more jacket re-fashion details...it's like magic!

As the jacket re-fashion continues, I'm getting more and more excited about the outcome. And I need to get a move-on! Only three days left!  There are some really great contest entries, so I hope you all check them out and vote on your favorite.

 So, here are more construction details for my Pattern Review Re-Fashion Contest:

After the Great Jacket Deconstruction,  I added  faux leather inserts  into the side seams. Let me explain something. I started with a size 12 Ann Taylor Jacket. That size is too small for this body, so I needed to come up with a way to make it fit me and at the same time, have it be a design detail. Why not choose a jacket that was just my size, you may wonder?  Well, I like the fabric, and I like the front closure and collar...which will be perfect for what I intend to do later.

So, I started pinning the faux leather in place in the side seams, connecting front and back of the jacket. Then I tweaked the fit by  re-pinning until I was satisfied. 

After sewing the seams, I used my serger to finish them. Later, I'll re-attach the original lining to these newly created seams.

To continue this faux leather design element, I decided that I wanted to add a strip down the center back of my jacket. To do this,  I first opened the seam where the collar joins the jacket back.

(looking from the outside of the jacket)

(and from the inside)

I basically freed the collar from the body of the jacket, just enough to be able to insert a 1 1/2" strip of faux leather plus the seam allowances. Then the back seam was split open, leaving the lining intact.

Speaking of seam allowances, it's rather interesting what you find when you de-construct a ready to wear jacket.  One side of the center back seam was actually less than a 1/4"!

No lie! If I had worn this jacket and sneezed, the back seam would have split apart!

Anyway, that got corrected. 

Next, I trimmed the back pieces so that the new strip, when inserted, wouldn't change the width of the jacket back. I sewed the faux leather strip to each side of the back seam:

Perfect!  Then all I had to do is reattach the collar!

The sleeves were cut from  a ribbed turtleneck sweater. Easy peasy..I just cut them out, leaving myself about a 3/8" seam allowance, and then sewed the sleeves into the jacket:

I used my serger to finish these seams.

I'm really liking the results so far.... next step? Trimming out the front and adding a zipper, then attaching that cute little faux collar!

I can't wait to show you!