Starlet Suit Jacket, Part Two

 This is part two of my online course from Craftsy - the Starlet Suit Jacket.  (Part One is here)

I had thought that I would be able to provide pictures of the final jacket on part two, but I am still in progress and am going to put the project aside for a little while.

Here is the jacket after the collar is constructed, the sleeves are put on, the pockets are done and the buttonholes (the outer set) are done.

It needs to be ironed and steamed, but it is starting to look like a jacket.

Back of collar

Gertie is a great teacher and I loved her in the other class.  I want to like this class more than I do.  Here are the good parts about the course:

•  Bound buttonholes - I didn't expect to be so in love with these.  The method outlined in the course makes these easy and they look so professional.
• Welt pockets - I really had no idea how to make them before and these look great!  
• General idea for constructing jackets/suiting

What a mess!

 ...and pictured on the left is what I am finding frustrating and what is making me take a break from the course - the collar.

I took this apart a couple of times and THIS is the good version, which is still seriously messed up.  I can't seem to sew it on straight.


I think it is partly because I chose a denim-ish fabric that probably didn't need all of the fusible lining the pattern calls for.  The fabric got really thick and difficult to deal with.  I couldn't make it stop bunching up and it just didn't want to line up properly.

The other frustrating thing is that the course provides instructions on both sew-in and fusible interfacing and I got the instructions a little mixed.  The first Gertie shows is the sew-in and in that method, the pieces are sewn together first, then the interfacing is done.  Unfortunately, I sewed mine together, then found out I should have ironed in the fusible interfacing BEFORE sewing them together.  So, instead of taking them apart and starting over (best solution), I tried to iron it in after the pieces were together (lazy solution that causes me more work).  This made the princess seams in the front of the jacket stick out in strange ways and the seams definitely weren't crisp.

My plan is to start over for part three, but I need a little break from the project first.  I'll eventually post a part three. 

Thrift Stores and Patterns

I have to admit a developing problem.  I have now gone to 4 different second-hand Goodwill type stores only looking for patterns.  The 4th one was waaaaayy over in Scottsdale because to my reckoning the expensive part of town would have better patterns.  They didn't at all.  I guess rich people don't sew.

Here is what I found over in my part of town, where the unglamorous hang out.

I love this blouse! I wish I knew the year it is from.

This is what me and the fella plan on doing once
I make us a matching set of pants.

Starlet Suit Jacket, Part One

I am so excited to be following my second Craftsy course - The Starlet Suit Jacket. Here is a picture of the finished product from the course (picture stolen from Gertie's site).

I wanted to do this suit in a red tweed, but I couldn't find it except online for more money than I wanted to pay per yard.  I found a yellow fabric for 1.50 a yard that reminds me of the example suit. It is kind of a denim-ish thickness.

Here is a picture of the front pieces of the jacket.  The princess seam is sewn and in the background the collar is partially constructed and shaped.

 The lesson shows two ways to do the tailoring - both sew-in and iron-in facing.  I chose the iron-in.  

 The best part of this lesson so far for me is the bound buttonholes.  I really loved this part! Not all of mine are perfect, but I am so happy to have had a tutorial that I was able to follow to do them.  I practiced them on scraps of fabric to get the hang of it first.  I suspect I needed more practice, but am not totally displeased with the results. Here they are!

 Next steps are to construct the collar and the inside of the jacket. 
Click here for part two of this project.