It's Da Bomb! (er jacket) Big Reveal

I didn't notice until afterward how it looks like I'm doing two thumbs-up here. Call it subconscious, but I am pretty stoked about my efforts on this self-drafted silk bomber jacket with raglan sleeves:

The fabric is from Chic Fabrics (225 W 39th Street, # 11). I loved it so much (a subtle print with rows safety pins and needles!) so I really splurged: I bought three yards at $15/yard. (Susan from the blog Moonthirty bought the remainder of the roll and I really can't wait to see what she does with it.). 

The lining I had on hand and the waistband, neckband, cuffs and welts are sewn in a lovely Italian ponte I bought at Metro Textile (265 W 37th St # 908) for $6/yard. The zip is from SIL Thread (257 W 38th St # 1). Please, nobody tally up what this bomber jacket cost me; me-made is priceless, right? (RIGHT!?).

Anyway, after spending so much on fabric, I decided to sew my purse shut and draft my own darn pattern, working from a hoodie pattern I had created a while back. (I had my eye on the Rigel Bomber by Papercut Patterns and another by Burda. Though I liked elements of each, I couldn't afford the Rigel and was put off by a few bad experiences with Burda's insufficient instructions). 

Following the instructions in "The Art and Science of Patternmaking and Grading by Professor Harry Greenberg & Professor Leonard Trattner, it only took one failed draft for me to get the raglan sleeve seaming and fit just right. I opted for a dropped neckline similar to the Rigel though not quite so low. I hate feeling choked by my jacket collar — but I still don't want to expose whatever top I have on underneath! This neckline scoop is my Baby Bear's porridge: just right. So let's see how it looks open:

zzzzzzzzzip!

It feels like a dream, so comfy and silky. It is rather shiny, which made me falter at one point during the late-construction phase. Would it look like some fancy grandpa's Sunday best tracksuit? 

I love how the curved neckline matches up with the top of this tank when the bomber is unzipped.

I know... you want to see the innards. I lined the whole thing with yet more silk. I handstitched the lining to the outer jacket because by that point things were going so well....and I didn't want to risk botching it up!

Fancy grandpas aside, I love this bomber and how I was able to take a fabric like this printed silk and turns it into something casual and almost sporty — something that I could wear every day (unlike a dress or blouse, which I also considered. Had I sewn a dress instead, I would have ended up with something I wear once, maybe twice a year if I'm lucky).

My new silk bomber has already proven to be ultra wearable — so wearable I wore it thrice before I managed to make time with my husband/photographer for a photo shoot. So wearable it already has tea and yogurt on it. So wearable....I am considering wearing it again tomorrow.

Have you ever taken a fancy fabric and turned it into something suitable for every day wear? Tell me about it! 

Finished Object! Bird-Print "Pussy Bow" Blouse

They said it couldn't be done. (Who are they? The voices in my head, obviously. You guys are supportive. The voices in my head are a bunch of withering bitches).

But here it is: my finished Pussy Bow Blouse by Pattern Runway (available in digital download format for just $9.50 US), sewn from a gorgeous cream-and-purplish-brown bird print silk chiffon from Mood.

I love this fabric: It's feather light, so floaty and delicate. And it feels just amazing, like the light touch of fairy wings.

But such delicate fabric requires a gentle touch — especially with the bird print running crosswise to the grain, which meant cutting all the pattern pieces with the grainline running east-west instead of north-south. If you've ever done this, you would know how shifty fabric like silk chiffon becomes positively rebellious when cut on the crossgrain. Why didn't I notice this in Mood? I know enough to know better. Let's just say I was distracted.

I also didn't buy enough of this fabric because when I was shopping I didn't know what I was going to make with it. A yard and a half seemed like enough for a top or short dress (it was 60 inches wide). But the "pussy bow" on this blouse requires a fair bit of fabric, which is why mine ended up in a matching cream color silk, which I happened to have on hand (a remnant from lining a dress).

I like wearing the tie undone, in a more menswear-inspired style (though it's a touch long to wear it that way; when I make this blouse again, I will shorten the tie by a few inches):

So what did I do to this pattern to make it fit so well? I shortened the sleeves an inch and a half, and shortened it through the waist by an inch and a quarter. But most importantly, I added some flare to the bottom hem to account for the fact that I have wide hips — hips that usually force me to leave the bottom button undone in store-bought shirts. Here's the muslin (see how it's pulling apart at the hips):

I estimated I needed to add about four inches ease to achieve a loose and floaty look. And the best way to add that much to your hem is by spreading it out (add it all at the side seam, for example, and you will create a weird shape like an "A"). So I added two inches to the front and two inches to the back, using two half-inch slash-and-speads on each of the two pattern pieces. It's so easy to do: draw a line from your neckline to the bottom hem using a ruler (just don't pass through any darts on the way). Then cut all the way up to the neckline edge and spread the pieces apart, measuring to ensure you're adding exactly as much ease as you need: 

Each spread measures 1/2-inch at the hem

Then you tape the whole thing down onto a large piece of pattern paper and use your curve to redraw the hemline (matching up all the existing points). Then proceed as normal.

I really love this blouse. I want to make another, but not in chiffon. I don't think I'll be attempting that again. I'll make the next one in a cotton voile maybe. Still, those birds...this would look great with a high-waisted skirt. 

I'll be wearing this blouse out to dinner tonight with the mister. We're going to Cookshop in Chelsea. Pray for me I don't spill anything on it (or if I do, that's it was worth it!).