Out for a Stroll

Last week’s Sew Weekly Challenge was all about buttonholes. 

It is rather ridiculous, but buttonholes still scare me.  I abhor the idea of finishing a garment completely and then sticking it under a machine and hoping for the best.  Have you ever tried to unpick a machine made buttonhole?  And I have never been able to get my machine to make a perfectly balanced buttonhole, so unless they are invisible on the finished product, I avoid them at all costs. 

Besides, vintage-loving me has always preferred bound buttonholes.  However, each and every project that involves buttons always slows me way down because I would rather be doing just about anything else!  I know I am not alone in my fear, and somehow that helps.  Perhaps that was the idea behind Mena’s challenge this week.

Here is yet another Vintage Vogue reproduction.  Hope you aren’t getting bored with them because there will be many more to come!

Vogue 2444 was released in 2000, before I was consistently stalking the Vogue website for each and every new Vintage Vogue.  Luckily I found this one over on etsy last year.  I love the style lines!

I actually had my fabrics picked out and ready to go over the Christmas holiday, but I lost my sewing motivation for a couple of weeks.  This was somewhat concerning, seeing as I just signed up for The Sew Weekly!  Thankfully, I have returned to the sewing room with a bunch of new ideas – hopefully a few of them will get created this year!

As soon as I saw that this week’s challenge involved buttonholes, I was motivated to get back to the project. 

Thankfully, I had some Zeus lining in my stash in navy – it would seem that JoAnn Fabrics is no longer carrying it.  Aargh!  Every time I find a fabric in their stock that I actually like, they discontinue it.  Why?!  So I guess I am going to have to start rationing what remains in my stash.

I used some cotton for my sew-in interfacing.

For this particular pattern, because the fabric was a bit on the thick side, I used Gertie’s bound buttonhole tutorial.  And it worked beautifully.  I still have a bit of leftover silk organza from this project, and it really works great to create a bound buttonhole when the fabric is on the thick side.

The pattern was quite quick to sew up.  The swing jacket is not a silhouette I generally am drawn to, but the sleeves alone made the suit worth a try!  And I love the pockets (although they are not very utilitarian).

And, of course, my seams are bound with my favorite rayon binding.  The skirt seams are all covered, but because the swing jacket has plenty of ease built in, I did not feel that it was necessary to bind each and every one.  

I also decided to line the skirt, so I made a duplicate in my lining fabric, dropped it into the skirt, basted the waist edge, and then applied the facing (cut from my lining fabric to keep the thickness to a minimum) and invisibly sewed it to the lining.

My hat was made using Vogue 7657.  

I really must remember to look in my hat boxes more often – I have a tendency to forget about them – out of sight, out of mind, right?!  The hat was completed years ago, but I believe this is only the second time it has ventured beyond the walls of my apartment.  Accessories really do make a difference!

Suit:  Made by me, Vogue 2444

Blouse:  Banana Republic

Hat:  Made by me, Vogue 7657

Shoes:  Colin Stuart for Victoria’s Secret

Gloves:  Vintage

Silk Scarf:  Originally a belt, borrowed from a Gap dress

Earrings:  Gift