One of the nice things about buying tons of lush, black velvet for your boyfriend’s pirate coat is that you get to have your way with the leftover fabric! And if you’re a bit cheeky and insist that you’re going to be left out in the cold very soon because none of your other jackets fit anymore, then sometimes, sometimes, you can get away with making use of the scraps before the intended recipient of the fabric.
I made Jacket 101B from the 08/2006 issue of Burda World of Fashion magazine, which, if you’re not familiar, contains about 50 patterns in each magazine, ranging from incredibly fashion-forward to designs to some real “who in god’s name would wear THAT?” shockers. But overall, there’s at least a few things you’d make in each issue if you had enough time. August’s was a particularly good issue, but seeing as how my need for a jacket was the greatest, I tackled this first.
It’s got nice, deep pockets concealed in the princess seams at the perfect height to put your hands in if you’ve forgotten gloves, plus two patch pockets up top for stashing ticket stubs to rediscover years later, and because I have a pressing need, I also made an iPod/Oystercard pocket in the inner left breast of the lining (which is made of the “dragonfly/chromosome” crepe de chine used in this kimono top). The construction involved two “firsts” for me – a notched collar (which proved very sucessful, even with Burda’s instructions), and a two-part sleeve (which didn’t turn out as well, but I’m willing to live with the results). The jacket as drafted was a bit too boxy for me, and since I’m still celebrating my new-found waist, I took in the side seams to make the overall shape much curvier and more feminine:
The “old silver” buttons were sourced from MacCulloch & Wallis in two different sizes, and are the sister buttons to the “old bronze” ones James picked out for his pirate coat (I didn’t want to be too “coupley” in our matching jackets!). Overall, I’m very pleased with the finished jacket, though I’m glad to be finished with velvet for a while!!