Sew Carrie Sew: The Floral Challenge

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This jacket tried to take me out...but I persevered and won!

Thus the title: "The Floral Challenge"

Remember, fabric is an inanimate object, you are in control!

After all the challenges, I am in love with it!

I will definitely make it again and again!

I'm also entering it in a jacket/coat sewing challenge in the @sewmuchtalent group!

I used Simplicity 1421 and only made my normal sleeve length (too long) and waist (increased by 1.5 inches) adjustments.

I was sew happy about that!

I love how the shiny silver buttons stand out!

Gotta have that pop of color, even it's on the inside!

The floral print was purchased 2 years ago from Joann's. I knew I'd eventually use it to make a jacket - I just needed to decide which jacket!

Challenge # 1 - Time!
I had to put this jacket down several times over the summer, due to working on custom garments.

Challenge # 2 - The fabric was much lighter in weight than I thought.
So to give it some weight, I had to block interface it with Pellon EK130 - after I pre-washed it.

The quilted look faux leather has some stretch to it. I was a Joann Fabrics 2 yard remnant that I paid $6.00 for. When I purchased it, I had no idea what I would with it...maybe a bag...I just liked it!

Challenge # 3 - Once I decided to use Simplicity 1421 (which had been in my pattern stash longer than the fabric) I checked to make sure I had enough of the faux leather for sleeves...I didn't! But, the pattern has 2 piece sleeves and that excited me. I had enough for the upper sleeves and the pockets! I was in love!

Challenge # 4 - How would I do the finishing?

No lining, but interfaced. Of course I could have created a lining, but I chose not to. Instead, I chose to do bound seams. I love brightly colored linings, sew of course I needed some color inside all of that black. I love the teal bias tape. I also used a teal print inside the pockets! 😃

Challenge # 5 - Broken needles!
The jacket and facings went together without any problems.

Making the 2 piece sleeves was easy and fast!

But inserting the sleeves was a challenge. There were so many layers - sleeve seams, jacket seams, binding on both! At some points, I think there were 6 to 8 layers of fabric to sew through, But I chose not to use a denim needle, because I did not want to take the chance on creating large pin holes in the faux leather. So, I ended up breaking needles on each sleeve. But I got them in! It's all inanimate and I was in control! LOL!

Challenge # 6 - Buttonholes!
I love all the buttonhole choices I have on my Juki F600, but it did not cooperate that day!

After changing tensions, using all the tricks I could think of and picking out 3 different types of buttonholes - I finally switched to the Brother machine that I use for classes to make them! It was effortless, but I'd stitched them in the wrong place! 😂

One more game of unpicking, remarking and re-stitching...I had perfect buttonholes!

I always use fray check on both side of my buttonholes before I cut them.

You can tell from the indentation on my little buttonhole mat that I use this cutting set quite often!

Challenge # 7 - To Top-stitch or not to top-stitch!

Ok...that was not really a challenge, but a decision. I was pretty sure it would look great on the jacket itself, but I did not want to distort the sleeve hems by top-stitching them. In the end, I top-stitched the jacket, but left the sleeves un-stitched.

Challenge # 8 - Buttons! Yes, buttons.

I posted the partially finished jacket in my group and asked for their opinion. I was thinking black or white. One of the group members suggested buttons with black and silver. I ended up buying white buttons and black and silver buttons, but took all of them back and exchanged them for silver buttons! I love how they look against the print and the faux leather!

I then finished all the hems by hands and added the buttons. I held the sleeve hems in place with clips...no pins in the faux leather!

Because of the faux leather and layers, I used my Thimble Crown! I love this little tool! No sore fingers and fits better than thimbles!