FINALLY: Vogue 8718 Suit in DKNY Stretch Linen

FINALLY! YAY!

I started this suit back in February when it would have been very wearable and not shivery weather like now (coldest May in 40 years for Sydney), and I came very close to finishing it in a relatively short time. But for some reason I stopped at the point of press stud jacket closures and taking in / lining the skirt. There was so little left to do that I can't believe it took me so long to get here! Anyway, I got around to finishing the jacket one evening last week, and yesterday I finished off the skirt. 

All along I have loved this suit, but I was quite worried about messing it up, especially in the final steps - which is where I typically mess up. I didn't this time, and I  absolutely love the finished suit. I think it's a really interesting jacket shape - I love that it *makes* a waist, and accentuates shoulders. If I saw this shape of jacket in a shop I would really be drawn to try it on.

It also feels quite an achievement to have made a proper work suit!







The story of the suit - a series of fortunate events
Back in the first week of February this year, first week back at school, saying bye in the playground, I ran into a friend. She was wearing a gorgeous dark grey linen suit with raglan sleeves, a peplum with foldover details and I think also deep pleats in the bodice and skirt. It looked so flattering and unusual that I found myself really wishing I had one like it, to the point of nearly emailing her to ask where she'd bought it. I even went looking in the shops near my office - but I didn't find it. When I realised this Vogue pattern was rather similar I was just delighted.  I ordered the pattern, and popped along to the linen sale at The Fabric Store in Sydney on the off chance. Surprisingly I found a very similar looking fabric (DKNY stretch linen). No excuses left, I got cracking on my copycat suit!

Here's the pattern envelope picture of the V8718 suit jacket and skirt - it's one of those very useful wardrobe builder patterns, so there are also pants, top and dress patterns included.  
 

Fitting and sewing a suit
I was such a keen bean that I didn't stop to make a muslin or even check measurements - just ploughed ahead with a straight size 14, widened a little at waist and hips. This crazy fast start caused my only real fit issue - I should have made a small bust adjustment and removed a little depth from the front bodice. Otherwise the jacket fits well, albeit with raglan shoulder pads to create shoulders...

Fit seems OK at the back too!

The skirt is pretty straightforward but I made it too large initially, and have had several lots of take-ins on the side seams to get it to fit properly. The pattern has the skirt unlined, but the jacket is fully lined and ends up being quite heavy for a summer jacket so I thought the skirt needed lining so as to be a consistent weight.  I had different recommendations from different people about lining this skirt: one person counselled a stretch lining made the same size, one suggested a regular lining made wider than the skirt (the fabric is quite stretchy) and another said I couldn't possibly make my lining wider than the skirt and that regular lining didn't come with stretch so I should consider using a jersey (!!). In the end I took my own advice and cut and sewed my normal lining fabric a little wider than the skirt.  I then tried it on and wore it for a while around the house with every intention of taking in the lining if it was making the skirt bulge - but I don't think it does, and I don't think you can tell.

Feel free to let me know if you think it is particularly noticeable as it wouldn't be too hard to change, and I'm unlikely to be able to wear this for a while now that we're in winter weather here in Sydney...

Check out these crazy sleeves - the upper sleeve seam line is longer than the lining and is folded and sewn to the lining at strategic points.

There's some hand-sewing on the inside to attach the bodice lining to the peplum - here's a view looking inside the jacket. I used large black snaps, sewn on with top stitching thread (probably unorthodox). I didn't use any of Sherry's RTW tips because I came close to finishing this jacket before starting the RTW sewalong... which I have not yet completed :-(.

If you're on the other side of the globe and contemplating this as a summer suit, I can highly recommend it - so long as you're OK with having more than the usual number of pieces to cut out for the jacket. The pattern is very straightforward and the pieces go together well, and they make a really distinctive suit.

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Late Edit:
Audrey mentioned in the comments below that this pattern was an exact copy of an Akris designer jacket, so I went image searching - and sure enough it is! So here's the Akris original in two different colours:

 

The skirt and pants are quite different from the pattern though.

23 -25 March 2011: Sewing Sneaks into MMM

I know I'm getting slacker about uploading me made March photos to Flickr and about posting with details... the thing is, I just don't have much spare time, and I'm slow at reviewing photos (which are mostly dreadful and need firm cropping). On the days when I'm uploading/blogging I don't seem to get any sewing done!

I have a backlog - today and the previous two days - but that means I've also achieved some sewing :-).

I made a "draft" version of the skirt from V8718 last week, and this week made some pleasing progress on the matching V8718 jacket.

The fabric is a DKNY stretch linen (linen with lycra I believe) that I stumbled on and couldn't resist at The Fabric Store.

V8718 doesn't have you line the skirt but as the matching jacket is fully lined I think the skirt needs it - the photo on the left shows the skirt pre-lining, pre-taking it in a bit, pre-hand sewing etc. Different fabric stores gave me different advice on lining a stretch woven skirt... one said make the lining bigger than the skirt, another said d NOT make the lining bigger or it will make the skirt bumpy. I will try it out with a slightly too big lining and see how it looks...




And here's a jacket progress shot:

I guess you can't tell yet... I've also made the peplum but not yet attached it to the top part. I think the next steps are to make the lining version, make the collar, sew outer and lining together, and make the gathers in the sleeves.

So far I love the jacket - lots of cutting out (not fun) but the sewing part has been easy.  I haven't made any size adjustments (just a straight 14) so it may not fit perfectly, but I think it looks OK on my dressmaker's dummy.

And here are my MMM outfits:

Today, going to a childcare appointment and working from home: the yellow Burda skirt (issue 7/2009, pattern 111), again worn backwards, worn with a top from Trenery, and orange flatties (not shown):




This skirt is now officially in my wardrobe - a useful skirt.
















Yesterday, a regular work day: a top from Vogue 2859 top (a 1935 pattern reissue) with a RTW skirt, the usual black flatties:

Not in.

This top slithered around on me all day, threatening to undo itself despite a knot. It only managed to do it once, luckily while I was still at home. I think I would be more confident wearing this over a dress though.









The day before yesterday, another regular work day: Vogue 1086 dress with slip that I wouldn't normally wear to work. Worn with turquoise frilly cardigan from Veronika Maine and camper shoes from a great sale a few years ago:




I love these shoes so much, and I think the cardigan improves on the dress, but the dress remains the sort of thing to wear when everything else is dirty (or when it's me made March).