SEWING.

I am now ready to start sewing my garment (woohoo). The first thing I did was sew my darts, with the facing I found this difficult as I had to make sure the fabric didn't bulk. To make the dart sit perfectly I snipped the dart open and  pressed open the seams.

The next step was to sew on my flap pockets. First I had to bag out the flap pockets, making sure they are both the same, trim the corners and poke through, using the point turner and roll the seam. Then I needed to close the open side. As I had made sure I had marked on the front piece. Start sewing where the drill whole is 1cm inside finish length. Stitch under flap on the top, and sew right to the edge. Make sure there is fusing on the wrong side of the fabric where the pocket will eventually be. Then with the pocket bag lay it out level with the stitch line, leaving seam allowance on either edge. Sew on the wrong side so you can see clearer. I fused a piece of fusing onto the pocket bag for more strength. Then cut the front piece in a straight line which I will then push the jet through. I also had to make lining with the pattern of my pocket bag with a piece of my fabric sewn neatly onto it, which will be the inside of the pocket. Bag out the pockets, cut to diagonal so that you can poke the jet through the already cut line.

The next step was to sew the two centre back pieces together and again press open the seams. Then sew the sides seams together, as I had a curve in the seam I had to make sure I sewed accurately matching all notches. Then the shoulder seams, easing the dart in nicely.


Now time to make up my sleeves, as my sleeves are in two parts.  I sewed all the side seams together and then put the under sleeve into the top sleeve and sewed around the circumference, easing in all the material, again pressing open seams. Then gather the sleeve head and ease it into the armhole of the jacket, matching all notches.

Now I am ready to sew my facings together, at first I sewed with a  twist so i just had to make sure that all the shoulder seams match together and the sides are facing the right way. With the front facing sew only up to the first notch as I will need to set in my collar. With the facing make sure that I sew to the corner, neatly so that I can poke the corners through neatly and accurately. Again pressing all seams open. 

Roll the seam back until the break point and then roll in the other direction so that you cannot see the seam on the rever.

Now time for what I had been dreading the most, the collar! Attach facing to front and start at side seam, matching all notches.  Stitch up to the break point, there will be a difference between the facing and the front, the facing is bigger. Match the notches and ease it in.  Trim off the corner.  Press using the point turner, press the seams open until the break point and trim the seams.  Then turn the facing through and press so that it rolls so you can just seam the seam.  When you get to the curve the roll the hem and carry on rolling up to the break point. Once this is done I need to anchor the neck seams together, start at corner of neck round to the centre back.. Then stitch all open seams together.

Once everything has been pressed BEAUTIFULLY I now need to set in my lining. Linings add 'body' and warmth and quality to the finished garment. The lining is an inner shell is made separately. The lining must be made and contracted at the same level of the actual jacket. The lining must never be tight and must have an extra tolerance, which is added to the pattern. Make the lining up  how I made the jacket, leaving an open gap in-between the seams of the sleeve so that you pull it through after it has been set in. Make sure the sleeve head roll and shoulder pad is in and the adhesive tape on the hem. By mistake I sewing the darts in before setting it into the lining so for next time I must remember not to do that.

Setting the lining in, so making sure the jacket is pressed perfectly as once you set the lining in you cant go back in and press any creases, it will be very difficult. Sew right side to right side, around facing. Make sure you form a back pleat, fold from notch to notch. Press seam into lining with no steam. Turn right sides together and bag out lining to hem. Everything is turned inside out at this point. With the front edge, right side to right side, attach lining across the hem. 1cm above the 4cm hem, all the way across. Catch the hem in the seams. The final stage of the lining, lay lining on the sleeve, hem to hem. Anchor facing sleeve to the shoulder pad, then underarm notches together and do a couple of stitches, pull the whole jacket through the space that was left in the sleeve and close the hole in sleeve and it is DONE. press it all together and HAND IN.

preparing to SEW.

Once all the amendments on my patterns from the toile fitting had been changed I was now ready to cut out. It was very important to make sure all the grain lines were parallel and that anything that was cut to fold, was on the fold.  Anything that was blocked fused I had to ensure that I drew ( in chalk ) 2cm around the pattern.  Once I had cut out, I had to block fused the appropriate pieces and part fused the back pieces. The pieces that were block fused I then had to put the pattern back on and cut out neatly REMEMBERING ALL NOTCHES. Then it was time for the tapes which went around the arm holes, shoulder seams and roll line.

design DEVELOPMENT.

Toile Fitting.

Today was the day of toile fittings. Initially I wasn't entirely sure what this would be like as I had never done something like this before.  I have been so focused on this project and I feel that my knowledge in regards to pattern cutting and fit has really grown since I have started this project, so I was very excited to see my jacket on a moving body.  It was a very stressful day as I had not yet set my collar in, but it was all ready for the fitting and here is what happened.

There were very few adjustments to be made which I was happy about. The collar and rever needed to be looked at, it was a very awkward shape and angle and they were was too much of a gap so we added a some calico underneath and with a marker drew in a shape which looked better and from that i changed the pattern. The collar around the neck slightly tight so I was to open that by 7mm. I also decided that I wanted the sleeve hem to be tighter in order to create more of an effect with the sleeve, so i decreased the hem circumference by 7 cm.

Toiling.

Now that I have created the pattern's I need to see how the form in fabric, so I am going to make up half the jacket in calico. When cutting out in calico, lay out the pattern pieces and make sure that the grain line is parallel to the warp. So that after the jacket is made we can pin is correctly, I drew I line on the calico where my centre front and centre back would be and then pinned the pattern exactly onto this line, matching the centre fold lines.

Setting the collar in is very challenging but I am pleased with how it looks apart from the revere i sewed as a curve rather than straight lines to create the point.  I need to be aware not to do this when making my full jacket.

The sleeve I set in as one big lantern shape however now that is it sewn in I need to alter it and then make the appropriate changes on the pattern. I don't want to take to much out of it though as I love how big it is and I always wanted the sleeves to be the main feature of the jacket.

creating the PATTERNS.

After tracing out the basic block, first step was to analyse the length of our jacket. Whether the hemline finished above and below the knee line ( mine finishes above ). Then I had to determine the silhouette of the garment. How it differs from the basic block. I extended my hem by 8cm and out by 5 cm and then by overlapping my patterns I created a point which is just below the waistline where the jacket comes in creating a nice shape on the waistline. I also had to determine the button wrap by working out the size of the button I envisage having on my jacket, and extending that from the centre front line. I have a visible dart that comes in from the shoulder and goes throughout the bust point. I had to change this from the original bust point dart. I then had to create the collar and revere.  From looking at our final design we had to plot in the style line, and then accurately plot in the neckline and collar. To do this you work on the front piece and use this is a plan and when you are confident that the patterns are correct you then trace out each piece of the collar and front. I found this part really tricky at first but after being shown for the second time i felt confident to do it and am pleased with what I had done.  The next thing I had to do what to decide where my flap pockets were going to sit, and how the shape and proportion relate to the other style features. At first they were not large enough and it's very important that they are positioned correctly, i.e. not in the centre of the jacket.

lets get MAKING.

This project is really the first time I have made sure I know exactly what I am doing, when it comes to making patterns, and how and why I do every step. Pattern cutting is not my favourite aspect of the course and I find it very hard, so I have got myself a book and expect many sleepless night but I am ready to make my jacket!

Final Design and Final Spec.

Final Collections.

FABRIC resourcing.

As I am designing for spring/summer I need to source a fabric that is light in weight, but still appropriate for a tailored jacket. Wool is the desired fabric I am looking for, and my colour palette has led me to a royal blue.

a few DESIGN PAGES