Made by a Fabricista: Suiting on the Bias

I kept seeing all these amazing suiting fabrics pop up over at the Fabric Mart site and I definitely knew that one of my makes for the Fabric Mart blog HAD to include these fabric, so I let them know that I would love to create Vogue 8910 (a gorgeous blazer made entirely with bias cut fabric) from a very pretty oyster colored striped stretch wool suiting.  I had visions of making the shorter version, view A, to look a lot like the version that Vogue made up in the longer length.  I loved the minimalist styling of the jacket and the cool chevron effect the stripes made with the bias cut pieces. I just knew that I had to make it up shorter so it could as easily work with skirts and dresses as it could work with jeans and trousers.  (I don't care for the look of longer jackets with skirts and dresses.)

Before I started, I did my usual hunting on the internet for information on the pattern so I could learn more about how to create it for myself, and I hit a goldmine because Ann Rowley, the winner of the Great British Sewing Bee (season one) had sewn up this jacket in a Linton tweed a while ago. She had so much information and photos in her flickr set that I knew I would be in good shape since I loved how hers had turned out. Her advice on this pattern and how to treat the fabric and lining made so much sense. The directions in the Vogue pattern are definitely lacking, especially graphically, and having her set was so helpful so I could visualize exactly what I needed to do to get the results she received.

Overall I did follow her plan, but I did deviate a bit since my fabric choices were different from hers and required a bit different handling. But I definitely and highly recommend using her advice if you take on this pattern.

(I also want to point out that I read in many places, including from Ann herself, that this pattern, though rated *easy*, is anything but, especially since the pattern is entirely cut on the bias and requires a single layer layout and careful planning when sewing as to avoid stretching out the bias fabric once cut.  I was gratified to know that I did make the blazer properly and carefully and now can actually wear it out and not have a huge mess on my hands!)

Above you will see how I laid out the pattern on the striped suiting.  I knew that I had to be careful so I could properly achieve the chevron effect I wanted from the Vogue pattern cover art, but because the stripes are fairly thin and monochromatic, I also knew that I didn't have to be as careful as I would have on a thicker, differently colored stripe.  

I always forget to flop the pieces when doing a single cutting layout.  I cannot tell you how many times I have cut pajama bottoms for my kids and forgotten to flip the piece to the opposite side when cutting the second leg out. Sigh. Unlike the pj bottoms, which you can kind of fudge, these blazer pieces ABSOLUTELY have to be the opposite side.  DO NOT WASTE YOUR FABRIC. (I accidentally cut the second sleeve the same way I cut the first one.  D'oh.  Thank goodness Fabric Mart sent me an extra yard!)

Ann Rowley decided to interface the fabric with plain muslin material to keep her beautiful tweed from stretching, and I loved that idea so I definitely borrowed it.  In the end, the suiting fabric I received from Fabric Mart had enough "bounce back" from the spandex content that I didn't have to use all the interfacing pieces I had cut out, but I still ended up using at least the back piece so there could be an extra bit of structure back there.  Even though my intent was to have a more drapey blazer, I still knew that a good sturdy collar and back piece is a good thing in the long run.  You can see on my pattern piece the red sharpie markings, those are the markings I used to create my interfacing pieces.  (And I am glad to have them for the next one of these jackets I create.)

I had high hopes of starting this project in Mississippi over my Thanksgiving break, but in the end I decided to wait until I got home to my sewing machine. Though my mother-in-law's machine is fine, I really wanted to have the option of two things to make this jacket's construction easier--a straight stitch plate and a walking foot. These two items make working with thin fabrics and fabrics that must be precisely handled so much better.

The straight stitch plate is especially nice for thin fabrics like the lining fabric I used, which was a lightweight poly in a nearly perfect matching shade to the fashion fabric.  If I had tried to use my 9 mm stitch plate, I know for sure that the fabric would have definitely ended up in the 9 mm hole, so having that helped keep my seams perfectly flat and even.  It also really does form a beautiful straight stitch.  I only have one place I topstitched (the inside where the facing and the lining meet), but that stitching is perfect, which I know for a fact I can't do as well on a wider stitch plate hole.  (I will say that I have forgotten to switch the plate out before zigzag stitching, and oops, broken needle.  I try not to make a habit of that.)

