Pattie Suit issues (and music!)

So after all of that fun making jammies and jumping on the bed, I'm now feeling worse for wear. The gloomy wet weather has finally taken its toll and handed me a cold. On top of that my Pattie suit is not going as well as I'd like. (see the original post here)

Considering I normally make dresses and easily whip them up in 2 or 3 sessions, making something with more of a challenge sometimes leaves you feeling a bit silly and hopeless.

All that supposed expertise flies out the window

Does this happen to you sometimes? Doing something harder than normal which leaves you feeling like a dunce?

Back to the jacket - The bodice is fine, but the sleeves and collar are really starting to irk me. According to the instructions I need to sew the collar on - well what I would deem to be upside down. I'm a little confused by this and so I decided to do what my sewing book says as the original instructions are terrible!

The sleeves have also been giving my sick little head much grief. Once I'd sewn them in, I ran off to try on the jacket and once I looked in the mirror I immediately saw myself as a kid trying on my mum’s jacket.

The sleeves were so huge and bunchy. I deduced that this was because I had taken in the side seam, but not the seam in the arm, so I unpicked the set in sleeves which was a pain to do in the first place, narrowed the sleeves and brought the hem up 2 inches and sewed them back in again.

Goodness! I needed a good lie down after that!

Tomorrow I will probably tack in the shoulder pads and sleeve heads - which give the shoulders more support and body, and sew on the collar and front facing.

The next tricky thing to try will be the lining. This isn't so bad but I'm trying to work out which method to use - either the "bag" method, where you turn the jacket inside out, sew all the seams and turn in back out via the bottom hem (a good tutorial here) 

Or my favourite (and most time consuming) the hand stitched lining - where by you insert the lining into the jacket and sew it all closed using slip stitches.

I prefer the hand stitches as I can control where the stitches are going and because it’s a good time to sit with the boy while watching terrible TV.

And for all the non-sewing readers who have stuck by this far - here's some little suited up treats for you (and some music to pep you up!)

Enjoy dearies - I hope you evade all sicknesses this week!

Bill Blass suit pattern

George Harrison in a double breasted suit

Cathy McGowan in probably one of the best poses ever

Jean Shrimpton

Advertisement for Younger Wetherall

Sixties siren Britt Ekland dresses up a simple suit with a beret

Steve Marriott

Justin Hayward from The Moody Blues and Ian Gillian from Episode Six modelling Carnaby Street kaftans, 1967

Two models in colorfully patterned wool tweed suits, 1967

Cathy McGowan Boutique Catalogue

The dapper Alan Holston

Cat xo