Men's Western Jacket - FABRIC, THREAD, ETC.

Guys, I'm starting to get excited -- always a good sign.  Yesterday I managed to find a fabric I like, along with jeans buttons and thread, and I think I'm good to go.  I also dug around my stash and came up with some cool scraps I could add for embellishment/total-pimp-out.

First things first.  Here's my fabric.





It's a blue-gray velveteen -- not too stiff, not too soft -- I picked it up at Nahir, 242 West 39th St.  Surly service but an excellent selection of corduroys, velveteens, wool, and denim.  They also carry that shiny quilted coat lining in many colors, not that I'll be using it in this project but whatever.  This was a little higher than I normally pay at $8/yd., but I only needed 1 3/4 yds (of a 60" roll).

I should launder this first, right? 

Friends, I saw beautiful dyed pigskin and lambskin in a place across the street; I thought and thought.  The blue pigskin would have run me $80 for three pieces.  The brown lambskin (soft and drape-y) about $70.  I would have had to line the jacket for starters, and one of my objectives was to sew something that wouldn't overwhelm me.  I also wasn't sure how I'd attach the collar, or if the pigskin wasn't too stiff for an extended facing, etc.   I will experiment with leather someday soon, but not this project. 

Being yesterday was Sunday, many stores were closed, but I was able to find my jeans buttons and matching topstitching thread at Daytona Trimmings, 251 West 39th St.  I'd forgotten that I already have quite an assortment of jeans topstitching thread.







I stitched some samples to see how they looked.



I decided the thick gold thread was too bright; the copper tone just right.  I'm going to do the stitch line closer to the edge in denim blue and the farther line in copper.





My Singer 15-91 is set up with the blue thread, which I'll also use for all the basic seams and first line of topstitching.  My Singer Spartan has the copper thread in it, so I'll move back and forth between machines.  Of course, both are straight-stitchers and topstitch beautifully through multiple layers of anything I can fit under the presser foot.  I generally increase my thread tension a bit, especially if I'm using thicker topstitching thread -- it's more work to pull the thicker bobbin thread through those multiple layers.

When I topstich a seam -- with the seam on my left  (as in the photo above) -- I'll use the inner edge of the narrow side of the straight stitch presser foot as my guide for the line closer to the edge; roughly 1/8".  Then I'll turn my work, and using the outside of the wider edge of my presser foot, I'll stitch the farther line.   Does that make sense?

I'll post more pics tomorrow.

I'm not sure what to do with these faux leather and suede fabric scraps I found.  When I started sewing the summer before last, Nancy2001 over at Pattern Review generously sent them -- and tons of other scraps -- for me to practice on.  Everything Nancy sent was very nice quality.







I could line a pocket flap or collar.  I could do the back (or front) yoke in the darker, textured leather.  I could do the facings in the leather.  (I have a lot of both.)  A few of you had good ideas in your comments yesterday. 

And then there's this:



I know many of you like to see me dressed like a waterfront street hustler circa 1970 -- and I'm not entirely opposed to the idea -- but you know how conflicted I am, style-wise.

It's just like Lady in the Dark.  Am I the executive -- or the enchantress?   I can't make up my mind.

OK, time to get a move on.

Anybody sewing out there?  If so, what?  Not up to nagging but I do wonder.

Have a great day, everybody!


On the odd chance you have 10 minutes to kill...