New Adventures- Boiled Wool Jacket Part 2 June 2, 2020 14:00

So here we are, ready to get creative with online sewing classes! Incase you missed the first instalment of this blog series (its here btw!) we were talking about my new Boiled Wool Jacket Workshop. Well, most specifically the creation of the jacket itself.

After spending most of my design life working on luxury sleepwear, I had not created a pattern that was for daywear. And so with my students in mind, I set aside making a pattern that encompassed comfort and style.

The next part to tackle was the sleeves. In making a jacket that was to be stylish yet functional, I trialled many different ideas. I had to think about the fit, the length and the shapes. I needed to look at the shoulders, and their relation to the bodice. What design will help to get the right balance? Should the sleeves be fitted or loose? Should they also be 'boxy' or shapely? Should they be to the elbow or to the wrist? Balance was the key here... and its a whole process in itself to find it.

  

Trial and error, it’s the mother of all invention ;)

The collar design was also important to get right, and so I drew upon some skills I had learned in the past...I was very lucky to take part in Shingo Sato's 'Transformational Reconstruction' Workshops back in 2016 (check them out here) and learned the art of moulage. Here I am finally able to use some of those techniques here for this jacket!

The last thing I wanted to insert into the pattern was a bicep measurement. Don't you hate it when you buy something with sleeves, and it fits perfectly on your body but then your arms feel like they are in straps? As women particularly, our arms can develop in varying beautiful and shapely ways. The great thing about making something to measure you and your body is that you can cater to that. You can cater length and shape to suit you.

And that the sleeve processes deciding factor ;)