My awesome fall jacket- Minoru Jacket Sewaholic pattern #4

Tasia, from Sewaholic Patterns, has released her fourth pattern. The Minoru jacket is a lightweight casual jacket that I think is perfect for the fall. I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for this pattern and it was SO HARD to keep it a secret for a month because I love it! 

Since I am on the mailing list (you could be too!) I got an email about pattern testing and pounced on it. I consider this the highlight of my unemployment. Sitting all day on the computer doing job applications and wasting time on imgur meant I was checking my email constantly. Yay! So I got a copy for free and made it up to check for clear directions and pictures, etc. I finished it at the beginning of October and then I had to wait until it was officially released to show you.

 I made mine out of army green cotton twill with a brown plaid cotton lining. The jacket has a big collar that the hood zips into, so you can hide the hood and tuck it into the jacket. It also has a front zipper (yeah no sewing on buttons!) and elastic at the waist to give it a nice, fitted look. It is such a great jacket!

 Tasia says this is an intermediate pattern, but I think a diligent or advanced beginner could do it. All of the instructions and pictures are really clear and easy to follow.

 Above you can see the collar and hood, and below you can see where the hood can be zipped into the collar.

 Even when pattern testing, I can't resist making some changes although I followed the directions (for once!). I underlined it in flannel to make it warmer and more appropriate for a Chicago autumn and I lined the hood because I was really pleased with my fabric and lining and how cute they look together.

 Equally cute open or closed. There are pockets on the inside for keys or credit cards.

 As you can see the elastic starts on the sides and goes around the back, just enough to give it a nice shape. I like having a jacket that doesn't make me look like a tube. I bought brown metal zippers with gold teeth. I like how they look and I also have clear memories of having plastic teeth break off zippers as a kid. I suggest metal zippers. Jo-Ann had a terrible selection and I had to adapt the hood opening for a smaller zipper. Pah.

Anyways, this is a great pattern and I made a really study and well-sewn coat. I am proud of myself. This really might need to be remade in a fun color for a spring jacket, too. Oh the possibilities! I have been wearing it all the time for dog walking and going to work and it is warm and cute. It is on pre-sale now if you join the mailing list and when it is officially on sale you can go here to buy it. There really aren't any parts that I messed up on or did a bad job- so there!

Filled with Hate, or Why to make a muslin

Before I begin moping and ranting, I got to photostalk the awesome birds again. Doesn't it look like a freaky dino-bird? There are two of them, as well.

This is my pattern, one of the 25 cent ones. I really liked the one-button jacket. It looks so sleek in the (lying, lying) drawing. Remember, this was my cheap red cotton muslin to decide if it was worth cutting into my $30 a yard black wool.
More dollar shoes. These are more practical and less cute, but still ok for work.
Here is how my final project makes me feel:

So let's try to ignore the Barbara Bush, power suit-1980s feel of the look, and look at how badly it fits and how FRUMPY I look!!!

Gross.

In this picture, you can see how the collar does NOT lay flat at all, but you can look at the chest area. My boobs look like deflated balloons! Oh the horror.

Close-up of the ugly collar.
The skirt back fits nicely.
The front darts either need to be longer, or I need to taper them more finely. At this point, I was so cranky I spent about 35 seconds on them. See hoe the darts go through the waistband? Classy.
Final thoughts:

The skirt is okay. I like the general fit, but I need to draft a curved waistband for it, which I don't know how to do, but can probably figure out. As is, I added darts to the waistband, which is really tacky and lazy. I also want it to curve in more towards my knees. All of that is fix-able.

The jacket is crap. It looks frumpy, and big, and very very ill-fitting. Ugh. I wasted time sewing this, which annoys me, and it sucks. Definitely not cutting into the nice wool for this jacket. I don't like how the sleeves are twice as long as the jacket. It makes me look like a monkey.

So, be as cruel as you want in the comments. I will only cry a little. But, like I tell the students, you have to give me a reason why or your opinion is meaningless. You can't just say "vomit", you need to say "It makes me vomit because..." Or, better yet, any advice on how to make this less hideous?

Mom's Christmas Present

Last Christmas I made my mom a jacket. I used this pattern, Butterick 4610. I of course procrastinated while making it, so I didn't finish it by Christmas, when I went home to Oregon. Therefore, I had to mail it, and only got to see it modeled for me last week, when I surprise visited my parents (which was hilarious).



Making this was a screw-up festival, since I had never made a fully lined jacket before. I was aiming for B (teal), but shortened the sleeves too much and ended up with A (blond in center).


"Where are the pockets?" you ask. Ha. They looked as if a 5 year old did them, so they were left off.


The fabric was from Jo-Ann, but is actually really nice. (In case you can't tell, the Jo-Ann is the only fabric store in my area, and it's selection is weak and tacky, for the most part) It was lightweight wool suiting in a choclate brown with camel and brown swirls. The lining is in the same camel color, which looks nice.

Two minute modeling session in the front yard, since it was 90 out.

Overall it looks nice, but it turned out a little big. That was before I figured out the ridiculous ease on modern patterns. I probably could have made it two sizes smaller, and it would have fit perfectly.

Mom claims she likes it, and hopefully that's true!! and is not just trying to prop up my self esteem. It's far from perfect, and the little asian lady at the dry cleaners scoffed at my sewing (particularly the lapels) when i took it in to get the buttonholes done, but I think it turned out okay. For a first attempt at a lined jacket, with no chances to fit it on the person it was for.

Is that enough of a disclaimer? Ha ha!