Sewing ...

the Chanel style jacket is finished

After only two and a half months, my jacket is finished at last. Mind you, there were several days I didn't work on it at all. On the days I did work, it was usually for only two hours. I sometimes spent more than two hours hand sewing, up to four.

Between the time I made the toile (probably a month before I started the actual jacket) and when I finished the jacket, I've lost weight. Enough that the jacket is now too big. I will wear it to at least one event anyway.

I'm working on a complete set of instructions for this pattern (StyleArc Livia Jacket) because the StyleArc pattern is for an unlined jacket. It has none of the Chanel details. My version has them all.

I quilted the lining, hand sewed the lining seams, created and added sleeve heads, added trim, and the Chanel finishing touch: gold chain at the bottom of the jacket to hold its shape.

I made my own trim from the fabrics I used to make the jacket. I cut off selvage edges of each fabric, put the houndstooth on top, the black and aqua on each side. Some of this I was able to attach by machine, some I had to hand sew.

This is my first advanced sewing creation. It won't be the last. Please enjoy the photos, and leave comments.

Chanel style jacket I made for myself