Sew Over It Coco Jacket Completed!

Yahoo! After an epic session of hand-stitching last night I finally finished my Sew Over It Coco Jacket that I started at the Clapham branch class in November 2016.

This is the third jacket / coat I have made at Sew Over It classes (1960's coat, Francine Jacket and now the Coco). Due to a little previous experience with coat-making I had a better understanding of why facings and fusible fabrics are used to strengthen the jacket and I was able to adapt the pattern using a hem-band like I used for my Francine jacket rather than the suggested class method.

The class was taught by the lovely Kate Underwood who was extremely helpful with a chilled out and calm vibe throughout the workshop sessions.

I bought the wool-mix fabric from Sew Over It for £14 a metre and as it was VERY wide I only really needed 1.25 metres (although of course I bought two metres just in case so I now have enough left to make a winter pencil skirt). I only needed one metre of black lining.

Just to let you know the colour of this jacket is a beautiful Yves Klein cobalt blue which just doesn't come out in the photographs very well. Have that lush blue in your mind whilst perusing these shots...

Don't worry the sleeves are the same length - just not sure my arms are!!

Hand-stitched lining around the sleeve-syche

Hand-stitched lining all along the hem-band

I am happy to have finished this jacket and I have clarified some basic tailoring and dress-making knowledge and learnt a few new processes along the way too.

If I was to make this jacket again I would choose a lighter fabric as the bulk of the wool doesn't allow for a very sharp finish at the edges and corners of the jacket opening. On the plus side it is very warm and cosy!

Overall, I enjoyed learning some new processes and meeting some new sewing buddies (hello Steph!). I will leave you with a random selection of construction shots looking at the internal workings of the jacket.

New to me technique - the Coco instructions require you to the stitch the bodice lining to the arm-syche

Pretty happy with the shoulder and sleeve seam lined up perfectly!

Before inserting the sleeve lining I very carefully and slowly trimmed away excess seam allowances

Sleeve lining pinned in position ready for hand-stitching

What are you working on at the moment?
Is there anything in your work-in-progress pile that you really want to finish?

Sew Over It Coco Jacket (Work-in-Progress)

I attended a three part evening workshop at Sew Over It in Clapham to make the Coco Jacket. I initially selected a black and white dogtooth fabric but felt like it would be too similar to the Prince of Wales checked wool fabric I used for my SOI Francine jacket and instead selected a blue wool-mix material with a black lining.

Overall, I really enjoyed the course but didn't quite have enough free-time between classes to complete the homework required for the last workshop (which ultimately meant I have a part-finished jacket) which I hope to finish in early January 2017! It was also great to meet some new sewing buddies, Steph, Susan and Sue. Kate who taught the course was totally lovely and I would be great to attend another class ran be her.

Enjoy some photos of the construction. I improved my skills with a number of techniques including:

• Traced the whole pattern including marking grainlines, notches, darts and hem lengths
• Drafting new sleeves (I added an extra 4cm to the length)
• Sewing two-part sleeves
• Inserting neck facing
• Clipping curved seams to improve the finish
• Using a tailors ham / sleeve ham to iron the seams
• Using a clapper to fix seams into position
• Iron on facings

My original choice of fabric which I then rejected for the blue wool-mix fabric

I still have to finish the jacket which shouldn't take too long (but I am really enjoying some sofa time with loved ones right now). Jobs left to do are:

• Hand baste the right sleeve into position
• Machine stitch left and right sleeve into position
• Hand stitch the lining onto the bottom of the jacket
• Machine stitch the sleeve lining onto outer fabric
• Hand stitch the sleeve lining around the sleeve arm sythe

Wool BnB

Last week was National Wool Week and I found out about the Campaign for Wool after some internet surfing. It turns out that a townhouse in Islington has been completely refurbished with wool products in every room. Decorated by interior stylist Karina Garrick with a vast number of artists, designers and British Wool Makers products ranging from carpets, mattresses, bedding, artwork and clothing.

The Wool BnB was open to the public this weekend and my friend Alex and I visited on Saturday morning. We almost had the place to ourselves but as we were nearing the end of our stay it was beginning to get a little busier.

I will leave you with a range of photographs I took of the many beautiful, fun and humorous woollen items made by weaving, knitting, felting or tufting.

Hand knitted throws on bed by Melanie Porter

Full English Breakfast knitted wool installation by Jessica Dance

Full English Breakfast knitted wool installation by Jessica Dance

Full English Breakfast knitted wool installation by Jessica Dance

Merino wool wall art by Jacqueline Fink

Felted plant pot holders by Aveva Designs

Alex catching up on the latest in wool news!

It was a really fun and inspirational event. The colourful interiors certainly brightened up a dull and dreary October morning.