So a few years ago, I decided to make M5714 for my aunt's birthday. I thought she'd like the view shown on the model on the front cover (view E), but I didn't want to make it in fleece. I was envisioning this as being more of a light jacket to wear in the office, when she's cold from the air conditioning. So I chose a ponte from JAF's Sew Classic line, thinking it would be good enough for a prototype, and then I'd spring for a nicer fabric for the real thing. I was also originally thinking of purple, but I decided the final version would be purple, and the prototype would be green. I went with size 16, because a fleece jacket I had made for her before (which fit well) was size 16. Unfortunately, the previous jacket was from another pattern company, and I didn't think to check measurements. Grrrr.....
Next problem: I decided to fully line the bodice instead of the partial lining, because I wanted the inside to look better and thought that would be easier. And I decided to bind all the raw edges, kind of like a Hong Kong finish. I thought that would make it look prettier on the inside. Unfortunately, between my full bodice lining and my binding of the raw edges, I ran into construction issues that I hadn't thought about. So the jacket pieces got wadded in a UFO tub before we moved. Grrr...
The pieces came out of the tub, were considered, and thrown back into the tub several times over the last few years, until I finally pulled them out again a few weeks ago and decided to just finish the damn thing and get it over with. I was determined that the jacket would be done for my aunt's birthday this year, come hell or high water. So I sort of stumbled through the problems I'd caused by trying to make it fancier (next time, if there is one, I'll either wait and bind seams after they're sewn, or I'll put them together in a different order....have to think on that one) and finally got it done to the hems. At this point, I realized that it looked kind of neat to have the binding on the raw hems. So I asked advice from my sewing friends, and the consensus was that yes, it did look neat. If I had it to do over, I would have put the collar wrong sides together and then just bound those edges as well, to make it look more cohesive. But I'd already done it this way and didn't think it would go well to put binding over the stitched and turned edges.
In the end, I think I made it work, and the finished product looks pretty good! Unfortunately, it is too small for my aunt. Grrrr.....gotta find a friend who likes the style and can fit into it. :(
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