JUST FOR FUN A CHANGE FOR THE JACKET
'FUN WITH FABRICS'

the finished look for the collar

Step 1

The drawstring casing is 3/4" wide, finished (I started with 1 1/4" wide). Staystitched at 1/4" along both long sides and turned to the wrong side. I made the casing 25" long...but this would really depend on the size jacket you were making. You want the drawstring casing to stop about 3"- 4" back from the vertical front fold of the band on the underside of the collar when folded into the final position...so from the top side of the collar you only see 2 rows of stitching...faintly.

I turned the two short front sections of the drawstring casing back 1/4" and stitched them before applying the casing to the underside of the garment collar.

The garment was totally finished first. I wanted the stitching to go through both layers of the collar...if the casing was only attached to the underside of the collar...it would not gather the top collar correctly and just 'bunch' up in clumps.

I put 3/16" Steam-a-Seam along the long 1/4" turn back edges of the casing as close to the edge fold as possible. The placement for the drawstring casing is 1 1/2" above the neckline where the collar joins the body of the garment at the center back and parallel to the top edge fold of the collar band. This is placement for the long bottom edge of the casing. Make sure the casing is parallel to the top fold of the collar and centered so both ends are the same distance back from the front band fold.

Stitch the upper and lower long edges of the drawstring casing. Tying off at all four corners on the under side of the collar so no back stitching is visible on the top collar. It's all in the details!

Step 2

The long drawstring is 1/2" wide finished and 45" long....I did my drawstring on the straight of the grain (a. didn't have enough fabric for a bias cord, b. I was using 45" fabric...so I have the selvage at both ends of the drawstring and knotted the ends after the drawstring was slipped through the casing, hiding the selvage, c. you only see about 6"- 8" of the drawstring after it is put through the casing.)

The collar is pulled it up just slightly to make the it stand on it's own. That's it, you're finished.

Eight yards of hand woven fabric by weaver Irene Monroe...study for matching the raised stripe along the shoulder seam, extending into the sleeve cap, pocket detail, and so the stripe would match around the body when the front and back was sewn at the side seam. The ombre color change had to match over the shoulder and onto the sleeve. this process for matching took (on and off) four months.

Different view of the garment on the design table.

Sleeve pattern held in place by weights. Samples of 3 different colors of silk shantung for the garments. Iron on straight stay tape was placed along the inside of the cutting lines. Available in black or white, straight or bias on the website's notions page.

This is another view of the iron on tape along the cutting lines, showing the front, pocket, back and sleeve placement.

The finished garments. The pants are the tapered 'One Seams' in silk shantung lined in China silk, the pink long sleeve top is from 'Stars in Heaven' as is the salmon over top. The neck was lowered and the armscye was bias bound in the same fabric. All the pieces were lined in China Silk.

The hand woven 'Jack/Wrap' is from 'Of the Moment'...as it continued around the back....from center back the running yardage of hand-woven fabric was uninterrupted for almost 4 yards...including 2 feet of knotted fringe. Half of the garment was a jacket and the other half was a shawl.

This shows a close up view of the Hong Kong sleeve bounding and the deconstructed China Silk edge around the 'Jack/Wrap' keeping the edges flat and crisp.

Here is the hand-woven fabric before it was wrapped around the body and over the opposite shoulder.

By Popular Demand #60565 Kiwi color Sherpa & Suede. Sewn in a lapped seam construction.



Collar, front lapel, and buttonhole detail.



Pocket, yoke, sleeve, & collar detail



Back yoke, tab, & collar detail



Butterfly & Bees #72005 blue and white floral printed linen. Second layer is in matching ocean blue linen. Two layer free flowing reversible jacket.



Butterfly & Bees #72005 ruby red silk matka. This version has 4 pockets, upper and lower front, sleeve and center back.



back pocket detail on the jacket



Linen border print in cross-dyed linen. The reversible second layer is in rust linen.



Totally clean finished edges showcasing small mitered corners in the ‘fly away’ front…it flutters as you walk.



Butterfly & Bees #72005 Pink Cotton & Lycra showcasing the pocket detail on the fronts and sleeve.



Sleeve and front pocket detail.



Back pocket and sleeve detail



Jacket front closing, button, shoulder and upper pocket



In the Trenches #10304 Tomato red Linen/Lycra. ‘Trench’ style top with a second layer yoke, covered button placket, French cuffs, and drawstring waist.



Closer version of the top sowing the details



Side of top with trench coat style back yoke, drawstring waist, French cuff and placket.



Trench coat back detail with inverted pleat and drawstring waist.

By Popular Demand…#60565…Jacket and top…cross dyed linen/rayon
Farewell to Arms skirt…#42201…rayon georgett



By Popular Demand Jacket…#60565…..synthetic ‘Sherpa’
One-Seam Pants…#331371….synthetic suede.



East Meets West…#13046……Border print silk (running vertically) Kimono
Less is More…#90547....Border print silk Shell
One-Seam Pant…#31371….3 ply silk



Heading for Adventure….#32242….Duster…linen/rayon
Less is More…#90547…shell…..rayon paisley print
One-Seam Pants…#31371… rayon paisley print



Points and Pleats…#53001…Points blouse…linen print
In the Trenches…#10304…straight peg skirt…linen



Stars in Heaven …..#41357…scrunch funnel neckline… hand dyed linen/rayon
One-Seam Pants ….#31371….hand dyed rayo



Town & Country…#12140…. Pleat Blouse…rayon batik
One-Seam Pants…#31371…..rayon batik



Your everyday Drifter tunic…#22547….silk jacquard from Armani
One-Seam Pants…#31371…. wool crepe from Armani