Lekala skirt, Yanaka jacket, Anorak final pics

Last time I mused about 'acceptable imperfections'. This week I am thinking a bit about the opposite - when does it become an 'unacceptable' imperfection? My current projects include two items for others, and one wearable muslin. All of which are ripe for unacceptable imperfections! When sewing for others they will look more closely at the garment, obviously, and so will see those imperfections! While I always try to make the insides of my garments look nice, there is added pressure in these garments for others! 

And, as for wearable muslins - by definition these will have flaws! 

First up, though,  I finally got my final photos done of the anorak. The end product is satisfying. I should get a photo with the full set (Rain pants and anorak) with my grey helmet - the fire hydrant look😂 (Oh, BTW, the photos are for show: I don't ride in winter!)

side zips

ready to ride!

shoulder check

So now onto other projects that have been in the queue:

• finishing the Yanaka jacket for Australia daughter
• working on the kilt upcycle for CB (using a Lekala custom pattern)
• curtains for Ottawa daughter. (As in making curtains, not that it is curtains for her)
• light cardigans.

YANAKA update

incomplete

Making the Yanaka jacket for med-school daughter from 1000s of kms away has been tricky! When she got the muslin we decided that the fit was good. I had decided on the houndstooth linen for this, and found it a bit fussier to work with than I expected. It has such a loose weave that it frays easily; I had planned to finish the raw edges, but I still worry about the enclosed raw edges (inside the collar area and facings). The loose wave made it wobbly... stretched out of shape too easily. This may become a bit too obvious with the linar houndstooth pattern. Will a bit of a skew be an ... unacceptable imperfection? Also, a couple of weak spots on the inside that I am going to have to tidy up before I can call it finished!

For the insides, I debated if I should underline this, and decided against it. This is a very light-weight jacket, and could be used just as a light cover-up - did not need any further weight. Also, I wasn't sure how to 'flatline' it if I did (because of the cut-on sleeves). So I finished all the raw edges with  the HongKong bias binding technique. I used some cotton that I have had in my pocession since India (c. 1991), and has the seller's stamp on it. It may be a batiste - it is very light, but a bit stiff. Perfect for underlining, and even better for bias binding. So easy to install.

I got it cut out and nearly finished.I still have to secure the facings, and tidy up those inside spots, but will do that later... the deadling for this is end of March. Fingers crossed that it will fit her nicely. I somehow messed up the arm length - the pieces are uneven, but will worry about that in person - hem it when she gets it. I am hoping that the final product will be ... acceptable!

This pattern (Liesl & Co. Yanaka) is a quick, simple sew with just a couple of tricky spots, and the instructions are very clear and detailed. I am worried about the spots where I had to clip into the seam allowance to get the pieces to fit together (around 'corners')... worried they might fray. (I notice that another reviewer on Pattern Review had the same observation).

from the back

peak inside

Kilt upcycle - Lekala pattern

'Raw material'

This was a first for me. I had looked at the Lekala site (also knows as Sewist). They have tons of patterns, and they are really inexpensive, and they are custom drafted to the measurements that you provide. This does not mean a perfect fit necessarily, because they don't take ALL the measurments! The instructions are basic. No illustrations (except for a diagram of the pattern pieces, which seemed inconsistent with the list). 

The pattern has a pleated inset in the front. My plan was to use the pleats from the kilt as is. So for the muslin I had to create some pleated fabric to see how that would work. Still a few things to work out with that, but the plan is sound. In the meantime, I saw a Pattern Review where the person had also used a ready made skirt for the pleated part. Hers is very interesting - instead of sewing the pleats into the main front pieces, she did it as a panel behind those. Will discuss with CB at a fitting what we should do. 

raw material 2

The rest of the front is cut on the bias, and I am hoping that there is enough fabric in the kilt to let me do this! It will be a striking contrast!

Again, I don't dare take any shortcuts with the project. We are upcycling an authentic Scotish kilt that, while no longer worn by my friend, is fabulous quality... I want to do it justice. Must be a bit more than acceptably imperfect!

Muslin 1

Jalie Cardigan

looks okay

I have needed to replace a light-weight cardigan for some time. This cardigan I wear under a blazer, for example, and I have been thinking about this for a while. So I got the pattern (Jalie 2566 'twin set), and then bought some rayon blend that, in retrospect, might be thicker than I wanted! I have made up a wearable muslin with some truly light-weight rayon t-shirt knit. This stuff was like handling water... trying to pick up the edges to line them up...  !  

I had trouble fitting the button band - it would not fit, possibly due to the fluid nature. So I cut out a second one, omitted the interfacing, and decided to cut the ends AFTER pinning it in place. Well, that was poorly planned, since it left me with raw edges at the bottom (WHAT was I thinking?)

THEN, the buttonholes; I have never done buttonholes on knits before, and since I had no interfacing on the button band... even more tricky. I DID use wash-away stabilizer, but probably needed to cut it bigger than just under the buttonhole, since... well I did not get them nicely aligned. And lazy me - I used black thread - figured this would be fine on the dark purple. And it would have been if they had worked nicely! As it is... a not quite acceptable imperfection? Yes - one expects to have flaws in a wearable muslin, and I guess those flaws will determine where one wears it! For example, maybe I don't want to wear this visibly to my job at the fabric store! (But it fits nicely and discretely under another jacket, so it has its uses!

practice buttonholes

washed away stabilizer

icky buttonholes

back view

Curtains

I got this silk dupioni drapery fabric for Ottawa daughter's curtains, and some dim-out. Should not take long, but need to get to it!