Sky and sand pyramids: my take on the V8547 jacket

I'm working on what I call my "sky and sand" jacket. Its construction is still in progress, but very close to completion.  Here's the pattern:

 

It's a short, double-breasted, lined jacket with a flat collar and in-seam pockets. The combination of bias sleeves and straight front intrigued me. I became even more intrigued when I saw the pattern pieces; especially this, the upper back-sleeve-side front:  

This upper back+sleeve+side front piece is so counter-intuitive!  The narrow part that points to upper right is the side front, while the wide piece pointing to lower right is the upper sleeve. 

There is no shoulder seam - instead, the jacket has a shoulder dart. The two piece sleeve includes an under sleeve that is fitted to the body's side seam with a gusset: the scissors point to the gusset.  Since it's important to make this a neat point, I basted it in, and then, after sewing, topstitched its edges onto the body pieces, to make it nice and smooth in wear.

Undersleeve gusset

The pattern's back design is rather conventional, flat and unfitted.  Like the front, the back pattern piece is one with the upper sleeve.  But of course I couldn't leave well enough alone:  I wanted a jacket that looked as unique in the back as it does in the front. So I added a pleated centrepiece. 

My added back panel at left; Vogue's original lower back and back sleeve pattern piece at right. The diagonal fold lines show my planning process, with the width of the pleat and the sewing allowance. I cut along the leftmost diagonal. 

Back of the jacket, with added central panel.  The collar is just draped over the jacket, not yet sewn in,

Above, hanging over a chair, is the back of the garment, with my added pleat.  I cut it so that the diagonal is on-grain, and the centre forms a pleasing symmetrical design. The pleat edges are edge-stitched to keep them sharp, and will be tacked to the hem when that's completed.

I did run into a bit of a snag at one point, relating to the interfacing.  Both interfaced fronts showed bubbling right where it would show the most: front row centre.  And this was a quality interfacing from a very popular supplier. My solution?  Below:

I sprayed the pieces with water, steamed without pressing, and peeled the interfacings off.  Interestingly, the facings and other bits which were fused in an identical manner but using a different type of interfacing  (from the same supplier) have absolutely no problems. 

I shall re-fuse and continue as soon as the fabric pieces have dried.  Still to be completed are the pockets, the collar (it's only draped on the chair right now), and then the lining.  Easy-peasy!