Thursday 9 May 2013

apologies to Lightning for the colour!

One of the first things I made during my week off work last week was another Oliver + S pattern, the firefly jacket. I made a size 3 and tried some fabric dyeing to get the look I was after. 

These Burberry items were my inspiration:






and this is my jacket





Can you see the similarities?!?

The lace was a cheap nylon variety I bought last year from Fabric.com when I was looking for suitable fabric for some flower girl dresses I was making.  This was definitely not suitable.  But what was I going to do with a yard of white nylon lace fabric?  Dye it, of course!  I headed to the local Spotlight and discovered they had a sale on their iPoly dye but both emerald green and red were not available.  I knew Rosa liked purple so I went for that.

I was surprised how easily and well the nylon dyed up.  I also bought some broadcloth to underline the lace but it didn't dye up very well in the iPoly boil up I had on the stove top (not too surprising given that it was 100% cotton).  I had purchased a violet Dylon dye so I threw the broadcloth in the washing machine.  The contrasting purple colours worked out quite well, I think.  

I underlined the lace with the broadcloth before I cut both fabrics out together.  


look at those fancy basting stitches!  Just like Ann on the Great British Sewing Bee



And I tried to line up the lace pattern on the corresponding pattern pieces.






I used a Valorie Wells fabric for the lining (Novella Peony) and purple hair elastics for the button loops



Although this is potentially a reversible jacket I am not sure that it will be used in that way.  Neverthless, I wanted a finished look inside the jacket so I handstitched a small circle at the top of the box pleat on the inside.  I'm not sure it was necessary but it is done now and I can't be bothered taking it off - even though it looks a bit wrinkly



Instead of using ribbon over the centre back seamline and the box pleat I made some 1/2 inch binding (similar to belt loops) and sewed these in place instead.  I like the finish of this and I was saved from trying to find a matching or complementary ribbon (which shockingly I didn't actually have at home!)







And I finished the jacket off with some sparkly purple buttons because who doesn't like a bit of bling?


 So apologies to Lightning McStitch for the purple overload in this post.  If she is lucky she might just see the soft purple glow over the Tasman Sea emanating from Wellington.

 But here's a suggestion for Lightning: I think this gay, purple, polyester top would make a perfect partner for her pride pants

4 comments:

  1. Very glamourous. Will Rosa need something to wear with this fancy-schmancy jacket or do you think that this will go well with jeans at kindy?
    I love your inspirations -Burberry and Ann from the Great British Sewing Bee. Well, Ann's skill was as much inspirational as aspirational.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Although this looks Burberry-expensive, fancy schmancy it most certainly is not! Kindy would be fine especially with Rosa's pink 'fairy dust' trousers

      Delete
  2. Aaaaah! My eyes! :)
    Firstly, I am so very flattered to have such a prominent mention in your blog! Truly flattering.
    This is a very snazzy jacket. Makes me think of teeming it with some tight black pants and an electric guitar a la Prince circa 1987.
    Sewing for what kids like to wear... That's a skill I'm yet to learn so kudos to you! (I'm sure you can hear the "no like {insert almost anything I make here} mummy" screams when a north wind blows)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, definitely black pants and a raspberry beret, perhaps?!?
      Actually I really have no idea what kids like to wear. I just sew the things I like (and which are probably not age-appropriate for a 40-something woman..... Mutton dressed up as lamb comes to mind) and then inflict them on my friends' kids. Lucky kids.

      Delete