Simple blue velvet jacket

I was given this jacket pattern a few months ago by my penpal, it was actually in a stack of prima patterns all of which focused on very simple clean designs.

The pattern itself is only three pieces, the front , the sleeve and the back. The instructions say to cut out four front pieces to line your jacket front but the idea of only having the front of the jacket lined felt weird to me so I drafted a collar facing. It's worked pretty well, you can't see a messy inside but you don't have the bulk from two layers of velvet.

And speaking of fabric I used some more of the blue velvet I was given its got a woven underside so it looks okay on the inside of a jacket especially since I used bias binding on all of my seams. I'm not sure if they count as Hong Kong seams becuase I bound both sides together but they look very neat so I'm happy. I made my own binding from a blue and white weird microbe looking cotton I had in my stash. I know il never use it as a dress fabric but I didn't want to throw it away. 

I also made the white binding that runs around the edge of the jacket, I applied this by hand for a nice finish and added beads as i went to make the jacket feel a bit more special.

These photos are awful sorry the spare room is still in pre Christmas chaos and lil knitwit was napping whilst I took these. Bless him he's ended up with another cold and hasn't been his usual self. He went to nursery Monday morning with a sniffle and by afternoon had collected the entire classes germs.

Here's a picture of my seam binding isn't it neat and lovely? I even bound around the pockets so they would look nice too and then I tacked the pocket binding to the front facing binding so they wouldn't flap about. I'm not sure if its the proper way of doing things but its how I did it.

You can wear the collar up or folding down but I think I prefer it up. I think it made the coat look more classy even if I think it could have done with being as bit smaller.

The facing fabric was given to me by a friend , its a great texture but its much too itchy to make a entire garment out of. I think the grey blue and white work nicely together. And I'm quite tempted to make a fully lined version but in a red and black scheme.

Overall im impressed its nice to have another jacket option for going out and I really do think the beads add something even if they did take bleeding ages to apply, luckily I was in a patient mood.

I could have done with taking an inch off the sleeves but it doesn't bother me enough to redo the binding and beading. Although the beading on the cuffs is only on the outside whereas the beading on the main coat is on both sides because the collar flips back.

It all feels very grown up and it basically means that I now have a blue velvet dress suit because of my blue velvet shift dress. The idea of being able to match my dress and jacket makes me feel like the wife of a rich business man in the fifties. You know the kind who doesn't bayt an eyelid when she catches her husband screwing his secretary ( well actually I'd turn fifty shades of crazy but you know what I mean)

A better look at my inside binding and pockets, I used the same material for my pockets as my facing.

And a close up of my labour of love with those pesky beads! Even if it did take less beads bthan I thought it would.

In other news I started another slef drafted project, which is going quite well even if I am having to add nin Godet's becuase I miscalculated my backside measurement.

And I've started the run up to Christmas we went out yesterday and picked up some alcohol and some nuts aswell as a nutcracker, neither of us eat nuts so no think they might end up being more ornamental than anything. But its nice to have them for other people and if all else fails they can go on our bird table.

And I've started to give my wardrobe a proper clear out again. I know I nseem nto do this a lot but making my own stuff means I seem to accumulate a lot of stuff! Itndoesnt help that I'm always happy to take other people's castoffs aswell for refashioning and stuff! This time I didn't get rid of much just a few dresses that after looking at them didn't suit me. Well I nsay get rid of I think I'm going to refashion them into tops which should be cool they have pretty cool prints non and I'm in dire need of some more slouchy tops for the school run.

Much love 

Frankie

Xxx