Good tools make half the work

That's a Dutch way of saying that it's good to have good tools, as they make your work so much easier. It's always true, but especially with sewing machines. My Bernina sewing machine is such a fine machine to work with, especially when it comes to buttonholes. I didn't make bound buttonholes as Joyce thought. If I had wanted that, I should have made them in an earlier stage.

I made ordinary machine buttonholes, but added a thread while sewing them, so that they would stand out a bit more clear. The special buttonhole foot for my machine makes making buttonholes so easy, and for the extra thread you just fasten it and sew. No need to hold the thread.

After sewing the buttonhole, you just pull the left thread until the loop is at the start of the buttonhole, in this way the opening of the buttonhole is reinforced and its a bit thicker. Just cut away the remaining thread.

The result: 9 (including sleeve) identical buttonholes in half an hour.

The lining took me another evening, but the jacket is completely finished now.

Pictures of the finished jacket

Extra space - Don't know what happens here.

And to finish this post: thank you all for your nice comments on the jacket when it was not even finished yet. It's was inspiring to know that some of you were following my way through this project.

A special thanks to Kate on her comment made this week telling that she got interested in sewing again. Kate: I did make clothes too that I should have known from the start that they wouldn't suit me. It does happen occasionally still. But in the end you just know what styles suits you and what not, either rtw or not. And when I doubt a style, I've learned the past two years just to make a muslin. It saves money and frustration.

BWOF jacket ready to finish

Back to a post about real sewing again. Yesterday evening I just had to take my mind of work, and my eyes from the computer screen. And sewing is really good to take my mind off other things.

The jacket is coming along nicely, the fabric is very easy to sew with. And all the preparation work really pays off. No fit alterations, the interfacing makes it feel a bit more stable, but not stiff. And as it's far from hot here at the moment and only raining, it feels more like fall than summer, so sewing a jacket like this seems appropriate. Otherwise I would be diverted to summer tops.

It has a  lot of pins still in, for the closing, at the sleeves and to hold the shoulder pads. There is still a little space in the back, but this disappears immediately when I move my arm a bit. For next time (and yes, I think I will sew this one again soon in a beautiful blue fabric I have) I will take out a bit on the back, and leave this one as is. In general I think it's pretty good, and I can finish it.

And when I give the impression making no mistakes while sewing: this is the second collar, and I had to take out part of one sleeve, because it was eased differently from the other sleeve. The seam ripper is never far away.

Knip mode is for

OK, a lot of visitors on my blog today, but only one to give a number. Thanks Christina. In my sheet (password is Sigrid#1) I had said that it would be the number of the 3rd comment, but as there are no more comments. It goes to the one with number 3 behind the name.

Number 3 is Allison. Please send your postal address to my e-mail address in the sidebar ?

Next post is definitely on my jacket again.

And the winners are....

It's Wednesday early afternoon here. Based on the comments I've made following list of lucky winners for all except the Knip mode insert issue.

Most of you favoured the Knip Mode (as I expected) and only a few a pattern. Those I've shared so that each one of you who indicated interest, has got something. Val, SewFast, Ginger and Michelle, please let me know your address to mail your pattern or lace. Please use my e-mail address in the sidebar.

For the Knip I have thought out this:

• I've uploaded a File with the names as above, but the numbers behind the names are in random order (file has a password, I will give the password later)
• In the file is indicated which comment will have the winning number

So I invite my readers to give a comment, stating a number between 1 and 9. That will decide who gets the Knip Mode.

Thanks.

Slow progress

When I started the jacket, I thought I would need a week from start to finish. But I got so many last minute orders for work last week (good thing as such, it provides the money needed for sewing), that the jacket is far from completed.

I stitched the seams flat with a handstitch, because they tended to stay up, even after pressing.

Then I sewed the collar and understitched as far as possible on the inside, as I do not use any topstitching on the jacket. The pictures show the inside and outside of the collar. The pink are basting stitches, and on the lower part the marking of the seamline.

So the next step will be sewing the collar to the jacket and making the sleeves.

GIVE AWAY:

If you want to have a chance to try Knip Mode patterns, you still have till tomorrow to enter your name in the comments on the previous post. The lucky number will be determined (by my readers) on Wednesday.

And I'll add one other giveaway: a piece of stretch lace that I bought quite some time ago, but I never managed to get the right lycra with it. I have quite a lot of complete kits in my stash, it's unlikely that I'll use this any time soon, so I'll give it away.

