrong sides had less shine, but the embossed design still appeared and disappeared in the light, and there were also horizontal threads that ran through both fabrics randomly on the wrong sides that added so much texture to the fabrics. Have you ever used the wrong side of the fabric deliberately? (I have accidentally too – but we won’t talk about THAT!)
This is how far I have gotten so far in my project. The jacket back.
Dolly wearing the finished lining – still needs sleeves.
This is the lining turned inside out.
And the lining back, turned inside out.
I just love linings with “POP”!
I still haven’t tried on the lining. It is way to hot here to be trying on anything. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit cooler. In the meantime. I slipped the lining into another jacket, my Jacket Express, another pattern made by Islander Sewing – just to see what it is going to look like. My Jacket Express turned out well and I like the fit, so I have no fears that this one isn’t going to be the same.
I hope to have more to show you next time. I am looking forward to sewing in the sleeve and pocket zippers and bagging the lining.
Next weekend is a trip to Vancouver to help with fabric choices for the MOG (Mother of the Groom) dress I am making for the MOG (Mother of the Groom), hopefully there will be time for me to sew & blog too, but if not, you keep posting and I’ll keep reading!
Happy Sewing!
Oooo!! I can’t wait for the next instalment! I just love Janet Pray’s video lessons, and every time I see your jackets I feel guilty for not even starting mine!!
The fabric looks like it will make a stunning jacket, but I agree it looks a bit curtain-ish before it was cut out. 😀
Thank you! Although they seem daunting, if you want to make a first motorcycle jacket, I’d say this is one of the best. Yes there are a lot of pieces but the directions and details she gives you are great. Although I am glad they caught the one mistake in the video and in the instructions and corrected it so that I didn’t have to find it myself.
Which would you say of the 2 jackets to attempt first?? Was it hard to source the special zips?
Well they both have lots of pieces so that might throw someone. Take your time cutting and sewing, these are not quick projects. But the Jacket Express, my first, has top stitching, welt pockets and button holes – three techniques that might have not been done before. But it is essentially just like making a shirt. It’s your jacket, leave the welt pockets off, or the topstitching, if you choose! While the Motor City Express is lined, you “bag the lining”, and you put in one zipper closure, two zippers with gussets, and four pocket zippers (which actually remind me of welt pockets with zippers). I am glad I did the Jacket Express first. She also tells you how to make your own short zippers from big ones in this course if you can’t find the proper sizes in the stores. I found the proper sizes in the store: 24″, 6″, and 5″. Lucky me, I didn’t expect to! I hope to take photos again, as I go along, as usual. And there might be some mistakes and ripping, but that doesn’t matter – all will turn out in the end!
Thanks for the run down Linda. It must be a year since I traced off the Islander jacket pattern pieces, so I’ve really no excuse for not getting on with that one first. Fabric!!! Must buy fabric!! 😁
Oh no! Don’t say those words out loud on a sewing blog… You’ll have everyone running to the fabric store or on-line sites! Must. Buy. Fabric. !!!
Hahaha!! Is it like being hypnotised?? Our subconscious see those words and everyone buys fabric!! That’s funny😅
😳
It’s looking rather snazzy so far.
On a side note, I love the way cats react to hot weather. Why bother moving when you can just sprawl yourself across the floor? I generally feel like joining them when the temperature rises around here, too.
Thank you! Yes the cats are rather entertaining even when lying around all day with their feet up. A mouse could run across them (if we had mice) and they would probably just blink! 😃
THAT is going to be one amazing jacket. Wow! The fabric, the lining, can’t wait to see the finished product. PS. I loved that episode of Carol Burnett. Actually, loved Carol Burnett. I may even have watched it with you. 😆
Thank you! (And yes, we probably watched most of the episodes together!)
Oh, my – I remember that Carol B skit as it’s been shown in other programmes. Always makes me wish I had such extravagant curtains to up-cycle. What a score for fabrics for your jacket!
Yes, I’ve deliberately used “wrong” side of fabric, and probably would again, given the chance. 😀 Eagerly await your next instalment, once you’re cooler!
Yes, Ms Burnett is quite talented, along with her writers. I say once the fabric (and the pattern) are your’s, do as you wish! Develop the idea and create it! I am looking forward to the next steps too!
Love the reference to Carol’s amazing dress refashion 🙂 Hilarious episode. The jacket lining fabric is sensational. Can’t wait to see the whole enchilada. It’s hot here too. We’re all lethargic and a bit cranky. Hang in there!
This is seriously the first time I’ve sewed animal print lining. I was taught to pick a matching colour for the lining, then I started reading blogs, and getting ideas! You hang in there too! 😎
I love that you are using the wrong side of this fabric, I think it will make a stunning jacket. Bagging a lining huh? Hmm have to look that one up not familiar with that term. I can’t wait to see the progress on your jacket 🙂
Thanks! I did it (bagging the lining) once before, long ago, very carefully. Purses are pretty much the same. You sew your lining in all around you jacket edge by machine. Then you pull everything through a hole left in the side seam. Then you carefully sew the side seam. Your liningg look professionally sewn in!
That will be a lovely jacket. Are you coming to Vancouver Canada? Fabricana is great for dressy as is Gala, but I haven’t been there for years.
Thanks! Yes, we usually do Fabricana first as it is closer to where we are staying. This time though I think we will be careful and see both, since it is a dressy fabric we are looking for. I only just recently started going to both, nice to know they have “fans”!
Well the MOG is looking forward to doing some serious fabric shopping and maybe some lunch, a movie and some movie goodies. With any luck we will be able to find material for the other dresses I have picked out as well. See you soon sis and once again thanks.
Sounds like fun! Just DO NOT let me buy ANY FABRIC! I took inventory today and have three bins full – although not all purchased, some gifted by lovely friends and family that know I sew!
You’re so creative, Linda! Still need to learn so much from you 😀
Wow! What a nice thing to say. And here I’m thinking I love reading all the sewing blogs because there are so many creative and talented people out there! 😃
Can’t wait to see how it turns out, looking great so far. That lining certainly pops!
Thank you! I will have to take this one slow.
Love that lining!! Can’t wait to see the jacket shell!
Thank you! I’m working on it! 😃
The lining looks great. You’re mighty ambitious for someone who’s suffering from the heat, Me, I’d be rolling around on the floor with the cats. BTW I’ve lived on Vancouver Island, not only do you have mice you have gigantic RATS! 🙂
Thanks! The fan rotated over to me every now and then! Well, where we live I have not seen a rat yet! Raccoons, deer, heron, bears, Cougars, killer whales, harbour seals, but no rats. I hear they are all in Oak Bay!
Yikes!