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Thursday, September 26, 2013

My favourite make: my Watson jacket. And a give-away!

Last november I tried something completely different decided I would make my own winter coat. I had only been sewing for a couple of months, but I figured I would make it work with the help from Gertie's book and Sew-along for the Lady Grey coat.
 I fell in love with the Watson jacket from Papercut Patterns the moment I first laid eyes on it. I wanted to make it out of red wool, since I don't often wear red and I wanted my jacket to be a statement piece. I spent a couple of hours in the fabric store in Rotterdam trying to decide if I should go with a solid or print lining. The ladies in the store wore rooting for a lining with print, but in the end I decided to stick with my gut feeling and choose a solid black lining. Which I'm soo glad I did!
I felt that there were a lot of pattern pieces to trace and cut out. Now, with a little bit more experience, I don't think it's that bad, but last november it felt like a massive task. 

I decided to try some couture techniques on my jacket. So I used horsehair to give the collar and the jacket front lapels a bit more structure. 
I followed Gertie's advice and let my horsehair soak in water for 24 hours first. It does smell very weird in your kitchen afterwards, like a sweaty horse or something.. Then I used pad stitching to attach the horsehair to my jacket front. A lot of handstitching, but soo worth it!


The horsehair gives it a nice firm shape
For the collar you have to determine the rolling point and then steam and attach it to a form, so that it will keep it's shape nicely, (details found here). I'm glad I took this photo since it was pre-blogging for me. In the end I wish I had cut the top collar part a little bit bigger, so that the seamline would roll towards the undercollar. Now you see the seamline quite well, which I'm not completely happy with. 
A work in progress..

The result
I also wanted to make bound buttonholes (another first) and tried them out on a scrap first. After my first attempt I was really happy and started on my jacket piece right away. This was a bit scary, because they have to line up horizontally and vertically. And they all have to look nice offcourse! I even made bound buttonholes for the buttonholes where I sewed the button on, so you don't really see them, but I know they're there :) 
Only one side is functional
 The lining went in smoothly, I silpstitched the lining to the shell by hand at the sleeve.  
Overall the instructions are great and even if you're a beginner, this pattern is do-able if you follow the instructions and look some terms up every now and then! I had Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing close by at all times. And the Sew-along was super helpful aswell.
What happens in our house while Jonathan is taking pictures
I wore my jacket to Lladybirds meetup in NYC last march and Lisette from What Would Nancy Drew Wear was super sweet and let me borrow her picture from the meetup!

Photo taken by Lisette
Now for the super exciting part....
To celebrate my 100th Bloglovin follower I wanted to host a give-away. And Katie from Papercut Patterns has suuper generously offered me a Watson jacket to give-away to one of you guys! 

Just leave me a comment and I would love to know what kind of fabric you would like to use for your version of this amazing jacket! She ships internationally so anyone can enter! Just make sure that I can contact you when you win (blog or email). 
The give-away will be open until October 4th and then I will randomly pick a winner! Yay!
Update: Thanks for all the comments! The give-away is now closed, I will announce the winner tomorrow!
Lazy doggies


35 comments:

  1. Beautiful job and I love the colour! I would use wool, but maybe houndstooth?

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  2. Lightweight wool.

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  3. I have a beautiful vintage wool check (cream with red and blue striped forming the checks) that I've been wanting to use for ages...

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  4. Great job on the coat! Love the statement that a red makes. Maybe a plaid wool of some type?

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  5. Beautiful coat! I have been imagining this coat in a bright multi-color plaid wool since I first saw it, but realistically, I think a solid dark green wool would get more wear and match my (non-existent plaid matching) skills better.

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  6. Yes yes, love the coat! (It's probably my favorite make too!) I'm waiting on the weather to cool down to get it out! I really like the bound buttonholes. I only decided I wanted to try when I already had the lining in place and after my attempt on a scrap, I decided to save bound buttonholes for a next time, seeing yours makes me kinda sad I didn't try...

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  7. Sara and Bitty ChickletSeptember 26, 2013 at 10:15 PM

    Love this coat but have yet to take the plunge and order it. No idea why! I had imagined something similar to the one on the cover of the pattern (grey wool with something flashy peeking through). But I am loving your red wool version so maybe I'll have to rethink my original plan. It's not a jacket that would see everyday wear so why not do something bright and fun! Oh, the possibilities...!!! Sara

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  8. AH! AH! OMG OMG PICK ME ME ME! Wow I'm worse than my students at school... lol... but seriously, if there was one pattern in all the world that I have been dying to make, it's the Watson Jacket! I love your choice of red wool! I think it would be smashing in hunter green, or a gray plaid. Congrats on your 100th follower, btw, and its so nice of Katie to offer the pattern as a giveaway! My birthday is coming up in a week or so, so if I don't win it from you, I might just splurge and buy it for myself :) But winning = free, so obviously better ;)

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  9. Geez woman you are amazing! Your jacket is to die for and you look phenomenal in it. Wow, horse hair, bound button holes...I'm in awe.

