V8991 Jacket 2021

Today I'm starting my second #V8991 jacket.  I made this pattern once before in 2020 and am using the same methods to make this one.  Last year's jacket is here:   V8991 Jacket - 2020.

I'll mostly use the instructions in Claire Schaeffer's book and DVD, "Couture Sewing: The Couture Cardigan Jacket", referring to the pattern for supplemental information.

The fabric is a raw silk tweed bought at B & J Fabrics in 2016.   The lining is Crepe de Chine silk from Mood, in color "Brick".  I have several choices for trims and will make a decision when the jacket is farther along.

Supplies for the project include:

• 2-1/5 yards raw silk tweed from B&J Fabric
• 2 yards crepe de chine lining from Mood
• Silk organza for interfacing, Japanese basting thread, and heavy silver chain for the hem,  from Susan Khalje Couture
• Silk twist buttonhole thread from Superior Threads 
• 6 yards each of three different trims - at this point I haven't decided which I'll use
• Silver buttons in two sizes from Mood
• Vogue pattern #V8991
• Claire Schaeffer's book and DVD  
• Other assorted materials include stay tape, thread, and Pellon ultra weft

Cutting and Marking the Pattern

 

The printed pattern is very detailed with 112 steps in the instructions.  Much of the fnishing is done by hand, and instructions are included on how to do the various hand stitches.

I've made this jacket before in 2020, made a muslin to fit, then transferred the muslin to Pellon Easy Pattern.  I'm going to use that pattern to make this jacket so won't need to take the time to make another muslin.  The pattern I've made on Pellon Easy Pattern does not include seam allowances.  To make it easier to work with each piece I'm laying out each pattern piece individually, right side up and then wrong side up, and cutting a rectangle with at least 1" on each side.  

Next I use Japanese basting thread to mark the outer sewing lines (yellow), quilt lines (pink), and any other markings such as dart lines.  I'll use blue and white thread for other markings like center front or pocket placement.  The thread is easy to work with, grips to stay in place while working, and is easy to remove.

Basting thread

With this fabric it's very hard to tell which is the "right" side and which is the "wrong" side, so I use strips of Post-It removable marking tape to identify each piece and which is the right side.

Pattern traced onto the fabric with basting thread

Front and Buttonholes

The outer fabric pieces are cut and marked, and now I'm cutting the lining and interfacing pieces as I work.  The front is partially assembled first with stay tape, interfacing and buttonholes done before it's sewn to the side front.

Buttonholes

I've been making test buttonholes, first using the methods for hand buttonholes in the Couture Sewing book and using silk buttonhole twist thread.  I'm not happy with any of the hand buttonholes; the fabric is bumpy and distorts easily and the buttonholes just aren't pretty.

Using the sensor buttonhole on my Husqvarna sewing machine wasn't successful, either, because the sensor was having trouble sewing over the bumpy fabric and the buttonholes were wildly different widths.

The method I finally settled on is to use the "heirloom" buttonhole stitch on my sewing machine.  First iron on Ultra Weft interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric, then baste a rectangular piece of silk organza which will help the buttonholer to slide over the fabric.  

Machine is set to heirloom stitch, medium weight fabric, and 19cm button (my buttons are 20cm).  Then sew with the right side down, and the organza fabric facing up, so the fabric glides smoothly.  Here's a finished test buttonhole:

I don't think this stitch would be good for a garment where the buttonhole will be stressed, but it will be fine for this jacket.

Interfacing and Stay Tape

I used Pellon Ultra Weft on the front piece, and then sewed stay tape with fell stitch.  Then I stitched an organza rectangle over the spots where each buttonhole will be placed, and last stitched the buttonholes.

Lining and Quilting

The lining is placed over the quilting line, hand basted with diagonal stitches, then machine stitched.  Last, the basting stitches for the buttonholes and quilting line were removed.  Basting lines for the outline and center front remain.

