Blue and Gray Like the Weather

I cannot believe the East Coast folks are getting hit with another storm of the century! They just can’t get a break. I hope everyone gets their power back on very soon.

Here in the desert, we had a week of springtime sunshine, and then the temperatures dropped again. We’re looking at cloudy gray skies and hoping for rain again this week.

So my first couple of pieces in the new dusky blue wardrobe fit right in with our weather.

I made the jacket first, so I could get a feel for this stretch denim-like fabric before I embarked on the pants. It’s quite nice: heavy but not stiff, and fairly easy to sew, although the thicker twill stripes tend to send pins and needles off course occasionally.


"Marc Jacobs Cotton Double Stripe Suiting"
according to Fabric Mart.
It looks and behaves like stretch denim.

The 1975 pattern was a lot of fun. I like almost everything about it, including the oversized collar.

 

The yoke and pocket flaps were perfect for playing with the stripe, and I really like the way that part looks.

click to enlarge

The one part of the pattern I wasn’t thrilled with was the attachment of the “belt” tabs to the front.

I think it looks sloppy, and although part of that is my poor topstitching, I think there must be a better way of applying these. On the other hand, I do like the look of the rest of the waist, with the wide elastic casing.

It was all easy sewing, but it did take a lot of time, due to my interior finishing. The fabric was unraveling throughout the construction process, so I thought a complete binding would be best. Also, it looks so nice inside an unlined jacket!

 

I used the same pattern to make the bias skirt, because, hey, the pattern envelope shows that you can use a plaid.

mystery fabric, probably a rayon blend?

Ha! I immediately regretted it when I spent hours trying to match up the side seams and insert the zipper. Why are plaids so difficult to match on the bias? This is not rocket science!

In the end it all worked out, of course. In the photos, the skirt is unhemmed, still doing its bias hang to make sure it does all the stretching before I hem it.

Next I’ll work on an “easy” blouse while I mentally prepare for the jeans!

What’s on your creative agenda this week?

Katrina