Moving right along

I have to go back to work in a week and a bit.  This reality has pushed me to up my rate of creative output. Remember Burda 7576?

Well, I finally started it.  Now it looks like this:

More or less (I later sewed the side back seams).  But the point is - I did the collar and lapels!  A big step, as anyone who has made a jacket will attest.

By the way, I did reduce the size of the collar and lapels but not as much as I was toying with in my previous post on this jacket.  In the end, I was convinced by my friend G that big lapels would make the jacket.  However, they were so out of proportion on me.   I compromised, and brought the points in by 3/4" (2.8cm).  

The construction is interesting.  The jacket has a dart under the lapel.  Its function is to help the lapel (front facing) roll properly over the under collar (jacket front).

See how the dart continues into the seam between the jacket front and undercollar?  That is a neat feature.  To attach the under collar to the jacket body, you first slash the upper inch or so of the dart, then sew the collar end to the lapel at the gorge line (starting and stopping at the seam intersection point rather than the cut edge).  This is the blue line in the marked up photo on the right.  Then you sew the seam that starts with the dart point, goes around the back neck, and ends at the dart point on the other side.  (I actually sewed the darts first and then joined them to the collar seam; it seemed safer somehow.)  This is the pink line in the marked up photo.

Other info.

To assist me in maintaining complete symmetry, as well as in plaid matching, I cut the bodice pieces single layer.  I left the pocket flaps and sleeves to be cut later once I could see how the bodice was shaping up.

Front interfacing

This is a quick fusible tailoring project.  I used a weft insertion interfacing for the entire front and under collar, and cut an extra layer for the lapel and the collar stand.  You can (maybe) make these out in the next photo.

I used a softer fusible for the facings, upper collar, and side piece.

Back shield

The back is not interfaced, but I decided it needed a little something to beef it up in the shoulder/back neck area.  I used some leftover wool from this dress to make an upper back shield.  I sewed it in by hand because I had already sewn the shoulder seams and installed the collar by the time I decided it was needed.  I got the idea to install the shield in two independent pieces that overlap somewhere-or-other.  It's cut on the bias.  It does help pad the upper back in a nice way.

So far my plaid-matching plans are working out.

More later.