Soft tailoring jacket workshop - part 1 - inc jetted pocket

Last day of February. I spent all day, 7.5 hours, at a Jacket Tailoring workshop run by R, my regular pattern cutting tutor, assisted by D, my dressmaking techniques tutor. They work together in their workshop which is much nearer my home than the college. D was there to help as originally more people were due to attend. In the end only Sarah, whom I know from my pattern cutting class - she's the enthusiastic, vintage inspired person I've mentioned previously, and I were there. This meant we got lots of attention. Both Sarah and I are quite slow and fairly exacting though for the purposes of the workshop we had to let some things go.

BTW, this is not intended to be a tutorial just an aide memoir for myself. As I write, I don't yet have the promised notes so I'm trying to get my thoughts in order. I'm sure I've already forgotten a number of steps. Then I remember some and add in. The notes will act as a better reminder.

On a side note, I received a letter from our local college which has a large fashion and design and textiles etc section saying my application for their 6 week pattern cutting workshop had been accepted and I should turn up on 9 March. I replied, declining. I believe I applied last year but didn't hear anything and then found R's class which although much further especially at rush hour can be for 30 weeks. I'm more than happy to stick with that. I believe the local college only does the one six weeks, making a skirt block. It's also as expensive as the year I attend for just 6 weeks.

Before I went to the class in the morning, I called in at the local fabric shop, across the road, to buy some fabric for the pockets and linings of DH's jeans.  I got some satisfactory strong but lightweight cotton and R and D both approved the purchase. R showed us the inside of a jacket which had a two piece pocket - ours was folded. R said that the folded pocket is stronger. I'll have to consider this for DH's jeans.

Back to R's jacket workshop.

R and D had cut out all the jacket sections.

When I arrived, I helped fuse interfacing onto a number of pieces. This was to be a soft tailoring workshop. I'm pleased about that as I'm not into either heavy structured traditional tailoring or a lot of hand stitching - I don't mind a little, in fact it can be very relaxing.

I took some photos but towards the end we were rather rushed and I couldn't. Not all my photos worked. I just used my mobile phone as trying to use a camera in that situation would have been difficult.

There was fusible interfacing at the hems, top of sleeve, around neck and part of armhole.

The whole of the front piece was fused with 'body' wool and hair canvas interfacing. The front interfacing was fused with a lightweight interfacing.

Because all these pieces had been cut and fused, you might have thought we'd be quick. Not so - we're both slow and there was also chat and doughnuts and beverages. In some cases, D was working just ahead of R to get things ready. Also, many of the markings made by pencil had come off. R had a printer malfunction so we won't get her interesting looking hand-out until next week. We didn't see a finished garment or pattern picture so I wasn't altogether clear what exactly we were making.

The first step was sewing the dart in the front. This dart ended at the jet pocket so accuracy was important. We had to cut the dart, press open press and cut into the seamline at the end of this dart. I won't mention pressing again (much) but rest assured every step was pressed.

The next step was the shoulder dart and the diamond dart at the back. Then we joined the panel with the split for the jetted pocket to the back piece. This was rather tricky as we had to make sure the pieces of fabric above and below the jet split kept abutted together. I thought I had succeeded but pressing revealed otherwise and we tried to use steam to rectify the situation - we both had the same issue. Relative success.

The reverse of this slit and the adjoining fabric were given a layer of interfacing. R helped with this and I got a slight pucker in the fabric which would cause problems later.

Pocket

There is a terminology issue here. Our tutors refer to this type of pocket as a 'Jetted Pocket' and this is the language which comes naturally to them - even though D isn't 30 yet. We haven't had the class hand-out yet. All my personal reference books originate in the US and refer to this as a 'Double Welt Pocket'. My internet search reveals that these are also called 'Besom Pockets'. I found that the name for the strips is either 'Welts' - hence the alternative name, double welt pocket, or 'Jettings', which I seem to have abbreviated to 'Jets'. I go between the terms. Apologies for this. No apologies for use of centimetres. Flaps were originally designed to cover the jettings and prevent rain getting in and these were therefore tucked in while indoors. That is no longer the case and the flap is considered an accessory which completes the style, with the flap being left out. It tends to be more formal jackets which have a double welt pocket without flap. 

We then marked out 16cm for the jet placement, on the right side. The line was evenly spaced around the slit and ended in a clearly marked line.

We created the strips for the welts. These were already interfaced. The strips were about 20cm by 2cm as the welt was going to be ½ cm. We folded these in two lengthways and pressed. We marked a line up the middle then stitched up the middle of the resulting 1cm strip with a fold at one side and a raw edge at the other. This stitching could show and was designed to be removed however I had stitched up in a regular stitch length before we realised this. I should say all our stitching was done in red to contrast. It would also have been helpful to have stitched this in yet another contrasting colour in a longer stitch length as I found it difficult to say what was what.

