Simplicity 2341 Fall Jacket

I just finished this the other day. It’s my first attempt at making a garment out of faux leather (I love that term – so much better than “pleather”). Anyway, I bought this textured material from Fabric.com. It’s very soft and easy to work with. I did re-read a couple of articles I had about working with leather (real or faux) because I wanted to know the best way to make the pattern markings, etc. I also used the non-stick foot that came with my sewing machine so I didn’t have to worry about skipped stitches.

This actually went together much faster than I had expected. I made this in View A. It’s an edgier look for me, but that’s what I wanted to challenge myself with this time.

This was also the first time I had used a separating zipper. Which was actually easier than a regular zipper. I made no adjustments to the pattern. Just a note here: I did use the rotary cutter for the jacket pieces which made cutting this out quick and easy.

Finished the blazer

I finally finished the blazer I made from Kwik Sew 3715. It turned out well, but I should have made the medium instead of the small. The small fits better in the body, but I prefer a larger (wider) sleeve. I won’t be able to wear anything too bulky underneath, but it will still be good for fall. I used a poly suiting material I bought from JoAnn Fabrics. The fabric was a challenge for me to work with since I had to thread-mark darts, etc. But, it is washable and should wear well. I had made the view with the welt pockets before, so this one has the patch pockets. I might like to make this again, but in a different fabric. But, I’ve got some dresses and skirts I need to work on now.

(Gaping) Holes in my wardrobe

Last week my husband and I went to a cocktail/dinner party. While trying to get ready and figure out what to wear, I realized that I have some gaping holes in my wardrobe. Fortunately this past spring I had made my first (and only) LBD. It’s made in a linen-like fabric and was perfect to wear for a warm evening out. But that’s pretty much all I have to wear for a nice evening out. I convinced myself that I didn’t need nice clothes since I’m a SAHM. But I don’t live in a cave and it’s not like I never go out. I have nice clothes, but nothing really dressy. So now I have a clearer focus on what I should be sewing. After I finish the blazer (actually, after I start the blazer), I’ll plan to work on some dress patterns that I have. I’ve even bought fabric, etc. for many of them. And it would be helpful to have some jackets/shrugs to wear with some of the dresses since I sometimes get too hot with long sleeves, but would like something to cover my arms when it’s cold indoors. This is a picture of the dress I wore. I added a sparkly belt to give it a little “umph.”