Vogue Patterns: 8621 (Claire Shaeffer Couture Jacket) - Type:Coat/Jacket  | | Viewed 306 times
| 1 more reviews | Review rated Very Helpful by 2 people | | Reviewed by: | Marge99 | 
| About Marge99 | | UNITED KINGDOM | | Member since: 4/8/10 | | Reviews written: 25 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 4 people | | patterns reviewed: 25 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 2/1/13 0:55 AM | | Last Updated: | 2/12/13 11:41 AM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Vogue Patterns Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Difficult, but great for Advanced Sewers | | See other patterns in this category: Coat/Jacket | Available for sale on PR: $20.62 (See envelope)  | | | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| I wrote the review below a few weeks ago, and then shoved my failed muslin in the textile recycling bag... and then I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes the pattern pieces would appear in my mind's eye and start adjusting themselves. They wouldn't leave me alone.
I had no choice but to try again... and again... and then I finally cut my nothing-special wool blend fabric made the final jacket. Neither the fit nor the sewing is perfect, but I am very very pleased with it. I would never be able to find a shop jacket that fits even this well.
Pictures are Here
I wasn't able to calculate the final fitting adjustments (see below) mathematically, I just redrew the pieces as my gut told me to. I did wonder whether the high neckline would look flattering on a full bust, but with the keyhole and little V in the neckline it does.
In the end I was lazy and bagged the lining instead of sewing it by hand, but aside from that I did as I was told and while it was a lot of work, only the armpits are really tricky.
I am going to try some more Claire Shaeffer patterns now.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
Pattern Description:
Fitted, lined, partially interfaced jacket has shaped front opening edges, bound buttonholes, welt pockets, back pleats, side back seams, gussets, back kimono-shaped sleeve and front set-in sleeve. Jacket is constructed using couture sewing methods.
Pattern Sizing:
14-16-18-20. I think it runs true to size, although I might argue that it is not fitted across the back.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
I only made a muslin, but yes, it did, despite all the painful fitting issues. It looks too ill-fitting to post a picture!
The technical drawing shows a dart in the back of the neck, which is in fact ease that you have to shrink out, not a stitched dart.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
I have to say the "Average" difficulty rating on this jacket made me raise my eyebrows. The gusset and front set-in portion of the sleeve is devilish difficult to put in. The instructions are very clear though, and the markings line up very well.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved the design of this jacket the moment I saw it, but I thought it would be too difficult for me to make. In the end I succumbed and bought the pattern and it is a fabulous read. In particular, as a tailoring newbie, I learned a lot about where to interface jackets.
What I disliked is the amount of patternwork involved in making fitting adjustments. Separate pattern pieces are included for fabric, lining and interfacing pieces and you'll have to redraw them all.
As you might expect with a shoulder like that, the pattern pieces are unusual and some fitting adjustments are complicated to achieve. My upper body is difficult to fit and I am used to spending ages on pattern work and making multiple muslins, but I fear I have given up.
I also felt that despite the gusset, the jacket didn't really allow for quite as much arm movement as I would like.
Fabric Used:
Mystery fabric.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I usually grade from 14 in the shoulder and back, to 16 in the waist to 18 in the hip. Grading from the waist to hip is easy with this pattern. Grading from the shoulder to waist is not so easy. I made my muslin as a 16, graded to 18 in the hip, but there was far too much excess fabric in the back to just leave it like that.
For a fitted garment I need a 10-12 cm FBA (5-6 cm each side). This pattern comes with two existing darts, one of which shapes the side and does not point towards the bust apex and thus cannot be involved in your FBA. If you only need a small FBA you should be able to rotate the new excess into the one existing dart which points to the bust apex.
You cannot add a side dart, as there is no side seam (and you would end up with the side-shaping dart clashing into it anyway). Adding an armhole dart causes ugly colliding dart directions. Converting the the FBA to a princess seam is the only solution I could come up with that worked well visually. However, I don't know how to do a big FBA without distorting the armhole a bit, and the finished arm did not tolerate this well.
I usually need a small square shoulder adjustment which I did not add to the muslin, but the omission was very very obvious - more than just a small adjustment needed. I don't think it would be too difficult to figure out how to do it, if that is the only adjustment you need.
Adjusting the arm length is easy - the length of the arm is essentially a one piece sleeve. Adjusting the width at the bicep is more tricky. I cut the arm slightly wider, but then found that I had lost ease in the front cap area (that may sound obvious, but it wasn't with pieces shaped like this). The pattern instructs you to adjust the ease in the front cap area for fitting. The ease there ought to be enough to accommodate a small forward shoulder adjustment. The sleeve did not twist as much as an ordinary one-piece sleeve does on me, but I couldn't figure out how to make the rest of the adjustment I need.
I usually lengthen the waist by 1/2 inch, but strangely enough I almost felt like I wanted to shorten the waist in this jacket. In any case, lines are provided for this purpose and it would be straightforward to do so.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I am sorry to say that I will not be making this in a proper fabric as it is just too complicated to fit to my figure. I might borrow the neckline to make a frankenpattern at some point, though. I'll keep the pattern for the instructions as well.
If your fit adjustments only involve lengthening/shortening and/or grading from waist to hip and you feel like a major project, then yes, you might want to try this one. If, like me, you have a lot of fitting issues above the waist, maybe not.
Conclusion:
Practice the gusset and sleeve properly before doing it on your nice fabric. There is potential for ruination if you try to unpick there.
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4 Comments
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Thank you for all your detailed comments. Sorry it didn't work out for it sounds like you certainly gave it a lot of thought and time.
2/2/13 2:25 AM
Wow...what a great jacket, now that you figured out the fit. It is beautiful!
2/12/13 7:43 PM
You did a great job and it looks so nice on you.
2/18/13 8:43 AM
Awww... so sorry to hear about all the fitting issues. I appreciate you taking the time to explain them, too. It's reviews like yours that are the most helpful. Again, thank you very much for that. As for the jacket itself, I think you should be IMMENSELY proud of yourself! Given all the trials you faced, your commitment alone is very inspiring in an age where people want everything to be fast and easy. I'm a Brit, and we generally don't make insincere compliments, so please be assured I'm serious when I say that I'm going to keep your review bookmarked for those moments when I feel useless and just want to toss it all in the bin. (winces, then chuckles) Then there is the jacket itself: It really is quite lovely and looks very posh. One of those classic staples that you could wear with either a soft casual skirt or something crisper for a more formal look. Either way: Very elegant. Thank you again for the inspiration!
3/26/13 8:15 AM