Jacket Trials (of Many Kinds)

Well, I've been trying very hard to work on a Fall Wardrobe Plan, and I've been laying out fabrics and going through patterns and fashion photos. One thing I decided was that I'd better get myself a solid pattern for a new version of my Self Drafted Jacket that I made in February of 2005. I liked a lot of things about it, but I hated the dropped shoulders, and the insets I used instead of darts almost dictated the dropped shoulder treatment, so I changed that too. You can see the original below. It was supposed to be a wearable muslin, and I never did a "real" one, as I knew it needed changes but didn't get to them.


I changed the collar a little and used a set-in sleeve instead of the dropped sleeve. I have a regular dart instead of the insets. I made it up in a very boardy polyester woven, and it wasn't too bad, but I tapered the body a little and changed a few other minor things, and I'm going to try it in a nicer fabric. I'm thinking of using a wide-wale wool in a dark chocolate brown, but I want something else for the collar/facings and turnback cuffs. I may do an edge-to-edge lining as well. Anyway, it's going pretty well, and I hope it will be a success. I can see wearing it belted, and with the cute straight skirt with back godets in the August Burda WOF magazine.

I did a little knitting tonight during Project Runway, and am almost done with a shell from Katia Boheme. I changed from one design to the other about halfway through, so I'm anxious to see how it turns out.