We then placed one welt piece along the slit, raw edge inwards, evenly spaced on each side. We then had to carefully stitch along our marked line, starting and ending exactly at the marks originally drawn at the ends of the line marking the pocket position. Fortunately, this stitching fell just to the side of my original stitching line so it wouldn't show.


Then the second piece was applied. Raw edge to raw edge, similarly stitched. We had to check they were even - two methods I remember - firstly, the stitching was visible on the interfacing at the back and the two lines had to be parallel, 1cm apart and ending exactly at the marked end. One of mine was a stitch too long and so I had to take that back. The second method was folding up the folded ends to ensure they met each other. Mine did.



 

 





Then, from the interfacing side we had to cut into and open up the slit ensuring we didn't cut the welts. The cut had to stop 1cm short of each end. Then the cut bifurcated virtually up to the end of the stitching. I forgot that step at first so it was no surprise that I couldn't adequately turn my welts through. Even after I did get them turned through, I had some puckering and my cuts needed to be extended closer to the stitching - I hadn't been brave enough.

After the welts were turned through and deemed satisfactory - this took quite a bit of time! - we needed to secure the end of the pocket by stitching through the little triangle of fabric created by the bifurcation of the cut onto the welts, avoiding the bulk of the fabric.

We were hungry and pretty tired by this time but had to finish our pocket before lunch! We took a piece of cotton and added some of the main fabric to the top so that's what would be seen through the jets - I forget the name of this. We were rushing a bit and you know what they say - festina lente - the more hurry, the  less speed. We sewed on our pocket bag to the two jets but forgot to under stitch - I asked the question too late. Lunch was calling so we ploughed on. Later I did one or two hand under stitches. R told me this would have been done by hand, though not in the industry where she worked.





Lunch (late lunch) was a relief. Neither Sarah nor I had done this kind of pocket before and both found it quite difficult.

Ironically, when I go to my trouser/jeans techniques class on Wednesday, we will be doing the double welt/jetted pocket as that isn't covered in jeans making but is important for trousers making! I should be pretty good at it. What do they say? See one, Do one, Teach one!! The manipulation will be easier as we will be starting with a 4cm width fabric to make a 1 cm welt/jetting. (update - we didn't actually ever get around to doing this!)
 

R gave us a sheet at the end with interfacing samples used in the construction of the jacket which, BTW, was a small size half jacket with a two pieces sleeve, intended to be lined.


Still to come:

Collar



My collar isn't finished as it wasn't lying nicely. I need to have a look at that tomorrow, too.

Sleeve insertion - in fact we didn't get that finished and said we'd try to do it for Monday. I'm pretty busy tomorrow so I may not manage.

R also gave us the sleeve head, briefly telling us how to add, and a shoulder pad. Sarah and I were both brain dead by this time and I didn't really take it in!

I'm really very tired, wimp that I am, and I think I'll give up at that for tonight. I've recorded a documentary in which my youngest daughter is credited as a researcher. Her first credit. I'll watch that with a glass of wine.

Sunday - St David's Day

I didn't get to post last night after all. Better late than never? I missed the bit of the documentary where my daughter actually appears on screen so I'll have to find that!

I decided to wait to post second part until I had finished jacket sample as I can ask R at class on Monday. I'm busy after that so the second part of the post will be at least a week away.

Learning from my mistakes?

I haven't been doing much sewing. The weather has been great here on the whole apart from a few recent chilly evenings and mornings when the central heating has come on. During summer I have a lot of golf matches at various different courses - a pleasure in good weather. My back problems have hindered a little but I'm determined that they won't stop me; I go to chiropractor/osteopath, do stretches etc and take supplements and NSAIs and use a belt when necessary. I manage. I'm also preparing a lot of paperwork for circulation to the 40 odd golf courses in the county and then for the AGM (I'm County Vets' Secretary). On top of that, there have been a few family issues that took time and used up emotional energy with the end result that I didn't feel like sewing. But that's okay - it's a hobby and not a job! I have continued to read the blogs I follow and I read some books, some sewing, some not. Oh, and I also bought a few patterns. I did do one or two alterations to garments belonging to me and to one of my daughters.

I had intended to sew some golf crop trousers but didn't get around to it. Maybe next year - the season for golf is nearly over and then I'm into cold weather wear. I do have some warmer golf trousers that would be suitable if I can alter them to fit better. Some are just heavier weight wool but some are water resistant and fleece lined and I'm not too sure about altering those - I don't want to make them leak at the seams with new stitching! I've also discovered that I don't like making alterations.

