The Amateur Couturier

The Chanel Jacket

As my loyal readers will remember, last June, whilst in Paris, my mother-in-law and I stumbled upon some lovely cream wool in Marche Saint-Pierre, which Bev ever so lovingly bought for me to whip into a Chanel-style jacket.

I’ve been incredibly nervous about this project. It’s been on my list for a while, but I feel as though there’s a Chanel jacket sewing subculture out there, and I’m nervous to enter the foray. What’s clear is that the Chanel jacket is a sewing rite of passage. Am I ready for it? Probably not! Am I going for it? Urghh … I guess so!

It must be said, though, the upside to taking on such a massive project is that so many of you have done it and blogged about it. There’s no end to the resources out there. Just a few to mention:

Go Chanel or Go Home

Frabjous Couture

Fashionology - How Chanel Makes Its Little Black Jackets (video)

And of course, Susan Khalje’sThreadsarticle, ‘Inside a Chanel Jacket’.

So I’m trepidly embarking on this project, starting with the muslin. I have two patterns to draw from. One is the ‘traditional’ pattern, Vogue 7975, recommended by Susan Khalje. The other is a more modern take, McCalls 6441. Both would need some adjustments - I’m looking for a jacket that hits me at the high hip, has bracelet length (and quite slim-cut) sleeves, button closures and front patch pockets. The Vogue pattern gets me closest to this wish-list, but I’m slightly worried about the shape. The classic Chanel silhouette is created by princess seams that extend to the shoulder seam. However, I often find that these seams make my figure look a bit boxy. The McCalls jacket, on the other hand, uses princess seams that curve to the bust and extend to the side. These seams, I find, are usually more flattering for curvier women, such as myself.

So my goal is to create an authentic Chanel ‘look’ in a style that’s best suited to my figure. To do this, I plan to make a muslin for each of these patterns and determine which one works best.

When I get there, my aim is to create a garment that’s reminiscent of the cream jackets in Chanel’s pre-fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection. Rather than use contrast trim, though, I want to create a fringe from the same fabric. The result should be a very subtly elegant jacket that I can dress up or dress down. Here’s hoping!

The Amateur Couturier is back

I know, it’s been a long time. But rather than pepper the blog with periodical updates (and excuses), I thought it best to make a clean exit and, subsequently, a fresh start. It’s been an autumn of transition, as any good autumn normally is… and in the midst of all the change, I had to set my sewing (and blogging) aside. But I’m back now, and more excited than ever to get going.

So what have I achieved in the past few months? Well, I did finish my Miu Miu inspired skirt (just soon enough for it to be out of season!), but not much else. It’s been busy times, but I’ve got a project list a mile long and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in.

Most importantly, I’ve just got a new job and I need a total wardrobe refresh! So let’s make some clothes…

the Miu Miu skirt part 6: sewing the garment

So I’ve just finished putting together my skirt. It’s not finished, mind you, but it’s basically there. I just need to put in a zipper, finish the waistband and hem it. And I must say… it’s turned out so much better than I anticipated!

Here’s a shot of it on my mannequin. It’s at a bit of a weird angle and the lighting’s not great, but hopefully it gives the basic idea.

It came together so easily. Even the waistband worked like a charm. The picture below shows me ironing it into shape. The technique worked well, giving the waistband a smooth, easy curve.

Next post I’ll be wearing the finished garment!

The Miu Miu skirt: part 5 - fabric dyeing

I’ve been so busy with my ‘real work’ lately, I almost forgot about my ongoing Miu Miu skirt project! But when my mother-in-law sent me an email with the subject header ‘dying’, I was suitably shocked back into the swing of things. 

Of course, she meant ‘dyeing’, and that’s what I’ve done. My fabric pieces are now tulip red, ready for construction. All I need now is thread and a zipper, and I’m ready to get going. I’m getting close to finished, now!

After this I think I need to revert back to patterns for a while… this whole idea of pattern drafting has completely done my head in!

The Miu Miu Skirt: part 4 - cutting the material

Well, my fabric is cut, prepped and ready for dyeing, which I’ll do this afternoon. Here’s what’s happened this week: 

After adjusting my muslin (which primarily involved expanding the side seams and re-grading the seam where the top of the skirt meets the waisband, but also cutting all the way down the centre back to make zipper installation easier), I used my muslin pieces as a pattern and cut into my ‘fashion fabric’, the cotton drill. Because I’m so inexperienced at pattern grading, I still left sizable seam allowances so I can make further adjustments to the skirt as I sew it. That’s not an ideal method, as you’d typically want your muslin to be a near-perfect pattern, but it’s a bit too much of a challenge for me right now and I’m hoping any further adjustments will be minimal. This has certainly been a learning experience! 

