Sewaholic Minoru Jacket

La versión en español se encuentra aquí

This Jacket has been on my to-sew list forever (not forever, but at least a couple of years). I first fell in love with this pattern when I saw this one and last year I saw this one live and I was absolutely sold on the pattern.

I didn't make it before because I made a Watson Jacket and an Albion coat (not blogged) last year, and the wintercoat I was using didn't need replacement, but this year I collected some stains on my coat that don't wash out, so a new wintercoat it is!

If you follow me on Instagram, you already saw that I cut the original pattern and the fabric without a try-out version... I really love living on the edge...

The wool I used, I bought last summer (because that is the right season to buy wool) when I was visiting my family with the idea of making a dress... The lining is a super soft fleece. I feel like I am wrapped in a cloud...

 I think, apart from the zipper, any sewer with a bit of experience can make this jacket.

I made a few changes to the pattern:

I added outside pockets using this book

I think the reason for this is obvious... A wintercoat without pockets is just not practical (any coat without pockets is unpractical).
On the Sewaholic site there is a tutorial to make inseam-pockets.
I really like the look of welt pockets (and they don't scare me anymore) so  I measured the pockets on my current coat and just copied those.

I didn't put in the zipper in the collar to stow away the hood. First of all, I don't think I will ever put the hood away and second, I think this fabric would have been to thick to stuff the hood in the collar.
Instead I just inserted the hood between the body and the collar. This way, when I'm not wearing the hood, the collar still keeps my neck warm... I thought about making making the hood removable with a zipper, but in the end I just went the easy way.

 

I left out the elastic at the waist. The wool is already thick enough and I don't think I need more shaping in this coat, I wear about three layers underneath, so the slimming effect would have been zero...I also didn't add elastic to the sleeve cuffs because I like to wear gloves and it would be too difficult to get those on and off easily with elasticated cuffs.

The hardest part on this jacket is the zipper. But I think I can say I nailed that... I put in one side of the zipper and then carefully lined up all the seamlines and edges and basted the second part before sewing.

I really like the effect of the ruffling on the sleeves and across the back.

Can you tell how happy I am with the inside of this coat? It's fluffy, soft and warm... Perfect winter coat material!
 

I added some cross-stitch embroidery on the inside pocket, and I used this free pattern for it.
Happiness is carried on the inside.

Things I would do differently in the future:

• line the hood. This jacket has such a nice finish on the inside, except for the hood...
• change the construction of the cuffs. The instructions go for the easy finish of topstitching the things down, but the seam allowance are turned towards the sleeve, which gives a little bump there. I think if the seam allowance was to be pressed towards the cuffs and then handstitched (or topstitched) closed, the bump wouldn't be there.

Action shots. Also, it was like 20º when we took these pictures, the first rays of sunshine we have seen and felt in weeks. Every single person in the north of Spain went out this weekend for a walk I think...

The Twiggy Dress

The Monthly Stitch, a collective with a monthly challenge, which I sometimes accept, had a really great theme for November. Something from a Sewing Book.

I love Sewing Books! Here's my list. 

I have the Colette Book, sewing techniques, a book about pattern drafting, a book about copying RTW garments, a Belgian book on skirts, a Belgian book called Fabric for Dare-It-Yourselvers, two Spanish books that came with the apartment and THIS BOOK, Famous Frocks.

The book has a bit of sewing instructions in general and then come the dresses. 10 patterns with 2 variations each, that makes 20 dresses! The book set me back 20€. I say that's a nice bargain!

Now I'm not saying that every dress in this book is my style. It totally isn't. But the Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy (made by someone from my hometown and blogged about here), Audrey Hepburn and Twiggy definitely are my style, and maybe the Farrah Fawcett, Stevie Nicks and Madonna.

So for the challenge, I made a Twiggy.

Source

This is what it looks like on me:

I love this dress. It is pink wool from the Great Belgian Fabric Haul and the buttons are made of wood. The placket on the front was a bit of a bitch, but all plackets tend to be like that. At least it was a decent size instead of those tiny fiddly things on shirt sleeves...

What more can I say about the construction? Nothing. It's pretty straight forward and easy. Oh yes, pinked seam allowances. My favourite!

I don't have match sticks for legs like Twiggy, so I usually wear this dress with polkadot stockings and boots. And a wool cardi from Mango that I have owned for about 6 years now. It's starting to look a bit ragged, but I still love it, so it stays.

I may already be dreaming up another dress from this book, a Marilyn for dancing...

This is my best dance move...

Taking pictures in a sleeveless dress when it's 10ºC outside, not so much fun as you would think looking at my pictures...

So any other sewing book I should add to my Christmas wish list?