The walking foot is just amazing and really does help keep the fabric perfectly aligned when stitching up seams.  In this case, I was able to precisely pin how I wanted the seams to look and most of the seams (where I could), I ended up with a cool chevron effect, just like the cover art of the pattern. 

The one thing I did notice, though, and this is not a bad thing, but it was something I had to work with, the suiting fabric definitely shows every ripple and wrinkle and though it presses easily, it also rumples easily.  Because of this, I *knew* I had to very carefully set in the sleeves so as to avoid the possibility of even more wrinkling that has nothing to do with the fabric and more my sewing.  I know that the more pins you use (and pin in the stitching line--not above it--see this post for more on that), the better your sleeve will set in without any accidental folds or wrinkles.  

I tried it first with the lining fabric and it worked exactly as I wanted it.  I will say I definitely ignored Vogue's directions here.  They wanted me to finish the bodice and lining BEFORE doing up the sleeves, but I knew I wanted to construct two separate jackets and then join them, so I set in four sleeves total (Vogue only sets in the fashion fabric, the lining sleeve is stitched by hand after).  

Practicing with setting in the lining sleeves helped me prepare to set in the suiting fabric sleeves and I have to say, though not amazingly perfect, they look really good compared to many of my prior efforts and I can happily say I set in sleeves without any folds or wrinkles.  (And on a bias jacket!)

Also in regards to the shoulders and sleeves, I am still undecided about the use of shoulder pads.  I have narrow shoulders, but they are squared, so while I am tempted to use them (it would probably help lift the upper bodice bit and prevent some residual fabric "frowns" that are there from my very flat chest), I am not sure I can make them work.  I may just have to buy a pair and try it out.  If it does help, I definitely can get those in after the fact.

I may not have sewn up the lining sleeves the way Vogue intended me to, but that doesn't mean I am scared by hand-stitching.  In fact after communing with my sewing machine as much as I did over the past few days, it was really nice to sit on the couch and watch some reality TV and handstitch my hem in my jacket and the sleeves.  I don't know if this is a *particular* kind of stitch, but it did hide a good amount of the stitching in the lining and the folded over bit of the fashion fabric hem, and it is pretty sturdy on top of it!  I also like that the hand-stitching allowed me to properly ease the top of the hem to the bodice, I often find that bit wider than the part I am attaching it to, and there is always excessive material.  I was able to pull in the thread a bit when needed and gave me an enormous amount of control over the end result.  I have to say I might be a convert.  :-)  (I will still sew up my kids pj bottoms with the machine, though, I am not that much of a convert!)

Once I finished the hems, I was able to place the jacket on my dress form and it was immensely satisfying to try the button on it, fiddle with it a bit, and see the nearly completed product.  

Upon returning home today I was able to press the jacket properly and wear it for the first time for real.  The outfit I am wearing it with is not my favorite, but I like this idea of a straight pair of pants, a sparkly top, and some boots.  But I really can't wait until wear it with a dress, since I know this shorter silhouette will look really nice with a pretty knee-length dress or skirt.  

Overall I had a great time trying this project out.  It really pushed me to try some cool things I never thought I would want to try.  I am not normally a fan of bias cut garments (especially skirts--way too much of the 90s included me wearing that kind of skirt--shudder), but I do really love the way the bias cut allowed the stripes to become chevrons, and I must say the blazer is very comfortable and very drapey.  I definitely loved practicing setting in sleeves, even if it took me FOREVER with all the pins and careful stitching.  I also loved that hand-stitching the hems was relaxing and ended with hems that make me proud.

I see that there are still many gorgeous striped wool suiting fabrics available at Fabric Mart.  I would love to have others join me and make a version of this jacket from those gorgeous fabrics.  I love the effect of the stripes becoming chevrons and definitely could see so many of those fabrics making some really cool patterns when shifted to the bias!