Friday, July 22, 2011

I'm Back!



It's been over a month since I last posted.   Between work and getting my outfit finished, something had to give and blogging was it.  I finished my outfit for my nieces wedding,  flew out to California went to the wedding and we are back.  It was a lovely wedding and the bride was gorgeous.  


When I decided to make a 3 piece outfit I figured I'd get more wear out of it than I would a cocktail dress, and I can see breaking it up to wear the pants with a cashmere sweater, the jacket over more casual pieces.  The tank under a sweater.  You get the picture.

This jacket was a pita to make.  I don't know why.  I made a muslin for it and carefully hand basted the silk organza underlining on the seam lines.  The problems started with  setting in the sleeves.  They are a 3 piece raglan.  If you think it's hard to set in a set in sleeve they are a cinch compared to these.  The neckline is supposed to be in line with the lapel edge.  I had a lot of trouble doing that and if you look at the pattern pieces and how they go together, it doesn't line up that way.  Of course in the muslin I didn't add the facings.  Big mistake here.  In the end the object was just to get it done, and I did.  I like it, but the low neckline, even though I took out a lot in the lapel really wants to open up over my bust.  Open, you don't notice it.

I do love the pants.  They are a 4 ply silk crepe lined with silk twill.  They fit beautifully and are comfortable to wear.  The jacket is a washed lame in some blend from Emmaonesock.  The silk jersey for the tank also came from EOS.  The trim was a serendipitous purchase at Mood when Claire Kennedy and I were doing our  whirlwind shopping tour of  the garment district.  We were in the trim section at Mood and I mentioned to Claire that I'd really like to trim the tank and looking down there was the perfect trim.


I'd never used a trim like this before but it wasn't hard to do.  I did need a wider binding than this method calls for; 2" instead of 1 3/8".   It's easiest to hand baste the trim first and I used a zipper foot to attach the binding.  I used my tnt t shirt pattern to make this tank top. I lowered the neckline, and added to the front armhole so as not to be too exposed.  If I remember correctly, I also added a bit to the outer shoulder.  I bound both the neckline and the armholes using Lynn Maynard's method.  It really  makes a flat, neat finish and the interfacing helped support the weight of the trim.

Here's a picture of my gorgeous niece.

Next up is finishing a top I didn't finish before we left and  a summer dress.  Maybe a couple more t shirts to finish out the summer as well.
Stay cool.

21 comments:

  1. Nancy, despite the travails, your wedding outfit looks spectacular.

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  2. I love the jacket Nancy. Very trends. Armani use these metallic fabrics. The three-piece set looks great on you. ahhh .. The bride is beautiful in her pretty dress. Best from Spain,

    Paco

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  3. It's a beautiful outfit Nancy...and I love the trim on the neckline of the tank top! Glad you had a great time at the wedding and welcome home to the heat!

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  4. The jacket is beautiful, even if it was a pain. I hope you'll get lots more chances to wear it. The trim on the neckline of the shirt is lux, subtle touch. Very nice.
    Your niece looks very pretty on her big day. What a tiny waist!

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  6. What a wonderful outfit! The jacket is so beautiful, definitely worth the trouble, it is so glamorous. I love the pants - a pair of classic pants, in a luxurious fabric, that are comfortable to wear like these ones are pure gold to have in your wardrobe, they can be worn with so many other garments. The pop of pink that the top provides is a perfect complement to the other two pieces.

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  7. So good to see the finished outfit now. It's beautiful and I'm sure you'll wear the pieces a lot in separate outfits. The material for the jacket is very nice, pity it was so dificult to make it work. Absolutely LOVE the trim. I'll be a copycat (someday) for this. Greetings from France.

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  8. Absolutely love this outfit and the trim is gorgeous. Your niece was a lovely bride!

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  9. Silver looks so fabulous on you! Perfect outfit

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  10. Your white hair and silver jacket are so inspiring!

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  11. You look absolutely beautiful. The outfit is so pretty, and perfectly accessorized.

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  12. You look so elegant in your beautiful outfit. I wasn't sure, from some of your earlier posts, if it would be completed, so I was thrilled to see these pictures. All three pieces are wonderful!

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  13. Lovely three piece outfit. Love the trim you purchased and used from Mood.

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  14. The outfit is gorgeous! I like your way of thinking: separates over a cocktail dress. Very smart! The trim on the top is a wonderful addition.

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  15. Love the outfit. Glad you had a good trip. Weddings are such fun. You looked very elegant.

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  16. Great outfit. The colours are gorgeous and an excellent choice for your lovely hair.
    The jacket caught my eye the minute I sew it in Burda Magazine and the 3 pieces raglan sleeves make it even more desirable but gosh it must be a lot of work to fit. Your version is beautiful.

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  17. You looked fabulous. Love the combination of textures and colours.

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  18. All three pieces came out gorgeous! The trim on that top is so perfect. Love the little touch of sparkle.

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  19. Agree with everyone, the trim made that tank top. Super fab! And you didn't look one bit matronly which I know was a big concern when you first starting drafting outfit ideas.

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  20. Your niece is gorgeous and congratulations to her. Nancy, I love this outfit, especially the jacket. And I like your idea to make separate pieces instead of a cocktail dress. I think for my next "special occasion" outfit I'll consider the same.
    Thanks,
    Cennetta

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