One Victory, One Defeat

Good news and not-so-good news today, friends.  Naturally, this is all in reference to my tweed peacoat -- the only thing on my mind these days.

First, the good news: I successfully performed the "turning of the cloth" -- attaching my facings and upper collar to the undercollar and main part of the coat, and turning them right side out -- this afternoon.  A peek at my results:







There's still a tremendous amount of pressing I must do to flatten edges, but so far, so good.  After that, topstitching.

I had less success today trying to make an inside chest pocket, which normally I'd make with one part cut into the front facing, like the photo below from my earlier peacoat.



This time, I tried to do it solely cutting into the silk lining, which didn't work very well.

First I interfaced a small rectangle on the wrong side of the silk.



Then I attached the front of my pocket and my welt.  Quick -- what's wrong with this picture?



I decided to make the front of the pocket cotton and the back of the pocket silk.  What's still wrong with this picture?



Yup -- the welt should be under the pocket, not on top of it, since the whole thing will be turned to the inside.  I had to rip out the welt and pocket front and reattach them, with the hole already cut.  Meanwhile the silk was fraying like nobody's business.

After considerable fudging, I managed to get the pocket to look almost acceptable.  But it wasn't how I wanted it and the weight of the pocket fabric made the pocket hang open.  (And I really didn't want to add a button.)



It wasn't until after I'd cursed my silk twill for twenty minutes that I realized that I had also forgotten to stitch the long dart into my lining before I started making the pocket.  So the whole thing had to go.



I could probably get better results next time, and I have enough silk to cut another front lining piece.  But now I'm thinking of scrapping the silk altogether and using rayon Bemberg, which I find easier to work with.  Silk is just too shifty.



In other peacoat-related news, I also managed to make a sleeve backing for my sleeve caps today.  Following Claire Shaeffer's instructions from High-Fashion Sewing Secrets, I cut my backing (basically, it's interfacing) from sturdy cotton muslin, on the bias.



Tomorrow I hope to attach the sleeves and maybe have my buttonholes made.  Still unsure what to do about my lining.

That's all for today, folks -- I'm beat.  More tailoring on the morrow.

Have a great day, everybody!