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  10. Congratulations your followers!
    I think this would look wonderful in a brown tweed -all warm and cozy!
    Thank you for hosting such a wonderful giveaway.

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  11. Don't count me in for the giveaway :) I just wanted to comment and tell you - I remember this jacket! :D HAHA I think everyone was whispering about your jacket at some point or another during the meet-up- all good things, promise! It's so beautiful in person and I love seeing the detail shots here. You did a fabulous job!

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  12. Hooray! It's lovely! I can't believe I didn't recognize what pattern it was at the meet up. I would have been inspecting it much more closely. If I had a copy I would make it up in good old fashioned tweed, with suede elbow patches so I really would feel like Watson. Or Sherlock Holmes.

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  13. What a fabulous jacket. I've been admiring the Watson for a while. I would make it in wool somewhere on the green-blue spectrum. Aqua or duck egg maybe?

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  14. Good work ! It looks very good on you ! Have a nice day

    www.ladyhourglass.blogspot.ro

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  15. Gorgeous Jacket and great attention to detail! I would make the jacket in either Grey wool or Grey tweed!

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  16. Love the Watson, it's definitely on my list for sometime in the future! I was thinking that I need a few more skills under my belt before trying it, but your post has given me the confidence to think that maybe I could attempt it now. Love your red wool version, and I think I'd definitely have to do a wool one - either a very dark grey with teal lining, or a plum/purple with a black lining....

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  17. I never thought of doing it such a bright colour but yours looks great! I would like to make it in a brown tweed or an oatmeal herringbone wool. You've made it look easy but I think I'd still struggle at this point in making something like this. I'm such a slow learner!

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  18. I've already got this pattern so don't enter me for the giveaway, but I just wanted to say that I love your jacket! It looks super impressive. This is on my "to sew" list this Autumn/Winter - can't wait to make it.

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  19. I would love this pattern. I've never sewn a jacket and this is so cute. My daughter would like one too. I think green tweed or houndstooth for me, coral or camel for her.

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  20. I love this pattern, I've been eyeing it off for ages! Your version looks fantastic. I've got a black and white silk houndstooth in my stash that's been waiting for the perfect coat pattern, this could be it!

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  21. I've been eyeing the pattern for a while now, and your jacket is amazing! I would sew it in a beautiful orange-black herringbone wool i have been eyeing as well :)

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  22. I love your jacket-- I was so impressed by it at the meetup! You can leave me out of the giveaway as I have very little time to sew right now, but I hope that one day I'll have the time to make this! Your dogs are so cute-- I just love their photos!

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  23. I just discovered your blog through Kollabora and I wish I did it before as it's amazing. That jacket is so beautiful (I have been contemplating the Watson jacket for quite some time now) and the red fabric so pretty! I have a tweed fabric I was keeping for a cape and this pattern is the perfect compromise...

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  24. I love that jacket! I guess I'd make it out of red wool, like you, or maybe a tartan fabric?
    Since I'm not sure how this DISQUS thing works, here's the link to my blog:
    http://witchhouse88.wordpress.com/

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  25. OMG, Kim! i can't believe you made this coat when only sewing for a few months. Incredible! I really love this jacket! And I love it in red (obviously).
    I'd love to make one!

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  26. That jacket is FABOLOUS! Absolutely love it :) It has a little Red riding hood look on it? :) I´d love smaragd green wool on my jacket :) I already have a red woolen coat.

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  27. The red is awesome and I'm a big fan, but I think I could also be tempted by the right shade of green or yellow. Yum, yellow.

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  28. The red is awesome and I'm always a big fan of red. Otherwise I think the right shade of green or yellow would be my choice. There's never enough of those two around. :)

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  29. It looks awesome! I wanted to make myself a cape this winter, but thought it would be a litle unpractical. This would be the perfect hybrid. I've got some black wool I'd love to make it from, with hot pink lining. I think that would look good.
    Thank you so much for the giveaway!

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  30. Oooooh! Wondeful job! I would make this jacket in a hunter green wool blend to keep me cozy in through the winter. Or maybe a mustard yellow. The possibilities are endless!

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  31. Oooh gorgeous! I love that shade of red, so pretty and cheerful for winter. :-)


    I've had my eye on this pattern for a while - I love Papercut patterns! I think I'd use a pink/yellow/cream wool blend I have for it.....

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  32. Oooh gorgeous! I love that shade of red - so pretty and cheerful for winter. :-)


    I've had my eye on the Watson jacket for a while. I love Papercut, such great styles! :-) I think I'd make up a Watson in a pink/cream/yellow wool blend I have.....

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  33. Your jacket is gorgeous!! I have admired the pattern for ages, and now I will have to take the plunge! Looks great!

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  34. Gorgeous jacket! I would love to make one in teal or burgundy. I even might buy the fabric in the same shop as you did, as I live in Rotterdam too!

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  35. What an awesome accomplishment this jacket is! It looks great!!

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