September 04, 2006

The Captain's Linen Jacket is all seamed up with knitted on neckband and intarsia stripes worked up on the front and back. Woo hoo! Here are sneaky peeks:




Now the bad news. It is not finished, because it has no zipper. And the reason that it has no zipper is because the zipper that I have - which is the 35 cm zipper ordered through Phildar for this particular jacket - is too short. After I checked the schematics, measured my front pieces and verified that everything is the way that it should be, I noticed that this pattern calls for a 35 cm zipper for both the 5 year old AND 7 year old sizes. In all fairness to Phildar, I have to admit that I understand why they did this. Zippers in France are available in increments of 5 cm when longer than 15 cm. Other lengths can sometimes be special-ordered through some, but not all, notions shops (like my beloved La Mercerie in La Croix Rousse), but Phildar does not take these special orders because they do not fabricate these notions themselves. If Phildar suggested a 40 cm zipper for the 7 year old size instead of the 35 cm one, you'd have to sacrifice the rolled hem of the jacket. But this is an element that I would like to keep and sewing a zipper along the entire length of the jacket would flatten it out. (In the pattern the rolled hem is not sewn to the zipper.) Still, I think that a 38 cm zipper would be a better fit for this jacket. Here's to hoping that La Mercerie can special-order one in the right color and in that length, because sometimes it's a no go. Oh, well. Instead of griping further, basically I can:

a) Do what the pattern writers expect me to do by sewing a 35 cm in length zipper onto a 38 cm in length cardigan (not counting the rolled hem, which is an element I want to keep), even though the front edges will probably get all puckered in an unattractive fashion. OR...

b) If possible, special order a 38 cm in length zipper (notions shops only carry them in increments of 5 cm, hence my having to special order it) even though this delays my boy wearing his jacket for a few more days. I'm also tempted to order the 40 cm from Phildar and cutting off the 2 cm in excess because this zipper is nicer and the perfect color, unlike the one I can get at the notions shop, but it might take a REALLY long time to arrive. (Oops. Strike that part. This wouldn't work because this is a jacket zipper that needs to be opened at the bottom.

Sigh. I choose option b.

While I wait for the notions shop to open (isn't just my luck that it's closed on Mondays?), here's a little personal fashion blab for those who are interested in a peek at what I'd like to knit and sew this fall:

I've always been fascinated by corsets and bustiers and have worn tops or dresses inspired by them for years. Unlike all my aunts and my cousins, upon whom the family gene pool decided to bestow generous bra sizes, I got the short end of the stick in the boobage department. But the family gene pool decided to make up for its boobage stinginess with me by giving me a particularly small waist, so I've long held a fascination for garments that emphasize that body part. Many pages of my designer sketchbook shows photos of corsets, bustiers or corset-style belts with rough sketches I've made of corset-inspired blouses and tops. [Here is a peek at one of those sketches, which I drew back in January.] And let's not forget bustier dress-style top or my recycled outfit of last March, which featured a denim bustier (layered, of course...again, I love layering) made from an 80s jean skirt I got from a thrift shop. In short, waist emphasis is a look I've always favored and as a result it manages to show itself in some way in the designs I've presented at fashion school (including my dress* for the end of the year fashion show; it was a blousy baby doll number with a smocked waist-hugging wide belt in the same fabric), and I have a feeling this detail will always find its way in the clothes I'll be designing afterwards.

*I'll try to remember to show it when school lets back in. It was kept to be shown in Paris so I don't have it here at home.

Anyway. Due to my little "thing" for this look, you can bet that I'm personally all over the bustiers and corsets that are popping up for next season. A few of my favorite haute couture looks are Lagerfeld's bustier and Prada's corset, because theirs are cut in masculine fabrics in neutral colors and shown layered, which takes away from the possible "too much" effect a bustier or corset can have as casual wear. As for knits, Anthropologie has a knit corset that looks like it was inspired by Dolce and Gabbana's "snow bunny" knit corsets. As for all the bustier/corset patterns I've seen, my absolute favorites are the crochet corset (which reminds me of the sketch I made back in spring) in Rowan 40 and Kim Hargreaves's "Soul" from the Calmer Collection, which I knit for my sister back in summer 2003:




And that's the end of my personal fashion chat for today. If there are others who also like the look I blabbed about today (I know that there are others who don't, and you can just save your typing fingers there :-), feel free to share your favorites with my corset/bustier lovin' heart!

« Category | Main