Lining as you sew

That would be how I would describe the technique "Stitch and flip". Nancy asked what this technique was, and rightly so, as this is not a technique that you can find in the sewing books. I took an online class at Pattern Review end of last year, Shannon Gifford was the teacher. She describes the technique online now in this article.

As you can read there, the lines of your patterns are important whether this method can be used or not. She stresses the use of vertical seams, and if you do it for the first time, that's a good starting point. But as you can see, my Vogue jacket has one curved line in it. It works too, but there is a bit of clipping involved (as with any curved seam). 

There are two downsides (for me) with this method:

1. You can't change the seam lines while working, so you need a pattern that is tnt (trued and tried) or make a muslin first and be sure that you don't have to make any changes.
2. The seam allowances must be the same for lining and fabric pieces. This works when using an American pattern, where the seam allowances are included. But I sew mostly with BWOF, Knip mode or Patrones patterns and mark my seam lines on the fabric, not on the pattern. I prefer it that way actually, as you can see in the picture I marked a few crucial seam lines in my Vogue pattern too.

This time I made a muslin twice, and use a Vogue pattern. Time to use the technique again.

Order of construction

Important is the order of construction, you start center back (or side if there's no center back seam) and work to the front. What I did for this jacket is:

With the stitch-and-flip method:

• stitch center back seam
• add side back
• add upper side front panel

At this point I left this part alone and continued on the front

• make the pocket construction with center front and lower front side panel.
  I didn't use the Vogue description. I used the method described in this post, which comes from an old Burda book I have, and then you can topstitch in one pass. The method Vogue describes you have to do it in 3 steps.
• sew lining of center front and side panel together (no stitch and flip)

Then I continued with stitch-and-flip again

• sew the front and side panel (now as one piece) at the back/side panel part constructed in the first part.

This is how it looks now with me. I made the roll line on the lapel as described in Claire Shaeffer's book "High Fashion sewing secrets" and will continue on the jacket making the collar. I've yet to decide on the Vogue method or other method.

I'll keep you posted.

And Gwen and Anne: thank you so much for your awards, I highly appreciate them and will post on these later this week. There was an award too by Pam, and I've only acknowledged that one till now on my Tutorials blog. I'm very flattered and it's good to know you like to read my blog.