Simplicity 1419 Lisette Round Trip Jacket

From the packet illustration, you could totally miss this Round Trip jacket on Simplicity 1419.  It isn't photographed which is a shame as it is a lovely shape and a great entry level jacket.  During Me-Made-May 14. I saw a black version that Liesl Gibson (days 2 and 3 in the link pic) had made of her pattern and was rather smitten.    There are a few versions floating round the blogisphere so you can see what other sewists have done.  I had also ordered some Flight jersey by Birch Fabrics from Village Haberdashery and it was a lot less stretchy and also thicker than I had anticipated.  In fact it was so stable with only a little stretch so I hatched a plan to make the Round Trip jacket from this fabric.

I had .5 metres of 44" wide fabric- about 70cm short of the recommended amount so I had to do some very creative cutting and for quite a long while, I was just exasperated by the tessellations.  Eventually, after much wiping of bro, I got it to work.  Let's just say there was no wastage and I would not recommend trying to be so economical. 

I cut a size 10, adjusted the darts to make the bust smaller on the front piece but otherwise, everything else was size 10.  I ended up taking the side seams in by ½", equivalent to a full inch each side and this went into the armhole and was blended along the upper sleeve just under the top of the arm.  The jersey was quite thick and very flat so I used lightning stitch and a ballpoint needle on my Janome and the seams are a mix of unfinished (centre back) and serged.  I need a fairly nipped in shape to suit my proportions otherwise it would look too boxy.  

The shawl collar style lapels are the hardest part, there are a lot of layers and seams needed multiple layers of grading to deal with the bulk.

I added shoulder pads. I already had a ready-made pair of standard haberdashery spongy pads  and I used my remaining scraps to cover them and then stitched a few anchor points to secure them on the seams inside.  It just added a bit of extra shape to the shoulders. 

I used a stretch interfacing on the collar which I bought locally sometime ago. It added a bit of substance to the lapels and the stretch worked well with the jersey.  It looks a bit weird when you are handling it but it fuses easily ( I used a press cloth- basically just another layer of thin cotton fabric) at a moderate heat.  I used dental floss and zig zag to gather the frill- find out how at Indiesew and I've see it elsewhere too- a good method for bulkier fabric.

The sleeves are cropped, for me this worked out at bracelet length.  I used the flat method to set them in which is standard for knit construction and can be used for wovens too.   The Round Trip jacket is a great transitional piece, one up from a cardigan to wear with summer dresses and short sleeves as Summer gets a little cooler and goes into Autumn. A stable jersey like this is great for a simple jacket;  it makes the fitting easier as there is some stretch and the fabric is very forgiving.  A little bit smarter than a hoodie too (thought I do love a hoodie).  

Simplicity 1419 Lisette Dress

I often incentise my sewing with mini targets and chances to wear the item in question.  This dress was made for Fat Quarterly Retreat 2014.  I wanted to find a pattern with a good bodice that I could translate on to a range of dress skirts and I think I have found it.  Simplicity 1419, Lisette dress and jacket.  I've made the jacket too and that is being treated to a blog post of its very own.  The dress was an easy make, once I got over the always essential and tedious hurdle of making a test bodice and altering the darts.

I tweaked the neckline to complement the 1950s feel of the print with a little help from Simplicity 2444  and brought the neckline in at the shoulders to keep bra straps under wraps.  The bodice is lined in cotton lawn so I didn't have to add any facings.

Apart from that, this is an easy pattern to sew and fit.  The skirt width is altered at the side seams- the front pleats are the same for each size.  Nice and easy!

I like to try out any tips and tricks when I can, so this time for the zip, I tried a little glue basting.  In quilting/patchwork  Cristy and her mom, Sharon have popularised this method for different kinds of piecing.  It uses Elmer's school glue and a bottle with a fine tip.  I found Elmer's School Glue on Amazon.  I bought these tiny glue bottles on ebay and the tip hasn't clogged, it has worked brilliantly!  You do need to remember to heat set as you glue using a dry iron. It certainly made sewing a zip (never my favourite job) a lot easier.

Quick summary of the method: Glue Basting a Centred Zip

1. The centre back seam is sewn with a large temporary stitch to the point where the zipper end will be, then change to a smaller standard stitch, secure with a back stitch and sew the remainder of the seam.   Press the seam open.
2. On the WS, the zip is placed with teeth against the opened seam, using a thin line of glue on either side to hold the zipper tape in place and keeping the glue away from the zipper teeth.  Press zip gently down with a dry iron.
3. Turn to RS, sew from the top of the zipper to the bottom, stitching ¼" away from the centre seam stopping at the centre seam and securing.  Repeat on the other side.
4. Unpick the large temporary stitches to reveal the zipper teeth underneath.

As I was lining the bodice, I didn't need any seam edge finishing but usually this would happen in step one.  I have been trying glue basting with some other dressmaking steps, just here and there.  It washes out and is a very temporary adhesive and I've had no problems so far.

 Other fancy finishing included using some tape to cover the waist seam on the inside,  it looks nicer and makes it more comfortable to wear.

Time for my close ups; thank you to my daughter as ever for the pictures.

Essential Details

• Simplicity 1419 Lisette with a hint  Simplicity 2444 neckline
• Size 10 Bodice grading to size 12 waist and hips (with generous ease allowed).  Small bust adjustment on both sets of darts. Length extended by a couple of inches. No other changes.
• Fabric: Juliana Horner for Joanns, 'Rosette' on premium cotton.  No longer easily available, sold in USA only.
• Clogs: Soft sole Red Täckt Lotta from Stockholm