23 January, 2014

Rainbow jacket: finished!

Declaring a long project completed is a very satisfying moment.

 
I see a slight imperfection in the way the chain lays on the right pocket.  A couple of stitches ought to fix that.




Below is a close-up showing details of the trim: the yarns I threaded through the chain are quite varied. There were at least four different ones in each. I tried to match the predominant surrounding colours.  Now that I see them all together, the pocket trim seems a bit too blue to me. There are blue, green, and navy threads in there, yet the photo makes it appear very monochromatic.  I know it's all a matter of personal taste, yet a purple thread might improve matters and bring it closer to the sleeve trim.




And  on the live "dummy"; as my photographer remarked, the quality of the photos is limited by the subject matter :(


The pic above shows all that's wrong with hooks:  the jacket doesn't ever really close or stay closed.  I'm not crazy about hook closures.  I'll move those hooks inward and maybe that'll suppress the center front gaposis.





In my previous post, BeccaA asked why I included structured jacket techniques (chest shield, sleeve heads and shoulder pads) in a cardigan style jacket.  Hmmm.  First, I wanted to do the Chanel style quilting to an underlining to begin with.  The fact that I had no room for 1" seam allowances aided in that decision:  the classic cardigan method simply wasn't feasible here. Then, when the sleeve issues arose, I knew that sleeve heads would be necessary, so that dictated the other "structured" touches. And I like a structured jacket.  My red version, which has no shoulder pads or chest shield, feels slouchy and (perhaps because it's a little on the big side) sloppy.   But there's one more thing:  a question of self confidence.  I just wasn't sure that I'd have the patience to do all that piecemeal hand-sewing of the lining, nor that I could make it look good enough.  Really.  As it turned out, this jacket took a lot of hand work, so I now suspect I probably could manage to produce one using only the classic cardigan jacket method and see it through to the end.  

With sewing, there's always a next time! :))


10 comments:

  1. I can see the work you put into this has made it fit you really well. You made the right decisions and the fit is spot on.

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  2. I love how this has turned out. Beautifully made and fits perfectly.

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  3. Wow. Just gorgeous!
    -sewingelle

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  4. I really think you did an exceptional job on this jacket. I can look at and see all the hours work you put into it. Beautiful!

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  5. Wow! This is a fantastic jacket! Your work is gorgeous, and I love that you used a variety of yarn colors in the chain. Your work is exquisite.

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  6. Your jacket turned out great. I love the trim.

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  7. That jacket is magnificent. Well done.

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  8. Your jacket is just beautiful. I've been following your progress on it and enjoying watching it come to life. The chain and yarns trim looks perfect on it it!

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  9. i love the choice you made on your trim - threading yarn through the chain is something i never would have thought of!

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  10. Your sleevecap fix is incredibly clever! The stitching line just disappears and now you have perfectly matched plaid. You have so much patience, and it is totally worth it. Gorgeous piece!

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