Welcome, finally, we take a good look at pattern V8780.  What I absolutely love about this jacket is it’s irregular lines for the front, back and sides.  At all angles, just perfect for a larger woman.  To cut and sew the pattern takes no more than a half day, and finishing can be as simple or as difficult as you choose.  As we have discussed, there are a number of fabrics that can be used from sheers, to linens to heavier upholstery fabric.  As you can see, I used a heavier upholstery fabric with a loose weave.  This seems to be a popular look for the fall/winter 2015, I will make a pair of pants to match.

I did not experience anything unusual in cutting out or putting the pattern together.  And, in fact, I have made the pattern twice, both times without incident. 

Do remember that the pattern calls for double sided fleece.  This means three things, first, your fabric should have a nice reverse side.  Second, fleece is a knit, so you will have to allow for a smaller seam in those areas where you need stretch.  For instance, around the back, shoulders and arms.  An alternative, if possible, is to cut these pieces on the diagonal.  This will give you enough stretch.  And third, if you use a thinner fabric, you will end up with a larger jacket, if you follow the seam allowance recommended because, the seam allowance and jacket size, have been adjusted for a thicker fabric.

There is one area where I made a change.  Because I have a large chest, I tend to like things to softly gather, and then to fall generously below my bust line.  This helps to soften and minimize the look of my chest.  You will notice the neck collar is turned in, and stitched to hold it down.  This is too hard a look for me, so I did not turn in the collar.  However, this does create a problem in that the seam will show in the back of the neck.  If you wish to have a soft gather of fabric around the neck, like me, simply reverse your stitch when sewing the collar together, so the seam appears to be on the outside.  As the collar folds down, the raw ends will fold on top of each other, showing a finished seam on the outside.  

For me, I should have selected the longer jacket length.  The shorter length is too light for my rear, and I will need to add weight to the back of the jacket for it to fall correctly.

Fortunately, I have a number of options, most of which we’ve already discussed.  I can, with ribbon embroidery, or any of the other appliques discussed, sew rose buds, flowers or abstract design, cascading down from the bodice to the hem. This will distribute the weight more evenly, and not cause stress to any one part of the jacket skirt, causing it to fall lopsided. 

I could also just simply weave ribbon around the jacket in a wavy pattern.  I wouldn't want to do this just on the skirt, because that would attract a different kind of attention to the rear.

Although the above options would work nicely, I think, given the texture of the fabric, its colors, and the busyness of the pattern, I personally would like something a little more subtle.  So, I opt for a trim around the outside of the jacket.  Because the fabric is strong and hearty, I don’t need to worry about it fraying or sagging too much under the weight of a heavy trim, so my solution, is to knit a trim that will match the fabric, add the necessary weight and finish my jacket. 

I hope you will join me next week to see how I put the finishing touches on pattern V8780.

Until then, have a great week, and God Bless.