Sewing Workshop Pearl Jacket

My second jacket sewn during the long business trip was the Pearl Jacket.  This was made out of a textured silk fabric but I don't know the name of the fabric type.  I tried to capture a photo of the fabric in the second photo.  While this jacket may not be dressy enough for business, it will be perfect to wear on travel days and more casual office days.  A very comfortable jacket that almost has the feel of a cardigan.

Sewing Workshop Valencia Jacket

Here is the first jacket completed on my long business trip.  The fabric is a watercolor silk shantung purchased at Fabric Mart.  I love how this jacket turned out and will be just the right weight for summer.  I may even pair it with white jeans or Capri's for an upcoming vacation.  This jacket went together very quick and was the perfect travel sewing project as it didn't require very many notions.

Sewing and Business Travel

Most of you don't know that I travel part or all of every week most months of the year.  While I travel some during January and February, I travel through out the U.S. and Canada every week from March through November.  While most travel days are 10 hour days, about 5 times a year I get evenings free in the same hotel (hard to get much done on the weeks where you change hotel rooms every night) or a free weekend.  I try to pack a sewing project every week which is usually the hand sewing needed for a project, tracing a pattern or a hand embroidery project.  For those 5 times a year, I bring a sewing machine with me.

This week is the first of the sewing trips this year.

This is one of my carry-on bags:

And it holds my sewing machine.  This is my travel Brother machine that is also an embroidery machine so has a more powerful motor.  And it also has my favorite feature, the thread cutting button. I try to protect the  bobbin winder and thread intake on the top with foam and batting.  While I don't have to take it out for TSA screening, most of the screeners have never seen one go through the airport except for my regular TSA people in Fresno.

I made this padded bag for notions so scissors and pins won't stick through my luggage.  These are the notions I brought with me for this trip.

And these are the projects I plan to work on this week when I get time.  I cut the fabric at home and run through every notion I need for that project and put them all together in a zip lock bag.

The sewing notions and fabric all go in to my checked luggage.  Can't forget the most important part of the sewing supplies - the foot pedal, sewing feet, bobbins and power cord.

The reason I have all this room in my checked luggage for sewing supplies is that I build my travel wardrobe around black. I wear a pair of black pants and shoes to travel and pack another pair of black pants and shoes.  All my tops coordinate with black pants and I try to wear each top at least twice on a trip.

Hope all the free time I anticipate happens for sewing and I have something to post in a few days.

Red and black jacket

My second light weight jacket without a collar.  This polyester was almost too light in weight so I fused interfacing to each jacket piece.  It is also lined with black polyester fabric.  I love how this one turned out and will wear this a lot this summer.  Time now to take a break from the Fashion Sewing Group pattern 1945.

Teal and charcoal jacket

Now that I have a jacket pattern that fits (trust me that this jacket fits me better than the mannequin) I wanted to make some lighter weight jackets.  This is the first one made with Fashion Sewing Group 1945 without the collar.  The jacket fabric is a polyester light weight fabric and lining is polyester as well.  Both fabrics came from the LA garment district.  I finished the hand sewing while on a trip last week and wore it to a cocktail party with black pants and shell with silver jewelry.

Fashion Sewing Group Pattern #1945 - Teal Dupioni

I have decided April is jacket month and am going to see how many I can get done.  These take a little longer to make when you line them and I serge every seam after it is sewn.  Still, they are faster to make than a quilt.:)

This teal polyester dupioni came from the garment district in Los Angeles and has a polyester lining to match.  I still want to practice more on jackets before I get brave enough to make one in a more expensive fabric.

For this jacket, I eliminated the vent on the sleeve and decided to try it without buttons.  I really like how this turned out and will wear this a lot this spring when I am in the office.  Not sure how this will remain wrinkle free for travel.

Fashion Sewing Group Pattern #1945 -Red and black

After sewing the Silhouette Pattern Jacket, I wanted to sew a jacket that was put together more traditionally and looked more finished inside.  I have had this princess seam jacket pattern from Fashion Sewing Group for a few years but wasn't brave enough to try it.  It has a vented sleeve (my first) and is fully lined.  After three muslins, I got the fit right so the jacket went together pretty smoothly.  The fabric is a red with black sueded polyester I had in my stash and I lined it with black polyester.  The buttons also came from my stash. I thought I needed an uneven number of buttons on the front and with the large buttons I chose, I think I should have stayed with two.  Next time.

I am pleased with the fit and the jacket.  It looks boxy on the mannequin but then when I look in the mirror, I look boxy too.  This should be a good travel jacket as I don't think it will wrinkle too much.