Summer Jacket

I was so excited to have this jacket finished and ready to wear just in time to take along on a weekend at the beach - and it was absolutely perfect during the cool evenings! Made from Simplicity 2443, a Cynthia Rowley design, the short sleeves and light denim fabric make for an ideal lightweight summer jacket.

Simplicity 2443

I spent a lot of time on this jacket; it took me nearly a month to complete.  This is mostly due to the large number of design details that are a part of this jacket, including; four pockets, two pocket flaps, two decorative fabric strips, four fabric loops and grosgrain ribbon ties that serve as the closure for the jacket, slitted sleeves with D rings and adjustable straps, and my own personal design element of handmade bias tape to cover every raw edge:

I really pushed my sewing patience and skills with this jacket, and upped my personal quality standards.  I wanted the jacket to look like well-made piece inside and out, and, for me, this meant hiding away all my raw fabric edges by covering them with decorative bias tape.  To do this, I decided to learn how to make my own bias tape.  It turned out to be a two person job, but with the extra set of hands it really went quite quickly and smoothly.  In fact, now that I know how to do it, I can definitely foresee making it again.  I used Clover bias tape makers in the 1/2" and 1" sizes (I used the larger bias tape around the armhole seems) and a blue floral calico fabric.

Sleeve and D ring with adjustable strap

My only gripe is over my own fabric choice; after wearing this jacket a few times, the fabric is beginning to show signs of stress around some of the seems.  I'm thinking this lightweight fabric is just too light to withstand frequent wear.  I'm not sure how to go about strengthening the weak areas (center back seem, in particular!).  I hope I'm able to get a lot of wear out of a jacket that I love and put so much time into.

This pattern certainly requires a strong command of sewing skills and patience, but it was in no way difficult for a sewer with adequate home-sewing experience.  The result is a fashionable jacket with great design details.

The Rest of Me-Made-May

Oh, my. I'm terrible at documenting my wardrobe on a daily basis.  I was far too lax at this, especially when I wore the same outfits through out the month, and was often rushing out my front door in the mornings that catch my bus on time.  I did, however, manage to get photos of most outfits at least once, so there is a general sort of documentation of what I wore through May.

Oh, my. Not even looking at the camera in this shot.

Skirt is from a BurdaEasy Magazine pattern I bought last summer in Germany.

An old dress, but extremely comfortable and great for work.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival.

This top is a disaster, as the pattern provided no shape or structure, but perfect for a lazy weekend of lounging around the house.

Graduation day!

Simple cotton skirt, perfect for weekends.  Can you tell my photographer here is heads taller than I am?

Colette dress.

Textile Happy Hour this Week!

This Thursday (June 9, 6-9 PM), The Textile Museum is hosting PM @ the TM: Urban Picnic.  This program  is the latest in the popular series of happy hour events and is presented in partnership with The Pinkline Project.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online.

There will be lawn games, live music, picnic treats, a mini farmers' market, and curator-led gallery tours.  So bring a picnic blanket, dress in your best garden party attire, and relax in the lovely museum gardens for a fun evening at the TM!

The event's theme is in conjunction with our current exhibition Green: the Color and the Cause, a show of primarily contemporary textile artists reflecting on what it means to be "green."