The Year of the Outfit: An actual outfit!

Preface: This is a project from late 2016

I've hit a strange point in my sewing adventures where although I can open my wardrobe and pull out any number of pretty handmade dresses, I still feel the need to make a new one if someone announces a party at short notice.

It's all a bit silly in a way, because I rush difficult fabrics and the quality isn't as good as if I'd done the same thing over a period of weeks. But then why wear my best, most delicate work to a party where it has a higher chance of being ruined?

Beats me.

Anyway, I gave in to the impulse and actually sorted myself with an outfit for the ball. You hear me. During The Year of The Outfit, I actually finally produced an outfit.

(Worn with a black vest underneath)

Front

Back

Note the while silk top. Note that it survived (blemishless) a party that featured mulled wine, hot dogs, wobbly poseur tables and a chocolate fountain. Someone was smiling down on me that day.

The top is another heavily modified V8766 and although I'm broadly happy with the bodice fit, I really must rework the sleeves as they keep giving me grief during assembly.

I successfully steered clear of closures as I wasn't keen to deploy the finesse required by this floaty textile.

Given this was a last-minute make I am not so bothered by the crappy finishing, but it does emphasise why I want to do things properly in 2017. (also, can you tell I only had black fusible interfacing on hand?)

Bought from Tomato, Tokyo

The keen readers amongst you may recognise my Cavalli dress. I am not sure why but I have been repeatedly unhappy with the bodice, and really don't like the dress anymore, but I do really like the skirt. I chopped off the top, added a lining and called it a skirt. My instinct wants to blame the pattern, but honestly I shouldn't have caved into the hype surrounding it. And apparently I'd forgotten how difficult it actually was at the time. Oh well.

Front - Do these even go together?

Back

The jacket is my Kaisla - still the finest piece of finery I own.

One important feature of this outfit is that you can get full-on thermal underneath it and no one will know! Braving the British winter (or summer, for that matter) in your party dress? No problem!

Anyway, this is ready to join my rack of pretty party outfits. When's the next one?

K x

Kaisla Toil

How do you pronounce Kaisla?
Did you spot the Nikola Tesla pun?

Anyway today I have a guts post for you. This might be the best thing I've EVER made and I really want to tell you all about it about it. Anyone who's come across this blazer in recent weeks months will have seen me model it like a peacock and fluff my stitchy tailfeathers.

My first blazer was a bit dodgy, the second was a proper blowout, the third was a big step in the right direction, this one's actually petty damn good!

It's possibly my magnum opus of sewing. I literally don't think I can get any better than this blazer. It's just perfect. Brilliant. Excellence in wool. I was so astonished by how this blazer turned out that I should basically quit now. Everything else will pale in comparison to this blazer.

Sorry T.Rex, I made your baby shower gifts immediately after this. Please do let them get covered in muck and baby spew because there's much better stuff I can do for the kiddos.  

This is the Kaisla Blazer from Named Patterns, from the Finn's trendy first collection. This was back when apparently they had weird bugs and sizing issues. Don't ask why I haven't looked at anything in the newer collections - this one stuck and I've been eyeballing it for a long time.

The main attractive point on the Kaisla was that there was a lapel, but no massive collar. I'm a bit wary of big collars at the moment - I can't handly the fitting challenge, and they just seem to be too stuffy and bulky. You see, I just needed something LIGHTER. I'm a skinny, bony, blithering little weed and this is one of the jacket styles that looked like it might work.

Anything you might want to read on the pattern is over on Pattern Review

Fit adjustments were made around the shoulder and across the back. B helped come up with a genius alteration, which will probably merit its own post over the summer. I scrapped the lining from the pattern and redrew it. I also added a lining to the pockets and split the sleeve lining so there's a contrast if I roll up the sleeves.

Fabric? Oh, it's high society baby
Outer - Liberty Wool Twill (from Mandors in Edinburgh)
Contrast Lining - Liberty Tana Lawn (from Mandors in Edinburgh?)
Sleeve Lining - Bemberg (Macculloch & Wallis)

This was my first time using shoulder pads and I am a complete convert. These doodads totally change how the jacket hangs and how it stands up to wear. Never again will they be forsaken in a jacket. This was also my first time fusing in all the sensible places. Don't ask me why I didn't before, let's chalk it up to experimentation and experience. You guys - this following instructions lark has its advantages. This thing actually has structure!

I spent a lot of time not rushing it, which is hard. This was a real exercise in patience. No matter how simple a blazer is - it will always take ages. It's got over 40 pieces once you've got the lining included. It just takes ages to sew. You dither between excitement to wear it, and abject despair because you want it finished.

B's started telling me off for doing a slack job. Sometimes you need someone telling you off - you know...someone who will notice if you've done a bad job. On the flip side, they will also you shower you with praise and treat you like a monarch if you do a good job. Perhaps they will buy you an ice cream at the weekend too (does B read this?)...

Anyway, I love this jacket. I'm so proud of doing a good job. The print doesn't respond well to photos, and I'm still too lazy to organise an actual shoot so the next best idea was to take a series of bathroom selfies and steal other people's photos of it in the wild. It really is great.

Paired with Boomerang

Paired with Lizzie

In the Ashmolean

On the tube paired with my Matthew Williamson dress

Trying to look cool at the London Tap Jam

Paired with B's clothes, including Jedediah trousers

Total bloody hipster

 Kudos to B and Pink Panther for the non-selfies.

That's it for now...

K