How many ways are there to sew a pocket?

I’ve started the first garment of my #makenine2019! Top left corner … my jean jacket …

… with a cool twist! I want it to look as close as possible to the one my Inspiration is wearing! (the lady on the left) I don’t want to use leather though and I can only assume what the back looks like because I can’t see it in the photo. But I am inspired!

I was quite pleased to find 3.5 metres of black (yes, it is black) denim in my stash. It’s been there for a while. It feels like it has a bit of stretch to it, so it should be comfortable. I’m hoping to squeeze the jacket AND a pair of jeans out of this length. It should help that I want to add in some contrasting fabric.

Of course, my fabric stash doesn’t have anything to make the contrasting panels in my jacket – I’ll have to go FABRIC SHOPPING!

I did get a bit distracted … I ended up buying 3 more metres of 100% cotton bleached indigo denim. The colour was fabulous! I’m sure I’ll find something to make with it.

Now for the contrasting fabric … as soon as I found this fabric, I knew it was what I wanted to use for the contrasting panels. The wrong side of it had large stripes of red that I wasn’t too fond of, but at least the red was woven into the fabric tightly and there were no fibres hanging to get caught on anything. I was quite surprised to find this fabric, 50% polyester/50% cotton, in the “home decor” section of the store. I love it!

I’ve decided on my pattern choices – Vogue V8774, for the jeans, and Islander Sewing Systems “Jacket Express” for the jacket. I got this jacket pattern with a Craftsy course by Janet Pray and really enjoyed it! I have made this jacket before here, (over four years ago!) and I still wear and love it!

Starting with the jean jacket, I decided on cutting the corners square, instead of rounded. Also, when I was fusing on the interfacing, I noticed that I would have to be very careful putting this one together as only one side of the back denim fabric looks black to me, the other is a dark gray, which I definitely don’t want.

Sewing seams and topstitching. I could topstitch all night. Love it!

Then I started these front pockets. By the way, how many ways are there to make a pocket? Here’s the interfacing fused onto the facing and sewn onto the front, right sides together.

Facing pressed towards the inside.

Pockets prepared, making sure the right side is on the inside.

More topstitching.

Pockets basted onto the inside of the jacket using black thread with the right sides facing down towards the machine.

More topstitching on the right side of the front of the jacket, around the pocket edges. Have you ever seen a pocket put together like this before? Know of any other pattern that does it this way? I mean, it’s not impossible to do, just different than usual. As I cut it out and sew it, I can’t help but think that it might be easier to do a usual patch pocket on the front of the jacket. You would just have to put a cut out and a facing on the patch pocket piece. What do you think?

Now the welt pockets seem to be made with a more familiar method.

Pocket welt sewn on in the exact right spot!

Pocket lining sewn on in the exact right spot! Then comes the dreaded moment – I have to CUT a slit into my jacket front between the two edges and turn the pocket welt and lining to the inside!

Everything turned into the inside and pressed. A bit of edge stitching around the sides and top of the opening (Reminding myself not to sew the pocket shut!) Then the last piece of the pocket bag is sewn onto the pocket welt and lining.

So have you seen this method of sewing pockets in any other patterns? It’s a first for me!

Happy Sewing!

STASH BUSTING WITH THIS PROJECT? Well unfortunately I started out 2019 by buying 3 metres of blue cotton denim and 1 metre of this wild polyester/cotton. Although I am hoping to have enough of the wild polyester/cotton left to make myself a bag (surprise, surprise) of course! So there is now 134.2 meters in the fabric stash!

Are you ready for DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER 2018?

Have you picked out your Designer Original and the fabric you need to make your Designer me-made COPY? Or are you just in the planning stages – don’t worry … there’s lots of time to sew before DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER 2018!

Ever since the first DESIGNIN’ DECEMBER (2015) I’ve seen many fabulous garments in stores, magazines, online, on social media, on runways … so many beautiful garments! And I say,

“Why buy when you can make it yourself – better and for less money?”

I’ve seen plenty of fabulous Designer Originals, like this dress from Oscar de la Renta Fall 2018.

Which led me to this tunic and trousers, again Oscar de la Renta Fall 2018 … which I want so bad! Perhaps not in pink (I’m not a pink type of girl!) and perhaps with a tunic that is a bit shorter (so I don’t look stumpy!) and perhaps with sleeves a bit shorter too (so they don’t get caught in the filing cabinets at work). Where AM I going with this?

Continue reading →

McCall’s M7323 – In Stripes!

I’ve had this striped fabric in my stash since my visit to my sister a summer or two ago. It’s a heavier weight knit than what I usually have and I quite like it. The red stripe is quite bright too, which brings the grey, blue and black to life for me.

