Red jacket /top

 

When I came to write this post I realised I did not have a decent front view of this top so its been slightly delayed being posted while I sorted that out. Still another delay does not really matter.

This jacket/top is actually very "dressy" so I find it needs smarter trousers than my favourite joggers and combats. Its very warm and cozy and works surprisingly well with my wool mix office trousers so I suspect this is worth the time its taken to trace and make this because its going to be worn for work as well as play. Probably more for work. Its not as I intended but its actually really good for my wardrobe because I tend to make more casual clothing and its a fact most of us spend far longer working than at home.

This is the top done up -with no extra layer underneath it. Ignore the stupid face!

I started this before Christmas and it had me stumped for a while. I think being forced to stop sewing over the holidays was really good this time because it gave me time ( enforced!) to consider how to make this. 

The top is not so easy to make as I was expecting until I realised a couple of things. 

With extra underlayer its even warmer.

You actually do not need to add the neck zip.  

Ignore the hair. I was having hag day that day!

Personally I want the zip done up, but maybe thats because this is a bit bigger than I expected when I cut it out. Not sure though, because I suspect I would leave it done up if it fitted perfectly - or was smaller because this is actually ok when I am wearing lots of layers and thats now in the UK because its really cold and frosty though still sadly no snow as yet. So really this is perfect for a frosty day out and about when I want to leave my Ski jacket at home.

The zip is a nice addition, yes, but you can very easily pull this top on without opening it so I am not sure as yet if I will bother to add it on my next version of this top. I think the zip is really more for looks than needed shall we say. I will make on of these in the next few weeks - another maybe in something like fur because I have currently lots of faux fur zebra print ( velboa ) fabric. 

I want to use some of this tiger velboa to make a lining for a cape coat but will not need all of the 7m I have of this. Why did I buy 7m? 

Well thats a good question because I only actually needed 3m max, for what I wanted and that would still give me spare fabric, just in case, because usually I do buy extra just in case I mess up. This was relatively cheap but even then, 7m? 

I honestly cannot give a good reason for buying so much. Well it is lovely fabric and as a teen I really had an obsession with velboa fabric jackets which possibly had something to do with me buying so much of this. It would, in fact, have made better sense to buy two different patterns in this fabric but I didn't. I bought 7m of zebra so I must use it up somehow.

 I did not top stitch the seams. I now think maybe I should have. The fabric is very stretchy though and I was not so sure I could achieve a decent finish without stretching the fabric as it got top stitched so I left it but it might have been better had I done it.

Anyway this top: If you have ever made a Gyspy type of top or Burda would call it a Carmen top its easy. Its just took me a while to figure that out. Its does not quite appear to be a Carmen top but, yes it is.

What you have in fact is a Carmen top on the bottom part - wide shoulders and raglan sleeves, with a wide yoke and cowl on top of it. You make the yoke-cowl first then make the Carmen part and then attach the two together and I was so happy when the yoke exactly fit the bottom Carmen bit. No messing or adjusting needed.  Well done Burda because the pattern is dead on.

In fact Burda seem rarely to have a miss-matched pieces in patterns which is why I like Burda so much. The so called Big Four often have a pattern piece that is way off and is either far too short, which is very frustrating when its something like a facing and it doesn't fit so you have to cut a second one and try to work out what size it should be. Of course its far better though if its something like a facing than if its a main pattern part. I have had both. A facing can of course always also be cut in a different fabric but not so if its part of the main garment itself. Anyway I digress. Burda is usually perfect for this. The sizing can though be off with Burda. I cut my usual size from this time but its come out quite large. No so terrible when its an outer garment but there is no way with will work for summer when I wear less layers. Several items I have made from Burda Style magazines have come out huge on me but at least everything lines up. I am confused with Burda sizing to be perfectly honest. 9 times out of 10 they work for me but I seem to get the odd item that is massive. This top is one of those odd items. I used my usual seam allowance etc so its not that. I am not sure as yet because if I make my next version for winter this might be the right size but if I want to wear in summer I might want a size smaller.

But for a jacket worn with layers in winter its probaby better to be the size I made it. 

It does look like the magazine photo so maybe this is meant to be large?

 

I wasted quite a bit of fabric because I followed the magazine instructions but it was pointless with my fabric to do so. It tells you to cut the front and back pieces on the cross but thats really because Burda used a textural fabric. With my fabric you really cannot tell so I would not do that again for this kind of fabric.  

I am intending to make some simple flared yoga style trousers to go with this because this fabric has wonderful drape as well as being so warm. Its a fake angora according to Pound Fabrics where I bought it. I wish they would get more of this fabric back in because I would like to buy more and in other colours. Still I must be grateful for what I do have. Its lovely fabric. 

So also this jacket is a tick on my New Years list. And if I manage to make them so will the trousers be so hopefully I will stay on track a bit more this year and actually make what I wanted to make.

Thanks for visiting my blog

Have a great week,

Bracken