Vogue 8865 jacket in rose red

Did you wonder what happened to this one?  Not that anyone is losing sleep over what I do or don't finish sewing, I didn't mean to say that.  I know you all have better things to to do. Like watch the final episode of the Great British Sewing Bee...which I have not seen yet. And plan to watch tomorrow sometime, so no spoilers. A bit challenging to avoid seeing the results today on line but so far I have succeeded. I have to watch it tomorrow morning because in the afternoon I will be in San Francisco for Pattern Review Weekend 2013!  Couldn't miss that, right here in my own backyard, so to speak. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Now back to Vogue 8865, a very simple little jacket that I quite like and am thinking this is the very pattern I can use to make a nice soft leather jacket come fall, maybe with some contrast sleeves or something.  Not that I am thinking about fall, to busy enjoying spring right now.

Here is the previous post on construction of this jacket with some details on how I sew and trim sleeves - in a word - lots of pins! You can see the seaming better in this photo of the back. 

I did make the version with the slightly strange lapel/collar and I like it OK, the pattern called for the entire jacket (all pieces) to be interfaced with knit fusible, which was a good idea in theory but if I were to start over (knowing what I know now) I would put a thicker interfacing in the lapel and collar area as I don't think it has enough heft to support the fabric with just fusible knit.  Oh well...

I did find this in my big box of linings and I know I found this at a garage sale, it is not quite the exact shade of rose but a nice complement - and the price was right.

Another nit-picky detail is that I added 2 inches to the bottom when I cut it out, just for the heck of it and also I like a wide hem (instead of bagging the lining). Also I held it up to a couple of other jackets and it seemed kind of short. And yet when I got to the hemming, this is what I did:

Are you kidding me, a 3/4 inch hem?  If I hadn't added those 2 inches to the length I would have been really annoyed, and had a nice bolero. Yes, a bit of an exaggeration but really, kind of short!

See, I told you. And I am still not sure about the oddball collar design.  Might make the other version and/or draft some other collar idea, if I can come up with one. 

The top is Simplicity 1916 which I previously blogged here.    
The pants are my latest version of the Sewaholic Thurlow trousers, in black denim, more details to follow including a few pitfalls (and how I survived them).

Here is my latest impulse purchase at the garden store, a pink hydrangea which took the place of a sad and spindly old azeala.  Ruthless, I tell you. Produce flowers in my garden or your days are numbered.This new plant better watch out!

Happy Sewing, Beth