Saturday, August 18, 2007

BWOF 5/06 Jacket


Ever since I saw this jacket on the cover of BWOF, I've wanted to make it. Especially in that color. Well, a while ago Nancy Erickson came out with this "tropical boucle" fabric in her newsletter. I knew it would be perfect for this jacket. I finally got around to starting it. This is a 3 dot BWOF pattern and I think part of it is the cutting out! There were 8 pieces to this jacket, plus 8 pieces to cut of fusible underlining or interfacing, plus 5 lining pieces! I decided to use a fusible underlining (which I also ordered from Nancy Erickson at Fashion Sewing Group) because of the boucle fabric. I read in the SewImagination Jacket workshop book that fusing a boucle will help the fabric not snag or pull out as easily, so I thought I would try it. I also pre-washed this fabric, which made it a lot "spongier" so I thought it could use a little extra body as well. So far, it is sewing up beautifully. I got confused on the collar/facing directions and thought I was going to have to sew it all by hand, but put it aside last night and decided to go to bed. This morning at about 3:00 I woke up thinking "Aha! that's what I'm supposed to do!"










I like the curved seams on the side fronts and they really do shape the jacket nicely. *If you click on the picture you can see the seams better. This fabric is a wool and poly blend, but it's great to work with. It shapes so easily and eases beautifully. I love working with wool for that very reason. I'm planning on lining this with a navy colored poly lining. That was another thing. I bought the amount specified in the pattern, but it wasn't enough. I ended up cutting two of the pieces on the cross grain in order to get them to fit, but that should work out OK since the lining doesn't really have any stretch in either direction. The picture looks kind of lumpy, but that's because I have it pinned on the dress form.

I haven't done much sewing today because I've been fighting laryngitis and headache. I had to go to the grocery store, and then I had to come home and take a nap because it wiped me out. I'm becoming such a wimp.




So, here's my dilemma: which button do I use? The top button is a satin covered button that is painted to match. the bottom button is a plastic button that has different shades of the turquoise color. I asked my son which he liked, and after he told me that he didn't like the fabric (too old lady) he said they both have different looks, and they both go, but he liked the bottom one better. He actually has good taste in clothes, but never likes anything tweed or boucle = again, too old lady. Oh well, that's what I am now.

So, which do you prefer????

16 comments:

Maureen said...

Well, I LOVE the fabric (of course I AM an old lady!). I do think Nick has a good point on the buttons,they each go but they do tend to give the jacket a different look. From the pics I would say the covered button is more subtle, blends in more (if that's what you want). I personally like them both... kept looking at the photos and couldn't decide...

...big help huh?

Anonymous said...

Both look good. In the closeup I liked the covered button, but from a distance, I preferred the other. I think it is hard to tell from a photo . If I had to choose though -- from photo -- I'd go with the covered.

Lori said...

Beautiful jacket and fabric. I think that is a wonderful jacket pattern. I like the covered button the best.

mlessis said...

Oh nice jacket ! love the color, I would go with the covered button !

cidell said...

That's coming along nicely. Did BWOF talk about underlining and the interfacing or did you surmise that based on experience? As for the buttons, I like the covered one best.

Bonnie O. said...

WOW! This jacket is going to be fabulous. "Too Old Lady"!!! Give that boy a swat upside the head for me. This will be a very stylish jacket.

Like everyone else, I prefer the top button.

Nancy Winningham said...

Cidell - Are you kidding??? BWOF instructions give that much info? LOL No, I got the underlining info from Nancy Erickson's book - SewImagination Workbook Jackets

Linda said...

I like the covered button the best. I wonder what a covered button would look like in the same fabric?

Too old lady in boucle. I love the ideas that our children get about fashion. My DD is very opinionated about things like this too. But thank goodness she has never said my boucle was old lady looking. I'll have to ask her and see what she says! I love the color of the fabric too BTW.

Linda said...

I forgot to mention. Have you ever been tested for allergies? Laryngitis, headache, fatigue....all those are symptons of an allergic reaction, probably to something in the air. When I lived in CA I found out I was allergic to palm trees and other foliage that I didn't even know about because where I lived (NE) they did not grow.

Nancy Winningham said...

Yes, I'm allergic to every kind of grass we have here in the valley and olive trees of all things. Well, I blame this on the new air conditioner they put in my classroom. It blows right on my desk. I'm either going to have to move my desk or have them change the vents. They mowed the lawn on Thursday and by the end of the day I couldn't talk.

renee said...

HA! I didn't think so. But I was hoping :)

Anonymous said...

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I like the bottom button better! I do like the fabric also, and I'm wondering what my children would say about the fabric.

Peggy said...

Lurker here coming out to say I like the covered button best -- much classier looking, imo. I enjoy your blog!

Sigrid said...

What a beautiful color for the jacket. I made this one last year (before discovering PR and blogging about sewing) and found it a very nice pattern with great fit. I made it from a embroidered tweed, but I think that with your fabric the design of the jacket is emphasized better.

Anonymous said...

What does BWOF mean? Do you have a pattern number/company? It looks like an interesting pattern, german cut were I forced to say (neckline seam, there's a dart there).

Nancy Winningham said...

Kathleen -
BWOF os Burda World of Fashion Magazine. It is a monthly publication from Germany that comes with numerous patterns included in each issue. this particular jacket was from a pattern in the May 2006 issue. I think it was pattern #107 (They use the same numbers every month)