Burda Jacket: 3/2012 style 109

The General Chat

Burdastyle 109-3/2012

I'm pleased to bits with this jacket. It is from BurdaStyle's march issue, style 109.  An old style Chanel type jacket isn't really my thing, but I already had a yard and a half of raw silk purchased from Fabric.com in April.  It was an odd thing for me to buy, but the price was less than $4/yard, so I think I got carried away because it was such a bargain.

Turns out, a Chanel knock off jacket is my thing!  This jacket is just so darned comfortable and flattering, I plan to wear it to death on all possible occasions.  Here are a few more pics:

The side

The back

I wore this today to a ceremony to open a new wing at my daughter's school.  We had to dress conservatively and formally.  This was just the thing to throw over some knit separates to smarten them up.  I realise knits are not formal day-wear, but it was all I had.  Formal day wear is something I hardly need, given my present lifestyle.

I think it adds a formal touch to an outfit that might otherwise be too casual.

Of course, pearls and heels help too!

That said I think this jacket could be worn casually as well.  I certainly hope so, because my life is casual.


The Sewing Details

I lined the inside with China silk which was light and translucent.

Not least to recommend this jacket pattern is that it was so easy to sew.  I finished the whole thing in two days flat!

The pattern does not call for any shoulder pads, but, when I tried on the jacket, the arms collapsed and looked awful.  I didn't want to bulk the jacket out because I wanted it to remain, soft, light, and comfortable.  So, I took some thin, about 1/8 thick, leftover quilt wadding and made some very thin shoulder pads/sleeve heads.  This seems to be just enough to help it hold its shape without bulking up.

I bagged out the lining, and it went pretty well this time.  I am still at a bit of a loss about how to handle the area where the front facings, hem and lining all come together.  I read lots of different tips from multiple sources, but I still don't have it straight.  Practice, practice, practice.

Burda Line Drawing

Final Thoughts about Chanel Jackets

So far, I haven't been tempted to try to sew a "proper" Chanel style jacket.  Too much work.  Too intimidating.

But, I will say that the Chanel jackets I looked at in Heathrow airport a few years ago, were all made more or less like this one.  They were not quilted.  They were merely lined with very thin, see-through, china silk.  It was summer time then, and I imagine this was to keep them light, cool and comfortable. You could see through the lining to seam allowances and the back side of the tweed fabric.

So, that makes me feel a little better about more own effort.