I didn’t make a muslin for the waistband, opting instead to cut it directly from the cotton drill. Here’s how I did it. 

As you’ll remember from my earlier post, I decided not to cut a curved waistband. But because this skirt will sit on my hips, I can’t cut it completely straight, either. As I was considering the best approach, I hit upon Kenneth King’s method, which is to cut the waistband on the cross-grain then iron a slight curve into it before sewing. This is the method I’ll try, and I’ll blog about the results. 

To cut the waistband, I first had to find the cross-grain (the grain that runs perpendicular to the selvage). An easy way to find a true cross-grain is to make a small cut into your selvage (perpendicular to it) and then rip your fabric. It should rip on the true cross-grain. (NB: I don’t recommend this method for delicate fabrics!)

Once I found my cross-grain, I used the ripped edge as one of my long edges, then measured from that edge the ‘depth’ that I needed for my waistband. I used the waistband formula of: 2 x [desired width of waistband] + 2 x [seam allowance] + 1/4”. Because I want a 1.5” waistband and am using a 5/8” seam allowance, this meant I needed to cut a waistband of (2 x 1.5) + (2 x 5/8) + 1/4 = 4.5”.

I didn’t measure a waistband length, as I decided to make it super long and cut it to fit - much easier than getting it slightly wrong and having to stretch it to fit! 

[NB: the perspective’s a bit weird on this picture, but I assure you, it’s an even 4.5” width all the way across!]

Finally, when all my pieces were cut, I traced the seam lines and, because I’ll be dyeing, I machine traced my seam lines with black thread. Then, because I’m using my washing machine to dye the fabric, I finished the edges of my waistband using a zig-zag stitch. Cotton drill tends to fray and I don’t want to lose any of my carefully-measured waistband as it tumbles through the machine!

So there you have it. My Miu Miu skirt, prepped and ready to turn red.

Sewing: Rotterdam and Antwerp

I’m finally back from my holiday in Rotterdam and Antwerp and, as much fun as it’s been to travel around a bit recently, I’m really looking forward to a long period at home in Cambridge. In particular, I’m looking forward to weekends at home, when I can re-focus on my sewing and get some good projects done.

On that note, I was looking for cloth and haberdashery stores in Rotterdam and Antwerp, but the closest thing I could find was this store, which is definitely not a cloth or haberdashery store, but just happens to sell laminated fabric - much like the cloth Bev and I found in Paris. Only, this fabric is much cheaper, at only 5 euros per metre!

At any rate, I’m afraid I’ve come home with no great sewing hauls, but that’s okay, as I’m still working on my Miu Miu skirt. On that note, I’ve made some progress with the muslin, having ripped out the waistband and extended the side seams. Later this week I’ll re-install the new waistband and, with luck, be in a position to cut and assemble the real skirt this weekend! That means I’ll be experimenting with dye as well… this could be a messy one. Watch this space.

Rotterdam, Antwerp

Hey readers, I’m off to Rotterdam on Thursday and Antwerp shortly after. Know of any good fabric or haberdashery stores I should check out? If so, please send me your suggestions and I’ll blog about them!

the Miu Miu skirt: pattern drafting, part 3

Well, I didn’t intend to go a week without blogging, but if I’m honest, a part of me has been avoiding my Miu Mui project, as it didn’t come together quite as seamlessly (did I just make a sewing pun?) as I had hoped. I’m not going to say it’s a disaster, but… see below.

Hmmmmm… thoughts?

I hand-sewed the muslin pieces together last Sunday night while watching the Portugal/Denmark game, and this is how it turned out. Super high-waisted (which is not very flattering on my figure) and bubbly, though the bubbles are probably the result of my quick sewing, excess seam allowances and lack of ironing, not necessarily the result of a bad pattern. [Just a quick note on ironing: the reason I didn’t iron my muslin is because ironing sets seams, and, because this is my first muslin, I was pretty sure many of the seams would need adjusting. Also, ironing can sometimes distort fabric, and as I ultimately want to use my muslin as a pattern, I need to maintain the fabric’s integrity as best I can.]

But you know, it’s not that bad. For one, the pleats turned out really well, and seem to match the garment I’m replicating.

