I finally got up the nerve to sew up a proper lined blazer. They are a lot of work these things. I had to tell myself to take my time and not rush through it, since I like to sit down and get through a project start to finish in one sitting. That didn’t happen here. Not even close.
Lots of pieces, lots of cutting, and you need to be pretty sure on the fit.
I decided to try Butterick 4681, which I had had for several years and appears to be retired. I made a few changes.
- Lined it. The pattern was unlined, with no mention of REAL seam finishes with that type of getup. I lined it.
- Fully interfaced the exterior fabric. That took about 4 yards of my narrow interfacing to do that. It was kind of crappy iron-on interfacing, but it was what I had to work with. Hopefully I won’t live to regret that decision after the first dry-cleaning attempt. I need to stock up on the good stuff.
- Added a pleat in the back panel. That was fun to figure out how to line. Which did not happen, by the way. Next time, I will line it before I attach it to the upper bodice.
- Made the collar a little bigger for some *drama*.
- I didn’t have any shoulder pads, so I used two layers of cotton batting that I serged together.
Inside picture before lining:
I cut out the largest size I had, which was a size 10. It is a little small in the front in the boob area, so I used a smaller seam allowance on that area. Of course, I sewed it up first, tried it on, it didn’t fit, and then I had to rip out all of the stitches. There are some slight holes in the fabric now.
*Facepalm*
Muslin…what??
The main fabric is a silk suiting blend that has been sitting there for years and years, and the inside is a thin satiny rayon.
Adjusts for next time:
- Make it longer. It was too short.
- Do a FBA on the princess seam on the front. I found this handy little diagram on Pinterest for that adjustment.
- The arms are not wide enough, it pulls across the back and it is hard to get on. Lower the bodice armhole and widen the arm and upper shoulder area.
So yeah…I needed a larger size and to make it longer. I wore it open most of the day, as it was tiiiiiigggghtt.
I have some lovely royal blue velvet and a pretty silky lining fabric that will be my next jacket. That will be a bit more work than this one, I fear.
I like that it has a zipper and really like the pleated detail in the back.
Lovely, Stacy!
That is so pretty, Stacy, sorry it is tight but I know you will make another fabulous one soon.
That pleat detail is beautiful!! Too bad it feels too small on, because it doesn’t look too small from the back photo! And adding a lining without pattern pieces isn’t for the fainthearted. You did excellent, and the lining really is pretty. Your upcoming project sounds pretty too…If you like to finish things in one go, it can sometimes help to have more than one project on the go. Not for everyone, but for some people it works. A slow project that gets worked on in bits, and an easier project that satisfies the urge to be finished!
I love the details on that! And that gorgeous fabric on the inside… wow! I wish I could fit into that so I could buy it off you 🙂