The lace is 20 cm (=8 inch) wide and 1.80 mtr long (=2 yards). Place a comment saying you'd like the lace with this post. Other comments welcome too of course.

An answer to Katherine H's comment on my post on BWOF: the reason for this post was not to be negative of BWOF in general. I love BWOF (as most of my readers know) for their patterns and consistency of sizes. It was just a critical note to the pictures in the magazine.
And Lindsay: sewing from BWOF is not obligatory! Tastes differ, and we all respect that.

Miscellaneous / Do you want a pattern or try Knip mode?

This is the seam gauge that I showed partially earlier this weak. It's very stable, has no slider, and does not bend. So it's different from the one Ann showed in her post (this was a question from Maree). It is sold out in the shop where they usually still have them here, but the origin is Denmark. Any Danish reader who knows if they are available online somewhere?

And there were a few comments apologizing for not commenting regularly or late. No need to apologize at all!!
I like comments (which blogger doesn't?) but understand completely that life can get in the way of sewing and/or reading blogs and commenting. Even if you read, you don't always feel like commenting. This happens to me too, at the moment I do read the new entries on blogs quickly, but there is not enough time in a day to always place a comment.

My jacket is coming along nicely, but nothing far enough to show you yet.

And I found these. Patterns that I will not use anymore, I've traced them, the sheets are not cut.

Anyone who wants one (or more) of these? If necessary I'll do a draw (next Wednesday).

Leave a comment on this post if you'd like one or more of these, indicating what you would like.

Mc Call's 5529, sizes 12/20 I've made it, easy pattern. But in wearing it's not my favorite, so I won't make it again. .
A low-waist jeans pattern from the independent German "Pattern Company". I bought this before I started blogging, but I made a test garment and the fit is not good for me. Explanations in German and Dutch, not very clear, you need experience in pants making I think. 1 cm seam allowances added.
Vogue 7302 Out of Print, sizes 14,16,18. Same story 2 years ago, I have tried View C in a very fluid fabric, in the hope this would be enough not to mark my hips too much. Wouldn't work, it was awful on me. But for someone with a more slender figure in that area, it should be good.
Knip Mode extra insert from fall last year. The patterns are all for short, average and long sizes. (1.60 mtr, 1.72 mtr and 1.80 mtr) Two extra pictures below.

Interfacing the jacket

I want this jacket to last some time, and do a little bit more than usual for a summer jacket. I considered using the stitch and flip method for this jacket, but decided against it, as I want to be able to fit while sewing. Though I made a muslin, I want that flexibility.

In the next pictures I'm showing what I did for the interfacing, and I'm definitely not saying this is the correct way to do it. I'm experimenting on some points for the first time, and have gathered my information from previous experiences, several books, and of course the internet. Just sharing my experience, could be misinterpreted, should be experiment .

	The front, completely interfaced (woven interfacing, I don't know the English names for all varieties) except for dart opening and hem allowance. The front facing has another interfacing. This was a "judgement call" as Roberta Carr says in her book. I thought it would be too much to have two layers of the same interfacing. On the shoulder thers is an extra piece of interfacing, cut on the bias.
	I left a small opening between the two interfacings on the front. Without pressing the fold is already good. This was inspired by something that was done in the book mentioned below for the lapel in the fusible method.
	Inside collar on the bias, no seam allowances on the interfacing.
	Front side panel completely interfaced except hem allowance. Back side panel only the hem and the armhole.
	Sleeves: hem and top of sleeve rounding.
	Back: sewn in interfacing, as by instruction in the book below. As the book showed a back without center back seam, I decided to sew the jacket pieces first, and do the same for the interfacing pieces, then I sewed the interfacing to the seam allowances. The hem was interfaced too. All partial interfacing (hem, sleevecap) was cut with pinking shears. In this fabric the line of the interfacing will not be very visible, but I did it all the same.

A great book for tailoring jackets is this one, which I bought after Tany wrote about it.

The book has many, many pictures and describes the conventional tailoring methods, the machine method and the fusible method.

Some Q/A

Nancy K asked for the name of the tool: in English it's a sewing gauge. This specific, aluminium tool is hard to get now, and the common available gauge is plastic, and does not have the 1,5 cm (5/8") measurement, which mine has.

LindaNan commented on the combined Bernina: thank you for that comment. I received a similar reaction in a private mail, so I will certainly take it with me in my decision.

And Vicky added the computer to the list of things Els mentioned that should work always. Yes Vicky, you're so right, I really thought of your comment when mine refused to install new software and had to restart 3 times this afternoon. Then I decided to do my interfacing! Came to something good.