Happy Birthday Mommy!
When you need a special gift, you lean on your talent and a sure thing. Many of you have read several posts on my site and social media about making bomber jackets. I will continue to make customized versions of this great staple piece adding to my wardrobe, but this one is special: a birthday present for my Mom. I had some lace in my stash committed to another project but when I got the idea of a lace jacket the color was right and the idea worked. The fabric came from Joann's Fabrics (Atlanta) both lace and knit, and the pattern is Simplicity 8418. I hope you take a chance and create a jacket with a customized mix of fabric and if you do, I've added a few sewing tips about how to make it work. My Husqvarna Viking was my partner on this project!
The knit gave stability to the lace so I could use a traditional zipper.
My main concern was the lace holding a zipper, or whether I needed another option for the front closure. Sometimes closures are more design elements rather than functionality, I never zip or button my jackets. So I needed to be able to attach a zipper without it curling or putting too much weight on the jacket front. The knit interfacing worked.
Use knit interfacing for knit fabrics to stabilize and allow stretch where needed.
I cut a two-inch piece of knit facing, mirroring the edge of the jacket fronts. Attaching the facing pieces to each side, cutting down the lace keeping the jacket fronts the same size. The interfacing was needed to stabilize the knit and keep it's shape when attaching the zipper.
When making an unlined jacket serging is valuable to keep the insides clean, especially on a see-through garment.
All knits pieces of the jacket were interfaced - sleeve bands, bottom jacket band and collar band.
There's more jackets to come, because there's so many ways to design a personal style for various seasons. I'm planning some fall pieces with pants and skirts and taking various on the collar and sleeves. Stay tuned!
Sewing Tips: - use knit interfacing on knits sections to add stability and stretch allowance where needed
- when making an unlined garment use a serger or do french seams to keep the inside clean and attractive
- when sewing with delicate fabric like lace, use a wider stitch length, so the lace won't bunch up and restricted from a stitch that's too tight
- if it's a birthday present, make sure it perfect!
Thanks for the love, NKY-G