But I will need to make the skirt wider to allow for a lower waist. Widening it won’t be a problem, as it simply involves extending the side seams, and I’ve given myself plenty of seam allowance to do so. But I will need to re-evaluate the placement of my pleats once I’ve done so.

My second adjustment will involve the shape of my side seams. As you’ll see below, I have a weird bubble at the top of my skirt sides. This should be easy enough to remove  just by pinching out the excess and re-drawing my seam.

And finally, I’ll need to re-do the waistband, because, what was I thinking when I cut it  in two pieces? That was a stupid moment. Obviously I want one, continuous waistband, and it needs to be ‘tall’ enough that it can fold back over on itself as a facing on the inside of the skirt.

But all in all, I don’t think I have a lot more work to get this muslin in working order, especially since I also decided that I would no longer faff about with a curved waistband. I’ll cut my waistband straight, and if I need to taper the top of it slightly, I can do that at the centre back seam.

So the good news is, the waistband is the only pattern piece I need to completely re-do. This was my first ever pattern drafting experience, and although I was disappointed with my result at first, I’m now feeling pretty happy with what I’ve done.

the Miu Miu skirt: pattern drafting, part 2

Okay, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I thought I’d try to get a muslin (toile) started for the Miu Miu skirt. I’ve just finished, but I have no idea how this is going to turn out once it’s put together…

At any rate, this is what I did.

Step 1:

I took an A-line mini skirt that fits me well, folded it along center front and traced it onto the fold of my freshly-ironed muslin. Before I did this, I made sure I was happy with where the top edge of the skirt hits, keeping in mind that I’ll be adding a 1.5” waistband to the top edge.

[NB: All of my marks represent seam lines, not cutting lines]

Step 2:

Using my calculations for the skirt front, I knew I needed to extend the skirt top four inches on each side, so I drew in the extension (by hand - dear lord I need to buy a French Curve). I then used a ruler to connect my new side waist seam to the bottom side seam, extending the side seam down a few extra inches, in case I decide to make my skirt longer.

I then added my pleats. I divided the length of the skirt top in thirds (from the centre fold to the skirt edge), and placed the centre of the outside pleat at the 2/3 point, and the inside pleat one inch closer to the centre front.

For grins, I marked my grainline (as I did on all my pieces, even though most of them are cut on the fold).

And finally, I cut it out, giving myself several inches of seam allowance.

Step 3:

I re-traced the top of my miniskirt, exactly as I did when I traced the skirt front. I then measured 1.5” about the line and drew a second line that paralleled the curve of my traced line. I matched the edges, and this became my waistband. This was cut on the fold of the fabric for the front waistband. 

The back waistband is in two pieces, each equal to half of the front waistband but with some seam allowance at the centre back, to support the zipper.

Step 4:

I traced the back of my mini-skirt on the fold, exactly as I did for step 1. This time, I decided to add 2.5” of width to the top skirt edge, because I decided to try an inside pleat of 1/4” and an outside pleat of 1”, as per this diagram. I centred these pleats midway between the centre back and side seam.

Then I connected the side top and bottom, as I did with the skirt front, also extending the side seam a few inches (which you can’t see in the picture below because I added the extension afterward).

Step 5:

After cutting all my pieces I used carbon paper to transfer the markings from one side of the material to the other.

So now my pattern pieces are done, the next step is to see how they come together…

calico

Okay readers, I’ve been stalling long enough. I need to get down to an actual sewing project! Not that I’ve been stalling, of course… if I had my way every day would be a day free for sewing. But it’s been nearly a month since I last made a garment and, frankly, that’s unacceptable.

The good news is that I bought some muslin yesterday, so I can finally get to grips with my Miu Miu inspired skirt. This is related to my other good news, which is that I finally figured out that in the UK, muslin fabric is called calico. So I popped over to my local John Lewis yesterday (the best place to buy dressmaking fabric in Cambridge) to pick some up, and saw that it was £13 per metre (though around 250cm in width). That’s… just so extraordinarily expensive. Thankfully, I found a metre of the stuff in the remnants bin for £9, but man - still pricey!

I’ve done some sleuthing and think I can confidently announce that the cheapest place to buy calico in the UK is from Whaleys in Bradford. You want the Calico Light, which ranges in price from £1.56 to £2.33 per metre (137cm width), depending on order quantity.

Shipping’s a bit expensive, but you’ll still come out way ahead. I’m placing a bulk order, but in the meantime let’s see if I can turn my expensive John Lewis calico into a priceless Miu Miu skirt pattern!