Mad for Indie patterns

 

 

Okay, I'm mad for Diane Ericson patterns. I bought 5 of them at the Sewing Expo this year and plan to order a few more shortly!!

The first one I have started is the Ventana Jacket and Vest. I cut out for the jacket but completed my garment at a vest. I just let it happen organically and stopped at that point because I liked it , and not just because my fingers were bleeding from all the hand stitching!

I love that Diane invites you to spin your creativity however you want, and encourages you to try things differently then conventional methods would have you do. I'm all about that.

 

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I thought I would make a wearable muslin first, so I dove into my Black Box for odd bits of leftovers that I like to save from previous projects, scarves or recyclables.

This is the inside and lining which will end up as the collar. I just sorta picked an empire horizon line and went from there depending on how large my scraps were.

Next I rough cut some bias strips of black linen, 2" wide and stenciled using Lumiere paint by Jacquard- Pearl turquoise. The stencil is by Plaid Folkart.

This paint only takes minutes to dry and then you heat set it with the iron. I just laid this over my lapped seam and stitched it on with a 3 step zig zag. I'm going for the rustic look, so I'm okay with it fraying eventually.

Lola inspects my handy work.

The method for lining is to sew around each piece separately by machine , RS in, leave an opening, trim,clip grade seams,then turn right side out. I have seen this method with Kayla Kensignton's work.

 

Next up making the tucks- pleats,darts or what ever you want to call them. They add shape, fit and dimension and are worked through all layers. I used a dark grey buttonhole twist and made sure I hid my knots deep inside. My stitches were long using a single strand. This could all be done by machine but again, I like the rustic look.

A look on the inside, a fractured appearance is created on the bias binding. This could be an interesting look for the outside of a garment as well.

Closures.... Well... I tore up my sewing studio trying to come up with the right buttons but in the end I made ties using the salvages from 3 different black fabrics. I braided them and added a grey stone bead to the ends -I then stitched them on by hand. (I dismantled a tossed bracelet.) I like the look so much better then the giant snaps I almost used.

Here you can see the lapped side seams.

Detail at the back collar, a loosely whip stitched linen motif. I love the open bit on the collar, I tacked mine on to the surface so it would stay put. My fabric is quite heavy and I didn't want to have to fuss with it every time I wore it.

 

I took the liberty to cross my vest right over left so the longer asymmetrical point is visible from the underside. There I stitched on some stenciled linen strips to peek out.

Construction also, is hand stitched. I made this in a small/medium, and yet it was still hugely generous. I managed to combat the excess width by lapping the sides,under the arms quite a lot to bring it closer to my body and omitting the folded back flaps. The flaps are a nice design detail I would have liked to have kept, but with my fabric being so thick and sticky-out-y it just didn't work. Had I used a fabric with more drape some of these alterations might not have been nessasary.

I made my "buttons" by sandwiching two, 2" square pieces of thick wool felt between linen. I machined around and then top stitched by hand, leaving the edges to fray.

I'm happy with how this worked out in the end. I will leave you with a really awkward selfie of me wearing it and the knowledge my fingers are healing quite nicely!!!!

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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