All month long I have been tearing up my sewing space searching for pantspiration, you see I was on a quest to participate and construct pants for the current challenge over at The Monthly Stitch. No Luck; I have only one pant pattern and fabric match in my to be sewn stash. I'll have you know my to be sewn stash is housed in two 20-gallon tubs. READ: The girl is constantly sewing something.
In the end I was not currently inspired by the trousers. I've made pants; successful pants and unsuccessful pants. I wear pants from time to time, personal zeitgeist is preferential to dresses. But when I do throw on pants I also tend to wear a jacket preferably one I have made. So this got me thinking about personal style and the current challenge over at Project Sewn (Oh my land! How much fun has Project Sewn been!!!). I have to say I do have my own Signature Style that dares to walk on the unconventional. I live for variety. Each and every day I look forward to dressing up, my daily look rides the tide of my mood and is always as fickle as Midwest weather. I am a bit modern and a little bit vintage, the clothes that adorn my body are as much for fun as they are for utilitarian purposes. These thoughts led me to this jacket. (And if you are so inclined to vote for me I'm #54...here)
The moment I flipped to the pattern for the Illusion Jacket in the first US edition of Burda Style and I was struck smitten. My heart was a flutter for the crazy fun sleeves.The jacket length and lines reminded me of mid-century dress coats, as you know I love my nods to the 60's. And as an added Melody bonus I was going to be able to use my beloved ponte knit on the garment. Needless to say I was sold so I set off to find a proper fabric I knew only Mood would deliver on this one.
And did it ever deliver. When I found this heavy weight laminated wool in metallic silver visions of 1960's Paco Rabanne danced in my head.
Because glitter sealed wool is never enough I lined my jacket in a spark of raspberry and when I wear the garment open the luscious color pops out and I actually smile.
I styled it over leggings and a tee for the next wear I will dress it up over a simple sleeveless back sheath.
Details:
Sliver snaps are the closure.
For the ponte knit under-sleeve I altered the pattern by cutting the cuff on a crosswise fold. In construction this encased the seam allowances creating a clean knit sleeve whose weight rivaled the outer laminated wool.
I chose to line upper-sleeve in black satin, this created contrast, made a clean finish and also controlled the bulk at the sleeve join.Inner garment views: Back and Front