Lekala Jacket

This project has been like a workshop in tailoring. Not an espcially successful one, but certainly a learning project!

It started because I have a blazer which no longer fits, but which has some great design features. I wanted to try to reproduce it. Lekala has such an assortment of patterns, I thought I might find something there. Lekala 4183 is not at all like my inspiration garment, but had some features which were smiliar (like the waist inset, and a "short" length. I purchased this wonderful "tropical wool" suiting at our favourite place in Montreal. I had already made some pants with it, and with any luck I would have a snazzy suit.

Remember, I have made one Lekala pattern (Kilt upcycle skirt). The instructions were okay - but not especially necessary for that project. And there are a variety of advantages to a Lekala pattern:

• price (patterns at around $4USD)
• custom sizing
• variety / selection

The instructions, however, are not amongst those advantages.

In fact, when making something complex they should be something of a turn-off. So, facing these hard to understand instructions, I turned to other sources for construction order, etc. (These will be listed below.) Ultimately I think I made things more complicated than they needed to be without any visible advantages... that is, did all of that structural work I tried really make a difference?

The first thing I noticed was that at least two Vogue patterns I looked at have you apply fusible interfacing to the main body pieces. This intrigued me because I am not a fan of fusible interfacing. In fact, I would describe fusible interfacing as self-basting interfacing! In my experience, it does not stay stuck! So I wondered about this. I also wondered... why. I posted this question on Pattern Review, and immediately went down a rabbit hole of too much information!

To summarize my initial findings: traditional tailoring uses sew-in interfacing, and creates a 'canvas' to 'line' (for lack of a better word) the body pieces, providing structure. Modern techniques, including ready-to-wear, and custom machine tailoring (for lack of a more precise word), use high quality fusible interfacing. 

shaping the collar

In the end, I used a hodgepodge of techniques compiled from a book about couture tailoring (mistake?!) and a few internet sites with varous techniques.

My main resources were:

• Claire Shaeffer, Couture tailoring: A Construction Guide for Women's Jacket)
• Atelier Saison, How to sew a jacket, seven part series
• Power sewing with Sandra Betzina and Ron Collins, Episode 16 Interfacing for Tailoring,
  
• Vogue... instruction sheet
• Pattern scissors cloth blog
• Bagging out the sleeve of a jacket Tech U fasion UEL

What I did:

Internal structure:

• To create the so-called 'canvas', the bodice internal structure I fused some weft interfacing to silk organza, trimmed the pieces to the sewing line, then used a technique from the Claire Shaeffer book to sew it to the seam allowance.

  

  Creating the lapel break

Sleeves

• For the sleeve cap area I attached some silk organza at the sewing lines, and left it floating at the mid-arm area.

  

  sleeve cap with sleeve head

• Instead of sewing two rows of stitching to shape the sleeve cap I used a technique I have been using that I learned at Pattern Review: cut a piece of cotton on the bias, and sew it between the notches on the sleeve head, stretching the bias piece as you sew. It gently pulls your sleeve into the desire shape. I tried steaming it into position after that - not sure it worked! However, it did fit fairly nicely into the armscye when I sewed it in. (Not perfect, as I noticed later, though).
• Added a sleeve-head. I traced the sleeve cap, and drew a line 5 cm from that, and cut it out of a piece of brushed cotton off-cut. The idea is to provide a bit of structure to the shape of the cap. It may have done. What with the interfacing, the sleeve head and the shoulder pads I would expect to have beautiful sleeve caps. Which I don't.

  

  getting that corner nice and flat!

Shaping

I found this tough - I was never sure I was having any effect.

• collar: pad-stitched more or less as Claire Shaeffer suggested, using the weft interfacing & silk organza as my interfacing.

• 

  Attaching the 'canvas' to the seam alloance

  lapel: I created a "bridle" at the break ... I attached some cotton selvedge as the bridle, I slit the interfacing at the break as well, so that it folds overnicely. I pad-stiched as suggested by Claire Shaeffer.
• shoulder pads - well as much as I tried I did not really succeed in shaping my shoulder pads! Rather than saying I followed Claire Shaeffer's method, let's say I was inspired by them! I did use tailoring canvas interfacing, I tried cutting one piece a bit smaller than the other then padstitching them to create a curve. (Nope!). I cut out two pieces of bamboo batting I have for each shoulder, then added some muslin on both sides.

Lining

The Lekala pattern simply has you cut out the main piece for lining. It is not clear how one is supposed to attach the lining; don't forget there is a neck and lapel facing that make the lining 'smaller. So I followed Claire Shaeffer's method to create an internal back pleat, and to create lining pieces.

I attached the peplum lining as instructed in the Lekala instructions (sew the bottom edges right sides together and turn out - allows you to get the nice cruve). 

I bagged out the sleeves (see the link above). This is a pretty nifty technique which involves a leap of faith!

BUT... in the end, my bodice lining was too short and I had to add an insert (maybe I forgot to include the insert when I created the lining pattern? So it pulled and tugged. I also had trouble figuring out how to nicely finish the facing... folding it up and in.. with the already finished peplum lining. I consider it a flaw front and centre (a bit of a pucker). And then the sleeves ended up being too long, so I had to unstitch the oh-so-cleverly stitched sleeve  & lining, then sew it by hand. This took a bit of doing to get both sleeves even AND sewn with no puckering.

Fitting

Lekala is a custom-fit pattern. You plug in your main measurements, answer some qualitative questions (e.g. bust-line average, low or high...), and you receive a custom pattern. It may still need fine-tuning.

I did a quick muslin, and decided to broaden the back a bit. While it fit 'perfectly' as originally drafted, it fit more like a blouse than a jacket. 

Conclusion

Well it is done. And I have received some positive comments, but have yet to wear it in public! I tried it on with the matching pants, and it seems to be okay. Do I want to make another jacket? Kind of, but a simpler one, and I would like to learn proper techniques!

what's with the rounded shoulders?