Back at February’s Fabric-a-Brac I found a length of fantastic heavy black and white basketweave cotton. It immediately said “I would be perfect for a Roll Collar Jacket!”
And it would have been, except there wasn’t quite enough of it. It’s the curse of Fabric-a-Brac. You find the most amazing fabrics, as the most amazing prices and they are always 89.7% as long as they need to be for the project you want to make out of them.
But the fabric was SO perfect for the jacket, that I fiddled and fiddled and managed to get the jacket out of it by cutting the collar across the grainline (just to see if it would work), lining the collar in a different fabric, and by putting a seam across the upper back – which has actually turned into a pretty cool feature.
So I sewed, and then lost motivation, and stuck the jacket in my UFO pile for 5 months, and then fished it out and realised that all it needed was the last bit of hand-sewing on the lining (pink striped silk), and the buttons and domes on the front.
And that’s when I noticed that in switching the collars grainline I’d managed to cut and assemble it so the asymmetrical wrap of the collar was the wrong way around.
Faceplosh.
So take heart the next time you make your own sewing mistake: not only do really experienced sewers make REALLY DUMB MISTAKES, they even do it on their own patterns.
So now I have two options: wear the jacket with the wide ‘right’ collar end tucked under, and the ‘wrong’ point end out, or wear the jacket man-style, with the left wrapping over the right.
I’ve sewed on domes so I can try the first for now, but I’m not convinced by it. The wider ‘right’ collar end is too bulky under the wrap, and the little pointy end flips up.
So I think I’ll just be wearing the collar with the wrap man-fashion – which is fine, because the whole left over right/right over left divide is so silly anyway.
Other than that, I’m thrilled to have the jacket finished – even if it is just in time for summer! It goes beautifully with everything in my wardrobe.
And, of course, it’s always fantastic to have something off the PHd pile!
It’s a great project, looks so classy and elegant, seemingly without any effort, love it!
I wouldn’t even have thought about right/left buttoning. The cut is so far away from a classic buttoned up suit or blouse front that I see no problem wearing it the “male” way.
love, ette
…oh how I envy you living so close to the beach…
Thank you! I don’t mind wearing clothes that button the ‘male’ way – cardigans, pants etc, so it’s weird that the jacket bugged me so much at first!
We are lucky about beaches. Wellington’s access to the beach is really amazing – there is nowhere you can live in the city where you aren’t within a 10 minute drive of a fabulous beach. I grew up within a 15 minute walk of a beach, so I think I would really miss it if I lived further away.
oh my thats gorgeous! is there any sketches of the patern , even barby size? just to realize how is cut? I would love to make one!!!
of course if your selling epattern I would buy it straight away!
Thank you! Yes, I will be selling the pattern! Getting the patterns for sale is my summer project this year 🙂
cant wait!!!!
I want it so much!
I was wondering about a pattern! I love this coat. Looking forward to seeing it.
I just realized you’re in your summer NOW!!! Sweet.
That jacket is gorgeous! And I don’t think the right/left thing matters one bit. More just maybe a habit thing of how you go to do it up/undo it. Something I would be very willing to deal with for a jacket so gorgeous! So, I have followed your link back to the Queen Celeste jacket post, and am wondering if you ever got any closer to a sell-able pattern for this? I love it, and it would really fill a gap in my wardrobe!
Thank you! I am really close to a sell-able pattern of this (and a few other items), just figuring out the last tech bits. So soon!
Oh yay! Great news!
I agree-wearing it “man-style” would let the collar show more nicely–beautiful coat!
And that’s what I will do! Thank you for the compliment!
I love the cut of this jacket! It is nice to see something that looks so polished without being tightly tailored. Do you know when the right/left divide became standard in european ( or only American?) clothing? Is there an easy way to summarize it?
marquise.demarquise.deHere is an interesting thought turned up by a quick search.
http://www.marquise.de/en/themes/linksrechts.shtml
I’m sure very few people would notice if you wear it man-style! And indeed, it would be a talking point. 😉 It’s super cute on you, regardless.
Best,
Quinn
I’m sure you are right! And thank you!
OH I LOVE it! And really I doubt it would matter being done up the male way as well so many things you buy in the stores now are the ‘wrong’ way. Just last night I was ironing a shirt for hubby and its got the buttons on the wrong side for a male shirt!
Thank you! That’s hilarious about your hubby’s shirt. Are you going to tell him?
Also, whenever I see your blog name I get the lollipop song stuck in my head, so now I’m walking around the house humming “Lollipop, lollipop, oooh, lolli-lollipop…” 😉
I love it! The fabric is gorgeous, especially with the pink striped lining. It’s very stylish, and it looks great on you.
Wear it man-style. The collar will work better that way and these gender things are just silly anachronisms anyway.
Thank you! It’s a very me garment, and I agree about the silly anachronism bit!
I’m pretty dyslexic when it comes to patterns and sewing, and know this to my detriment.
Years ago, sewing a checked wool coat I stuffed up the plackets for the front pockets. Yep, I’d cut into the two front panels incorrectly inserting the plackets, and couldn’t find a way to redeem the mistake. I eventually had to throw it out because I was so upset.
These days I have more sewing knowledge and would have reworked the garment as a swing coat or a jacket, to salvage that expensive wool fabric.
Oh, how gutting!
I get mixed up on the right/left overlap thing because my (very proper, 7th Day Adventist, always wore skirts to her ankles) sewing teacher taught me to do it by saying “If you are sitting in a car and the man is in the drivers seat and the woman is in the passengers seat, when they look over at each other they will both be able to see through each others button plackets.” But now I live in NZ and they drive on the other side of the road, so it only works if the woman is in the drivers seat, but I get confused trying to remember what side of the car the drivers seat is on if I think about it for too long!
What a heck of an image! How funny of a teacher to think that way.
Oh I love this jacket! I must make one like it…once I have finished the full length coat.
“the whole left over right/right over left divide is so silly anyway.”
Well, quite. If someone doesn’t know you well enough to know if you’re male or female, they definitely don’t know you well enough to zoom in and check out your button plackets!
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