An Afternoon with Victoria
The danger of walking into Guthrie-Ghani to buy some self-cover buttons, is that you walk out with ByHand London’s Victoria blazer pattern and fabric with which to make it. It had been on my radar for a while, and now it is on my back!
I chose the same fabric as my Afternoon blouse, making it quite a light-weight blazer, and with a matching blouse should I ever feel the need. It also meant that I had some matching trimming in stock.
What’s the difference between a blazer and a jacket? Anyone know?
I wasn’t sure what to make of this when I had finished it, but I have worn it a few times now and I quite like it. I servers as a smart but casual cover up at the start and end of a summer’s day.
I have lined it with the remains of my Mimi blouse fabric, although effectively that ended up being a toile, and I bought some more for the actual lining. Yet again I cut bigger in accordance with measurements, and ended up making my normal size for the upper section. How many times do I do that, and read that other people have the same experience?
It is relatively easy to make. I made it with only brief glances at the instructions. The major addition to the instructions is that I under-stitched the jacket when I attached the collar and lapel, and so achieved a much neater finish. I also marked the fabric where the dart becomes the collar seam and drew in the dart stich line to follow. That made the neck line very straightforward. I think that I would line the sleeves, as well as the body of the blazer if I make it again. That would not only be neatly finished sleeves, but it would solve the problem of how to finish the arm holes. I trimmed the blazer and then folded over the edge of the lining and slip stitched it round the arm hole. But that does leave a bit of exposed fabric at the arm hole.
And having worn it around London with my heavy laptop rucksack on my back, and dragging my wheelie bag behind me, I’m wondering if I should have interfaced the lapel, or not….. But in general it stood up well to the London onslaught. Maybe it was tested under similar circumstances. Now there’s a thought! ByHand worked well in London!
One Week, One Pattern
Me Made May 2016
Me Made May 2015
Simplicity Competition
Sew Over it Patterns
all my own work by ann 