I had always planned to make this skirt, Vogue 1292, a “Today’s Fit” by Sandra Betzina, and I purchased this striped fabric for that sole purpose.

But you might already know from personal experience how easy it is to get led astray by fabrics and patterns. Continue reading →

Vogue V1336 – The Day and Night Dress Challenge, Part 2

I did it! I completed The Day and Night Dress Challenge organized by Elizabeth Made This! You can read about her Challenge details here. I completed my Day dress – my “Coffee” dress last week. I used New Look 6803 and this 100% rayon. It was an easy pattern and I would happily make it again.

I finally had a chance to take some photos. It is too cold outside still so we are stuck with these inside shots.

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But I can do this!

I was all set to cut and tape my Itch to Stitch Lisbon Cardigan. You probably know the one. Almost everyone has already made one!

I was all set to cut out this beautiful knit print that I purchased last August. Yes, it’s a few months old, not my oldest fabric though! This is called a Topaz Print – 85% polyester, 10% rayon, 5% spandex. I have high hopes for this combination of Lisbon Cardigan pattern and fabric – hopefully this project turns out so well I will never purchase another knit cardigan again – another win for my RTW fast!

Then I realized that it is February … and February is popping over at “Elizabeth Made This” because it is time for her Day and Night Dress Challenge, Coffee & Cocktails edition! #dayandnightdresschallenge on Instagram @elizabethmadethis

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The battle is over!

It started off bad. I wanted a dress like my mom and aunt. I wanted it out of this fabric (100% Rayon, which I love) and I thought I could alter this pattern to what I wanted. That’s when my problems started. If you missed it, you can read about it here.

So forget about the dress! I managed to salvage as much of the fabric as I could and I made a top instead. Continue reading →

A long drawn out battle with beautiful fabric …

and I’m not quite finished yet!

Let me tell you what’s up …

I have been searching for a pattern and fabric to make a “replica” of my mother’s and aunt’s dresses in this photo. My Aunt was a seamstress back in Europe and she not only sewed for clients but also for herself and my mother. She used no patterns and could make anything! I thought I had the magical combination for this dress with this 100% Rayon Denim Challis I had in my stash – a favourite fabric of mine!

I still think this pattern, Vogue 1395, might work but it doesn’t have the rounded neckline that I want. Being lazy, I thought I might just make two bodice backs and use those to make the bodice instead.

Continue reading →

Giving it another go …

I started the year with the #2017makenine Challenge – pick nine patterns and get ‘er done during the year! So far, I am not too sure if I have been successful though. I started with the dress pattern in the bottom left hand corner. It was Vogue 9202, but it turned into a top, McCalls 6896 – actually rather successfully!

Last weekend I started my second garment of the #2017makenine Challenge. Pants/trousers in the middle row, left side – Vogue 7881, described as “Claire Shaeffer Custom Couture Collection”. How’s it going?

Well I took a good look at that pants pattern again and decided that I wanted to forgo the “couture” techniques just for now – I just don’t have the interest or energy! I just want some pants, quickly, like now. So I switched to another pants pattern of mine, Vogue V2532. A simple pattern – fronts, backs, pockets and waistband – described as a “basic design”.

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Again … I say better late than never!

I managed to get my FIRST Jungle January – #junglejanuary5 – finished prior to the deadline, but my second animal print just wanted to fight with me. It is a lovely fabric – a cream, black and brown 100% Rayon Challis. Just beautiful to the touch. But as I was discussing it with Curls n Skirls I realized that it would be a perfect weight for a top, but perhaps not a perfect weight for a dress. It might need a lining. But then if I was planning to wear it in the warmer months – would I want lining?

So I changed the plan … instead of making a dress, Vogue 9202, I would make a top, McCalls M6896. I’ve made the McCalls pattern before – it was my FIRST Jungle January – with good results. Of course the Vogue bodice pattern pieces were too short. They only reached to the pink line I drew on the McCalls bodice pattern pieces. So I would have to add an extension onto every Vogue bodice pattern piece.

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Jungle January and I made it just in time!

Technically speaking, it is still Jungle January here. Hop on over to Pretty Grievances to see all the WILD garments that she has rounded up! In the last few waking hours of the day I would like to show you my second Jungle January garment – something that I am very happy with… even if I got off to a bad start. Let’s just say that I still haven’t learned the lesson: Read the instructions first!

I have this pattern, Vogue V9107, which is not meant for knits, but who am I to follow the fabric recommendations! (Surprisingly enough, this time it worked!) I decided to make view A, the top.