I signed up for a couple more online courses. The most recent was a Pattern Review course on understanding interfacing. I haven't received my pack of interfacing samples and fabrics to do two half sized samples yet but I've read through all of the materials. It makes interesting reading - I had no idea there were so many different types of interfacing! I don't imagine that I'll be able to get them all in the UK, even online and I don't want to order from the US because of postage charges and import tax. I think our biggest name here is Vilene so I need to see if I can get some samples at the show I'm going to in November. Then, too, I need to be undertaking the projects that need these interfacings. But the biggest lesson is to make several samples to see which one suits best for the purpose and your intentions. When I made my jacket, there were several different interfacings involved. My tutor chose these, though, and we didn't really discuss them in detail. I feel that the hemline needed more structure.

So, onto the mistake of the title.

 

I did view B but in a single colour

My sewing room has been chaotic. It has a whole load of extra stuff in there that isn't usually, making it difficult in any case to sew or even to find things. I was always very organised at work but not so at home. Double whammy! My 'little white dress' (ivory) featured a centre fold right down the front and despite all my efforts, I wasn't able to get rid of this. I hadn't noticed this issue when I was sewing it and would just have assumed it would iron out when the dress was completed. I hope I won't make that mistake again.

 

Clearly needed better pressing! I thought that was the only issue.

 

Pictures taken before I realised there was a problem

I decided to take the dress apart to salvage the zipper (a beautiful and rather expensive long invisible zipper) when I realised that I could have a go at trying to replace the middle panel, as I still had enough fabric left. There was nothing to lose - either it would work, or it wouldn't.

So, first step was to remove the middle panel. Achieved. Second step was to cut out a new front panel, using the same pattern piece as before. First problem. I couldn't find it - anywhere. I looked into every pattern envelope and my large art folder which holds my traced, drafted and thicker paper patterns. No joy. Eventually I decided that I would use the front unpicked from the dress as a pattern piece. I traced around the piece and added a seam allowance. I added 1cm only as I had previously used the overlocker to join the sections. So the seam allowance of the side fronts was now only 1cm. I found this process rather more difficult than I anticipated, but I did eventually manage. Then the next step was to cut out a new fabric front panel. Originally, the front had been cut on the fold but I now had a full piece which didn't need to be cut this way. Obviously, I had to avoid recreating the previous problem, and had to manipulate the fabric remnant to allow the rather long piece to be cut out. Eventually achieved. Then I pinned the new front piece into the dress and it sat that way for quite a few days while I contemplated the next step. I wasn't confident about the process.. 

 

A couple of days ago, I decided I really had to finish or junk the project. I decided to first hand baste the seams, then stitch with the sewing machine and then overlock. Sounds a bit like overkill, but I wasn't very confident and it was much more difficult to make the alteration than it had been to create the dress in the first place! I still had to ease the bust shaping. I still wanted to understitch in the neck area but this was more difficult because of the previous work - the lining was rather frayed and the seam allowance shorter than it had been. Anyway, I eventually managed - not perfect, but good enough, I felt.

I'm not sure why I didn't notice earlier, but then I realised that the centre panel was a different shade from the rest of the dress and had a firmer feeling. My husband asked me if I had put the wrong side out - no, I hadn't. All of the fabric had been pre-washed but of course the rest of the dress had had several treatments to try to get the centre fold out. So I decided I would complete the dress and then wash it. So I finished pressing and then sat down to watch TV and hand stitch hem and stitch lining down to zip. All finished - off to the wash.

The dress has now been washed twice since completion. I could still see a difference in the centre panel. Then, I realised, to my horror, that I had used the fabric wrong way up! I hadn't considered this at all. I always tend to cut using a with nap layout. I hadn't thought of this pattern - a small geometric - as having a right way up. Well, it doesn't, just that all pieces should be the same way up! They're not. I hadn't given it a thought. Can I wear the dress? Will anyone else notice? Does it matter whether they notice or not? - I'll know.

New panel on bottom of photo

The dress is still wet from its most recent wash. I can still see a difference in shade. And after all this manipulation I realise that I don't even know if it still fits me!!

New panel to left of photo

In the photos, I have shown the seam between front and side front. Once the dress is dry, I will try on again and see if it fits and how noticeable the shading and direction is.

Next week, my sewing class restarts after the summer break and I'm starting an evening class in pattern cutting. I'm looking forward to that. Unfortunately, I'll miss a few sessions because of other commitments but hopefully I'll be able to catch up okay. One of the commitments is a sewing one - I'm going to London to the Bernina Sewing School to learn how to use my new Berninas (sewing machines and overlocker). I'm looking forward to life getting more back to normal and I'll get on with some sewing for autumn. Today I played golf in beautiful sunshine, in crops and short sleeved shirt, but the gold and russet coloured leaves, fallen chestnuts and nights drawing in are a reminder that autumn is just around the corner.