As you might remember, I have been working on my Motor City Express Jacket, which I started here and here. I received this pattern when I purchased the Craftsy course “Sew Better, Sew Faster: Smart Construction“. (I just love it when the courses I want go on sale!) I am so looking forward to wearing my finished jacket soon! (When our temperatures cool down though – it was terribly hot again Saturday afternoon – 90F or 32C – we are just not used to that!)
Last week, another Linda (of Remake Remodel Recycle) was mentioning in the comments section of my post about using interfacing to put the pattern markings on as I was having difficulty marking my fabric. I couldn’t stop wondering about the lack of instruction in this pattern regarding the use of interfacing on the pocket openings. The pattern instructed to use interfacing around the neck and arm openings and the hem, etc., but not the pocket openings, which I was something I wasn’t used to. Maybe I was missing something.
Then I realized that in the actual Craftsy course video Ms. Pray did spend a lot of time talking about the different kinds of fabric that could be used and whether to interface them or not. So technically, I guess, she did instruct on the use of interfacing.
So I ended up backtracking this week and cut and ironed interfacing on to all my front and back pieces. This then gave me the added bonus of being better able to mark my pocket openings accurately!
Here is the side front pattern piece and the identical piece cut out of interfacing.
Here is my fashion fabric with interfacing, the interfacing marked where my pocket openings were and will also stabilize the pocket openings. I was lucky I didn’t have to rip out the zippers or pocket flaps from my fashion fabric on this piece (or start all over again) as the zippers and pocket flaps were correctly sewn in already, so I only had to pull them through the pocket hole in the interfacing before I fused the interfacing on.
Here again is the use of Wonder Tape to “baste” my zipper to the wrong side of my pocket opening prior to sewing it on with my blind hem foot.
The puzzle is starting to come together. SEVEN zippers I tell you! (that includes the two in the sleeves) There must have been some confusion with this pattern’s instructions too when attaching the long closure zipper, as the pattern came with an insert explaining it again. I think the only confusion was that they stated “the side with the pull” or “the side without the pull” all the time and apparently the side the pull is on is not consistent with all zippers. Something I never really noticed before.
Now all I need (yup! that’s all!) is to serge all my seams, attach my sleeves to my fashion fabric and my lining and “bag” my lining, along with the usual hemming and pressing! Yippee, no buttonholes!
I hope all your projects are going well and I’m looking forward to seeing them soon!
Happy Sewing!