Tweed jacket
It took me about 60 hours to make this jacket. Well worth it.
Fabric: poly/wool boucle tweed suiting from Homecraft Textiles; 100% silk lining from The Fabric Collection in Brisbane. Pro tip: if possible don’t cheap out on the lining. The silk is next-level on my skin and has ruined polyester linings for me forever.
Pattern: Vogue 8991 - Claire Shaeffer’s Custom Couture Collection which I think is now out of print. RIP Claire.
Other resources: Claire’s book ‘Couture Sewing - The Couture Cardigan Jacket’. I read this alongside the pattern instructions. I recommend reading and following one or (preferably) both; Do Not Wing It.
Notions: I can’t remember where the buttons are from but they are not fancy; it was the iridescent blue that I wanted. Silk buttonhole twist and gimp.
Thoughts on the pattern: generally I am not a boxy top person because: body shape; however I really wanted to make a quilted jacket for the experience. I made the outer darts more pronounced to give it a bit more shape. I didn’t do the darts in the lining as the silk is so delicate. I deleted the pockets and trim (too frumpy). I may go back to this in the future and take off the extra fabric at the centre front.
Pattern matching: this tweed had to be pattern matched which took me FOREVER (probably 10+ hours) (I am slow). Keep that in mind when you choose your fabric.
I very much enjoyed the hand work in this jacket - thread tracing, basting, felling, the hand turned collar, the buttonholes (which the machine couldn’t cope with anyway). Some things are just better done by hand.
The three piece sleeves: the first time I’ve done these and they fit in a way that no other sleeve has. Recommend giving them a go if you can.
The hand work is what really sets these types of jackets apart. A lot of basting, thread tracing and hand turning seams which gives you so much more control over your work.
