Finishing Touches on the Blazer + New Fabric!

Friends, I am happy to report that the blazer is finished -- well, almost finished: I still need to insert the sleeve lining.

But since some blazers don't even have sleeve lining, I feel like my work is basically done.

You'll get to see the completed garment tomorrow.

(Btw, I'm still getting used to the new dimensions of my blog. Those photos look huge.)

A blazer, sport coat, sports jacket or whatever you want to call this garment requires a lot of hand sewing, particularly to attach the lining. You can't bag a lining in a structured blazer like this. Or at least, I can't. I'm not the greatest hand sewer but I do think I'm getting better at it: I used to dread it, now I dread it somewhat less.

The inside pocket (below) looks acceptable though, honestly, I'm glad it's inside. Did I mention that I used poly satin for the lining? It was surprisingly easy to work with and frayed much less than rayon Bemberg. It feels sturdier too, though, alas, it's not going to breathe like rayon.

I toyed with the idea of having my buttonholes done at Jonathan Embroidery but the timing was wrong so I made them myself with my Singer buttonholer. I think they look fine and, frankly, on such a bold fabric, who's going to notice the buttonholes? As you can see in the top photo, I used plain semi-transparent plastic buttons for the blazer. They look pretty good and since I already had them in my stash, the price was right!

In other news, I'm already thinking about next projects. The same day I purchased my oversized hibiscus print fabric I also picked up a 100% cotton blue-and-off-white striped knit, some cement gray linen, and enough deep red cotton twill to create a nautical-inspired outfit. In fact, that's what I thought I'd be sewing this month till that hibiscus print blazer took over my life.

I'm not quite sure what I'll do with the gray linen, but I'm pretty sure the striped knit will be a boat-neck pullover, though the idea sounds a little dull. What else can you do with a striped knit like this (in menswear) -- leggings?

In closing, I do hope you'll tune in tomorrow to see Michael model his new jacket. I think you'll be surprised how not like a beach umbrella or shower curtain this garment looks. (That's my hope, anyway.)

Have a great day, everybody!