This fabric has been haunting me since I tried to make a cocktail dress and found the fabric just didn’t want to do that. So I am making an unlined tailored jacket instead. Cross your fingers please.
Update 1
The back was easy to cut out using a pattern I had kicking around (Butterick 5412) but when I put it on the dress form it clearly needed to be a princess cut instead of a single piece with darts. I quite like the way the fabric print is highlighted by the princess line, so I am doing the same thing for the front of the jacket as well.
Basting the princess seams before stitching helped me create a smooth curve.
Update 2
It is close to midnight and the princess seam on the jacket revealed a pretty serious fit problem which would have been equally difficult if I hadn’t gone princess… I would have had a monster extra baggy bit of fabric in front of the shoulder. I fortunately have enough fabric here to redraft the side front while matching the print exactly… hah this could have been a nightmare. I am going to sew together the new side front to the old front and then I am going to beeeeeeddddd.
Update 3
Not quite the right fit. And I think this needs to have black sleeves, otherwise it is going to be a super flash nightmare.
Update 4
The whole thing is now underlined with black cotton, which took a big chunk of time today and then I had to go out. This evening I put the collar and zipper onto it and I’m playing with different ideas for the length of it. I’m going to make a simple black sheath dress to wear underneath this so I might want to make this a shorter jacket than the pattern called for… tell me again why do I bother with patterns/ Oh yeah cuz I haven’t figured out how to drape/draft collars yet. All in good time, my pretties. Now it’s bedtime.
This is definitely a more structured garment than I am accustomed to making but I think it’s turning out okay.
Update 5
Oh this jacket is so 1985 I can’t even look at it anymore. So I can either chuck it or dramatically remake it again. I will try the latter… once more unto the breach. I am going to make a fairly snug-fitting tank top. See below.
I think I need to re-cut the right side front panels so the print matches better. The left side is fierce but the right side is meh. But not tonight.
