A collar pulls it together

Still need to take a photo that shows how closely this fits. 

So I added the collar.

Part of the problem with this project has been the offgrain nature of the evil poly shantung.  Remember how hard it is to work with cheap fabric? How it's not really worth the savings?

It's not. See how far off it is at the selvedge when I line up the crossgrain?

Drew up how long the collar needed to be

Made a pattern piece of archetect flimsy, made sure I had enough remnant (yes, it does pay to be a hoarder now and then)

Ironed it out and established a true line to put the collar on.

And then some other stuff happened.

The sleeve cap is much prettier than this. Only a slight rise with the seam allowance pressed towards the sleeve.

And a few hours of profanity and coffee later, there was a collar.

And you know, it does pull it together.  I would not have added one unless I was entering the PR fitted blouse contest. And I think it's going to stay. I'm seeing a nice pin on the cross now and then.   Perhaps a Star Fleet one (couldn't resist that)

Adding pockets to existing jackets

I am killing time before the Pattern Review Stash contest begins on the 16th. So I'm finishing up the stuff that I have meant to do, such as putting pockets into the jackets that need them. I've had this grey rain jacket's parts cut out for months, so I guess it's time to finish the deed.

Great jacket, but like all women's clothes, no interior pockets. My solution is to add interior panels and sew pockets to them, then sew panels to jacket.

Trace pattern from interior

Dry fit panel to interior

I'm attaching the panel to the interior seams at it's edges; the side seam, the top and bottom seams (have to open them up) and the front facing flap.

Okay, I made the pocket without showing you. Trying out where it should go.

Sew pocket to panel.

Pin fitting panel (edges finished with overcast stitching)

Zipper tab. I have learned how awful it is to try to zip the interior pocket with one hand, so a tab really helps.

First, sewing the panel to the flap from the front facing extension.

Left a long tail from machine sew to backstitch to the edge

Flipped back, lining the interior edge up to pin from inside

Flipped it over and pinned from outside to stitch in the ditch on the front (removing pins from inside)

And this side is done. The other side will happen offline.

It's done, but...

So this was the model.

This was the result.

My button hole skills stink right now, so I went with a side opening. 

 And I lined the front pleats and tacked them down so they would not droop.

And now I feel all the life is sucked right out of it.

I wore it, I got compliments, I handed out cards to a few people looking for sewing.

I do have to be prised out of it, over my head. It is FITTED. Sleeves have a dartlike fold at the elbow.

I will come back to this, just not this month. What's killing me is that the Fitted Shirt contest on Pattern Review requires a COLLAR (and the Wikipedia entry about collars is linked).

Do I add a collar? I mean, this shirt is FITTED within an inch of it's life (actually a centimeter).

I have to ponder further.

How do I want to wear this?

That's the universal question in sewing.

I like a look.

Is it the color, the shape, the fabric?

I don't want the hair, the buttons, but I do like the fabric (taffeta with some body?). I would make the bodice top a little more pleated than gathered, and I think I want the transition line to run just above the ....how do you say it? Bust point.

I've always like this bodice:

from timetailor.co.uk

As a flatchested woman, I am always interested in styles that take advantage of that.

I'm not interested in a heavily constructed  object (not a corsetier by any stretch) but I do like an architectural piece of clothing

This is one of my favorite shirts, I've made about five of them from the old Miyake Vogue pattern. It's so cozy and it looks so cool.

Somewhere between the two, that's where my brain is going.

I just don't think I can pull off buttons on the front (that damn machine is giving me fits again). Side zip?

Meanwhile, I bought fabric. And snaps. And an invisible zipper. Oh, and more thread.

I have a date I'd like to wear it by.