Thursday, January 16, 2020

How fast do you sew?

The new issue of Knip mode has a pattern for a jacket that has my name written on it. One of my sewing friends posted the technical drawing in our whatsapp group yesterday and I bought the issue the same day when doing my grocery shopping. The fabric it's made of isn't showing it very well and on the model it looks a bit shapeless, but I love these lines.

It has an intriguing description: an outstanding jacket with special design lines. It needs advanced sewing skills and at least an afternoon of sewing.



In which world is this ever "an afternoon of sewing"????? Tracing and cutting will take up that afternoon (at least!). Putting it together, topstitching, single welt pockets, hook and eye closures, collar with stand.....

I'm planning to make a muslin this time, as Knip Mode has changed its sizing and now claims to be drafting to the size chart more exactly. Read: not as much ease as there used to be.
If it works out as I hope I will probably use zippers for the center front closing and pockets. I'll use a different type of fabric too.

26 comments:

  1. That jacket is far more than an afternoon of sewing, but it looks interesting. I find I spend far more time on prep than actual sewing on any project, and I hate sewing with a deadline or time pressure. If it's rushed and stressful, why do it?

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    1. Exactly that. It's a hobby so should be fun! In my life time pressure is for work, not for sewing.

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  2. I feel certain the person from Knip Mode who wrote that comment is not a sewist. I, too, hate to sew under a deadline. Karen

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    1. Very certain that person has no idea of the amount of work involved.

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  3. Love the seaming in this jacket. "at least an afternoon of sewing" could be interpreted to mean "a minimum of an afternoon for just sewing" which is probably true. I agree with another commenter, the prep often takes more time than the sewing.

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    1. If you only count the actual time spent at the sewing machine then yes. Preparation, pressing etc. is part of the needed time too.

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  4. The practicing of the topstitching and the topstitching will take 2 days.

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  5. Sometimes I think that I get worse at sewing, but it is not true. The information in the Knip is poor nowadays. The pictures are beautiful and than you buy it, but when it comes to sewing you have to find out a lot yourself. I think most of real sewist do a lot of ironing etc. It takes time too. Your jacket has welted pockets. That takes a lot of time and than the top stitching.

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  6. Wow. You're right. The photo does not do it justice at all. It takes me a week to fit a muslin, let alone printing, pasting, tracing and sewing.

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    1. A jacket is a considerable time investment, and as we sew for pleasure and most of us for good fit too, we like to take our time.

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  7. I like to savor my sewing time, whether it's making a pillowcase or a complicated jacket like this one. Love this pattern! Good luck with it.

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  8. Oh no, that's a way I never want to work.

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  9. Thank you, I'm taking my time with it.

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  10. I'm with you, it takes me an afternoon to trace and alter a pattern, even before muslining!

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    1. By now I've traced and cut my muslin, took 2 hours and haven't sewn yet ;).

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  11. I'm so reassured that it's not just me who takes ages on sewing projects! To get things right, it is important to take the time and do it well - otherwise I find that I don't want to wear what I've made!

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  12. Don’t get me started on the ridiculousness of Knipmode these days! ‘Fast and easy’ seems to be their mantra, as if sewing is a dreadful chore instead of a hobby. This pattern is a welcome exception. I don’t like the execution of Knipmode’s sample with those overly visible hooks and eyes and I think your choice for a zipper will look much cleaner!

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    1. Yes, I can get the "fast and easy" to attract newer sewist who don't have the skills to make such a jacket yet. But to keep the more advanced sewist on board, they definitely have to offer more complicated designs, not only attracting the young crowd (don't get me wrong, they are the next generation and have to find something they like too).

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  13. Well, to be fair, it does say "AT LEAST an afternoon of sewing". I don't care how simple the garment, I don't sew anything in an afternoon. If I try, there's a disaster imminent. Or at least some quality time with the seam ripper.

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    1. At least to me means that they expect you don't need much more than that. So let's say it could be done in a day. Which to me is still unrealistic. I've spent sewing weeks with my friends in which I had a lot of dedicated sewing time, but I never managed a (lined), more complicated jacket in a day. Let's enjoy our sewing time and make something we like, not counting the hours.

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    2. Interesting how we differ on what "at least" means in this case. To me, there's no implication that it shouldn't take much more than an afternoon. Or a day. Is it possible something got muddled in translation to English, and originally it said something like "this is way more than an afternoon of sewing" or "takes a few afternoons" ??

      I totally agree about enjoying the sewing time though! Unless there's a strict imminent deadline, like making a wedding dress and the wedding is in 2 days, it's not a race. Not in my sewing world anyway.

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  14. This looks like a great jacket. I've never sewn with Knipmode patterns.

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  15. As Knip Mode is a Dutch magazine I'm not surprised you never used it. In a way it's comparable with BurdaStyle magazine.
    I'm sewing more from Burda than from Knip mode generally.

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  16. Wow, the line drawing does look so promising. What a shame it does not live up to its promise. Hopefully you can make it work.

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