Thursday, 2 July 2015

Waver Jacket by Papercut Patterns

I have been hunting for a simple hooded rainjacket forever.  I have a dream fabric, which hasn't found its pattern match.  That's why I snapped this up immediately without a second though.  The fabric is wool tweed, and the lining is voile, with charmeuse sleeves.



I cut an XS after debating cutting the XXS. When Papercut added the XXS it seemed to fit me better, like the sizes were also shifted to a larger direction.  I actually took my time on this project and it does show.  The tweed was going to be my Dropje vest.  Then it was going to be my Marfy jacket (on hold until I become skilled at Chanel jackets, and wide shoulder management.)  I was getting impatient for this tweed to be something, because it is beautiful.  It has silver and teal flecks in it.

I followed the instructions and found them ok.  Unfortunately, when it came time to put buttonholes in the lining, I made a discovery.  My sewing machine does not make buttonholes.  It's a used machine and was serviced when I bought it.  The buttonholer was known to be finicky.  People, it is beyond finicky.  I tried the automatic buttonholer and the non automatic one.  NO chance, and unfortunately I doubt I can get my machine to the shop in Bern in the next three months. 

Luckily I have a new snap kit!!!  I made grommet holes instead!  I interfaced them because the voile is quite light, and I practiced on my dishtowels...they are quite grommety now.  Practice with these kits is key.  I put a few holes in myself somehow during the process, and I haven't done real snaps yet.  The cord is some emergency hiking stuff which is glow in the dark, just because why not, and I quite like the orange. 

I used the usual bagging method for sewing the sleeves instead of doing them by hand.  I got confused as to how to do the corners- the technique in the instructions has you pinch together the corner while the jacket is inside out, after sewing all the seams and leaving the last cm free.  The problem is that it's not clear where to pinch, and it's not clear how to bring this three-way open hole together.  I turned it right side out and marked the fold with a pin, however I still didn't quite know where to sew the lining and as a result it doesn't lay quite right. 










So as you see: I have no closures yet.  I first thought about snaps: Should I put just one snap at the top?  Or also a snap in the middle?  I don't tolerate things that don't close, so something is needed...and I can't do buttons.  Or maybe I should find someone with a functioning buttonholer?  This is possible too, and I have played with so many variations that it seems like buttons might be the way to go.  If so -- orange buttons? Or some dark colour?
Fit: good.  Sleeves are quite short.  People with long arms: lengthen the sleeves.  I do not have long arms.

2 comments:

  1. Jacket looks good! Dark colour buttons! I have a question for you: what is the length of your finished center front? I've ordered the Waver pattern, but I'd like to order a zipper in the meantime! I can't find any information about the length of the front, unless it is appropriate to assume it's the same as center back?

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    1. Sorry to keep you waiting, I was out of town! It is 23.5 inches long.

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