Big Apple Jacket

While I was making the rainbow shiny on purple motorcycle jacket, I was thinking of my next project, which was going to be the second version of the apple cardigan, and my brain said, "Well, what about making the Know Me ME2011 motorcycle jacket from the apple knit?"

So I did.

It turned out just as wonderfully obnoxious as I imagined.

I constructed this version of ME2011 without referring to the instructions at all.  I'm still nowhere near being able to make one of these without much thought, like I am with the button up shirts, like McCall's 6613, or the heavily modified pattern that started as Burda 7831.  However, since both of those would have been shirts I would have, in the past, found too complicated to make comfortably, I'm confident I can get ME2011 down to not needing a lot of concentration.  I'm just gonna havta make a lotta weird motorcycle jackets to get there.

Which is not a problem.

I know the zipper welts would automatically look better if I used a lining with less contrast, but...well, since I'm using lining fabric from my stash, that's probably not going to happen very often.  Maybe I'll get better at pressing the lining more fully to the inside of those stitched rectangles.

A word about this lining:  I initially chose it because I though the black and white print would be a fun contrast with the pink and green shell fabric.  It was only after I decided on it that I made the connection: New York City print.  The Big Apple.  Well.  I pretty much had to use it.  And then it was when I started laying it out to cut that I realized it's a stretch silk--I knew the silk part, but I had never before noticed the stretch aspect (it came from the craft thrift store, so I was never anywhere near a labeled bolt for it.)

Having a stretchy silk lining in a knit jacket...going to admit: feels kind of weird.  Not in a bad way!  I just put it on and notice that it doesn't feel like any other jacket I remember wearing.

And it does make a really nice contrast with the apple print.

When I made the last version of this jacket, I used the pattern to mark the placement of all of the snap parts...then didn't like where they were in relation to the top stitching I had done, which was much closer to the edge than the pattern expected.  Since I had made the previous version so recently, I remembered that, and waited until things were largely assembled before adding the collar and lapel hardware.

I may try to find a balance next time--maybe marking the lower snap position on the body, while waiting until after top stitching to determine where the upper snap parts go, because uuhhhhhh...had to remove and re-do one, because it just wasn't where I thought I was putting it.

I didn't really mind too much, beyond having to destroy an otherwise perfectly fine snap stud to get it off (I use sprue cutters to cut off the protrusion and the crushed tube under it, and the remaining parts come off with no hassle.)  I had marked where the snap studs should go by rubbing blue tailor's chalk on the receiver part of the snaps, as they were set into the collar and lapels, and then pressing them down onto the body.  The ring of blue chalk from where I mis-marked the initial position is still clearly visible around the slapdash mending I did of the hole that was left.  (There's Fray Check involved with that mending, too.)  I knew the hole/repair would be hidden by the snapped-down collar, so that wasn't a problem.  Lesson learned for next time (which probably won't be as soon as this time was to the previous time.)

I also did a bit of unplanned hand stitching on the underside of the belt, because the cut edge was very starkly delineated by the interfacing and pale reverse of the print.  I did a blanket stitch over that cut edge, using the same thread I used to construct the jacket.  Also, more Fray Check.

This is where I realize that I did not take a picture of the expected/unavoidable hand stitching on the inside, where the lower lining and facings have to be closed up.  I did a pretty good job of it, too.

I also did not take any pictures of the way I once again reinforced the snap studs and belt loops by putting pieces of heavy duty embroidery stabilizer on the inside under all of their attachment points.  And I forgot to take pictures of the custom shoulder pads I made.  They're all in there!

I did take a picture of the flapped welt pocket held open.  I may be getting better at making those--I'm at least getting used to the process.

The zip welt pockets aren't the cleanest, but, again, I'm getting used to how to make them, so they can only get better, right?

I also figured out a way to sew the sleeve zippers that's more appealing to me--instead of edge stitching the zipper to the pressed slash opening, then sewing contour to that stitching to attach the fabric flap under. I can baste in the zipper, then go over that basting through all layers to attach the fabric flap, then remove the basting.

...although I didn't figure this out until after sewing in the zippers initially, so I hadn't basted them, instead using a normal stitch.  That made it a bit challenging to pick out that first stitching after the second stitching had been sewn, but I was stubborn and got it all out.  I just didn't want the double thick layer of stitching.

Something else I tried with this version was borrowed from Burda 6800:  applying interfacing to the cuffs, to add a bit more of everything interfacing adds.

I am very set in completely ignoring the way this pattern wants the sleeve lining handled.  Partially hand sewing the sleeve cap?  Ew, no.  I'm going to machine sew the lining sleeve to the lining first, then pull the sleeve and the sleeve lining inside out through the un-sewn bottom of the lower lining, then shove the sleeve tube ends together and sew in a circle.  I picked that up from a New Look pattern, and it makes sense to me, so I do it whenever I can.

I didn't put a lot of effort into getting the bottom edges by the zipper stop to be perfectly even on each side.  I will probably never wear this jacket closed, and, even if I do, it's not misaligned enough to draw the eye.

...which, admittedly, would be very hard with this fabric.  The eye is not going to be distracted by construction details anywhere near here.

I do like the way the back of this jacket is constructed, especially the detail of the shoulder gussets.  But.  There's a good chance the gussets will evert themselves whenever I put one of these jackets on.  I can think of a few reasons this might happen; I tried adding interfacing to the outer shoulder parts of this one, hoping they'd stay put if they were a little sturdier.  They do not.  I can think of a few more reasons, to (perhaps) be tested in future versions.

And there will be future versions.  So many future versions.  Some with fabric I've had designated for a motorcycle jacket for years before ME2011 was available; some with fabric as yet unknown, but, hey, I have the zipper sets ready and waiting.  Someday.  In the future.