Side Front and Front

Side Front

Lining is laid over the side front, and the quilting line is hand basted using a diagonal stitch.  The quilting line is stitched, using the basting line on the outside, with a 4mm stitch.

Instead of using a back tack the threads are pulled between the lining and outer fabric and tied in a knot.  The quilting line basting is then removed, leaving the other basting in place.

Lining and outer fabric are trimmed to approximately 1" seam allowance using the yellow outer basting line as a guide.

Joining the Front and Side Front

Next the lining is pushed aside and the Front and Side Front pieces are laid together along the basted seam line, and the seam hand basted.  Next the seam is machine sewn and seams pressed open.

The Front lining is then placed flat over the front and pinned in place, and the Side Front lining placed over flat over the side front.  The seam allowance is tucked under and hand basted.  The seam is then hand sewn using a slipstitch.  The seam is left open at the bottom near the hem, to facilitate fitting the hem.

Back and Sides

There will be tiny darts sewn into the lining, but not into the outer jacket fabric.  The fabric will be steam shrunk to fit the darts.  It's going to just give the jacket gentle shape at the waist.  I think this would be especially nice for a jacket with a pattern like a plaid as it doesn't break up the visual of the jacket in the back.  The back and side steps finished today are:

• Baste and sew the center back of the fabric.  
• Add neckline interfacing to the back
• Baste and sew the back fabric to the side fabric.
• Make darts in the lining
• Sew the center back of the lining
• Sew the lining side to the lining back, keeping the seam open at the bottm to facilitate hemming.
• Baste the quilting lines of the fabric back to the quilting lines of the lining

The right side of the back shows how there seems to be excess fabric around the waistline.  This is due to the shaping darts in the lining that aren't in the outer fabric.  Once the back is quilted I'll steam shrink the back fabric to fit.

I'm feeling eager to push on but it's after 9pm and this is the stage where I start getting tired and making mistakes, so it's time to quit for the day.

12/29 I'm resuming work on the back.

The steps for today are to:

• Permanently sew the quilting lines
• Remove the quilt line basting.
• Steam shrink the back
• Baste around the arm opening

First I sewed the quilting lines and removed the quilting line basting.

Next, on the the right side of the fabric, I used my steam iron to steam shrink the area around the waistline darts.   To to this steam an area without pressing down on the iron, pat the area until it cools, and then move to the next area.  The photo above showed how the back looked last night, and the photo below shows how it looks after quilting and steam shrinking:

The pattern instructions say to run a basting line 2" from the armhole edges (actually the pattern said to do this before quilting, but I'm not entirely following the pattern)..   

Join the Back and Fronts

 Next step is to move the lining out of the way, baste and then permanently sew the side front to the side (the pattern calls this the side, but think of this as the underarm piece).

Then I sewed the two shoulder seams together, on the outer fabric only.  The lining is going to be sewn shut by hand.

This is the third jacket I've made with a boucle type of fabric and at this point I never want to use it again.  It's lumpy, bumpy, ravelly, and snags and distorts easily, and it's at a very annoying point when I'm putting all the pieces together.  But the colors are pretty, so I'll probably end up being drawn to another fabric like this again.  

Now the body is at a point where I can try it on the dress form and starting playing with trims.  I ended up ordering yet another trim today, and will have to jump around in the pattern instructions a little until the new trim arrives.

I bought the fabric when we were in NYC in 2016, and bought a braid trim at M & J Trimming.  Then I ordered another trim from Mood, liked the covers, but didn't like the texture.  Then two different types of braid from Mood, like them both, but not sure if they'll work.  Now today I ordered a 5/8" Petersham ribbon that may go under one of the other ribbons.  I'm going to be very mad at myself if it's the original braid I end up liking best.

Finishing

The finished touches steps are detailed in my first blog on this jacket, https://gm-v8991.blogspot.com/.  Here are a few photos of the lining, trim and buttonholes

The Finished Jacket