"Fur" Trimmed, Prequilted, Apres Ski Jacket

Pin It

nancynancy, member

17 users recommend

Front View

Nancy Robertson

Collar Close-up

Nancy Robertson

Three-quarter view

Nancy Robertson

Side View

Nancy Robertson

Back View

Nancy Robertson

Front View

Photo: Nancy Robertson

Add Comment
Print

I've never set foot on a ski slope, but after reading the current issue of Sew Stylish,  I thought it would be fun to sew a faux fur trimmed, apres ski jacket especially for the Jacket Challenge.

I designed this pattern based on the classic motorcyle jacket. My self-drafted pattern has: a collar which extends over the lapels by 1.5"; armhole princess seams in front, shoulder princess seams and a center seam in back; long set–in sleeves; an asymmetrical and exposed front zipper; and a back half belt. The semi-fitted silhouette is slightly nipped in at the waist. Handmade shoulder pads (one inch thick), chest shields and sleeve headers build up the upper chest and shoulders to balance a pear shaped figure. 

By shopping carefully and using remnants from my stash, I kept the total cost of fabrics and notions for this project to just under $30. The jacket is made of a jet black, lightweight prequilted polyester from Joann's. The sleeves and cuffs are trimmed with a remnant of realistic, dark brown faux sable from Fabulous Furs. The faux fur collar is sewn with a center back seam to allow the two sides of the collar front to appear symmetrical. The hairs of the fur are oriented "upward" toward the center back seam to provide a fuller, more opulent look. I sewed the edges  of the fur underneath and then hand basted it to the fabric collar using a whipstitch as explained in the Sew Stylish magazine article.

The front zipper and back half-belt are trimmed with a remnant of black Ultrasuede Ambiance that has been topstitched. A black zipper pull adds a sporty look to the molded plastic zipper, and two black oversized sew-in snaps from Dritz provide a touch of high tech whimsy to the lapels. The jacket is fully lined with black Bemberg rayon.

The most challenging part of this project was working with the hard to control, prequilted polyester fabric. To keep the fabric on grain, I fused it to lightweight knit interfacing. To keep the fabric from fraying, I pre-serged the edges of every piece. To insure the rectangular quilted pattern would match at the seams, I pinned the seams together, taped them with two-sided tape and stitched them with a walking foot. Finally, I coverstitched the princess and back sleeve seams to flatten and define them. None of these steps were hard, but they did add extra time to my week-long project.

Two sets of high energy magnets were used (instead of traditional sew-in snaps) to supplement the zipper closure. Bcause the magnets were stitched to the jacket facings, neither the magnets nor the stitching are visible on the exterior of the jacket. The faux fur collar and cuffs were hand basted to the jacket with a whipstitch and can be removed for cleaning or an alternate look.

Now that this project is finished, I can't wait for colder weather so I can start wearing my luxurious (but bargain priced) new jacket.

Add Comment Print

Bubble Coat  

Back to List

Knit and stretching jean jacket with matching dress

Comments (10)

pdiddly writes: I really love this jacket - I have been looking to make myself something similar and you have inspired me to have a go now.

Well done on such fantastic work.
Posted: 4:01 am on October 23rd

BajaSusana writes: Nancy This is gorgeous as usual.
Your unique style shines through.

Susan
Posted: 4:57 pm on October 22nd

nancynancy writes: Thank you for your kind comments. By the way, if you'd like to learn more about this project and see additional photos, please follow this link: http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/readreview.pl?readreview=1&reviewnum=56249
Posted: 9:57 pm on October 20th

annielizabeth writes: Wow, lovely piece! Such professional construction. Thanks for sharing.
Posted: 9:13 pm on October 20th

nikkikn writes: great job! you've used the tough techniques that i'm sure require a lot of patience and expertise considering how neat and professional this jacket looks!
Posted: 12:38 pm on October 18th

cacmo writes: Thanks so much Nancy for the sources of learning about a chest shield. Fortunately, I have both books so I will look that information up. Again, you have created a gorgeous jacket.
Posted: 7:16 pm on October 13th

nancynancy writes: Thank you, Cacmo. A chest shield (the actual term is a chest piece) fills in the hollow in the upper chest and gives a smooth line to this part of the jacket. You can simply add a layer of fleece to the front edge of the shoulder pad as shown on page 90 of Jackets for Real People by Palmer/Pletsch. Page 35 of Podolak's Easy Guide to Sewing Jackets also shows a pattern piece for a chest piece, and can be seen at this link http://books.google.com/books?id=-tQrFaf9DLkC&pg=PA35&lpg=PA35&dq=what+is+a+chest+piece+sewing&source=bl&ots=4cVpS-RaFy&sig=w0l9Of7hsTQPZ3NA9WXjVZcKxaI&hl=en&ei=h_iwTIfZO4P7lwf5x_nkDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CCoQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q&f=false


Posted: 7:31 pm on October 9th

cacmo writes: This is a spectularly designed jacket and it looks well sewn! You will get a lot of enjoyment from wearing it and hearing all the compliments. Just a question - What is a chest shield? I am also pear shaped and have sloping shoulders. I also echo the previous comment - Well Done!
Posted: 6:37 pm on October 9th

nancynancy writes: Thank you, vblynn, for the lovely compliment. I've been sewing jackets for two years, and my advice is to just jump in and try a fairly simple jacket first. After a few projects, you'll be ready to tackle almost anything you can dream up.

There are three excellent books on tailoring all of which can be found on amazon.com, and I highly recommend you acquire them in this order: The Easy Guide to Sewing Jackets by Cecelia Podolak, Jackets for Real People by Palmer/Pletsch, and Singer's classic book called Tailoring.
Posted: 8:58 am on October 6th

vblynn writes: Wow. This is stunning. I'm just learning how to put in a lining and a magnetic snap! But I look at this and think, someday, I'd like to be able to do that... Well done.
Posted: 6:51 pm on October 5th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.