Pekka Jacket

Pattern/Technique: Pekka Jacket by Ready to Sew in size 50, view A (narrow collar, non-folded sleeves)

Modifications: n/a

Materials: 2.75 yds Kaufman Essex (cotton linen blend) in Navy for exterior. 3 yds Ankara cloth for lining (cut on cross-grain to have large rosettes at the bottom of the jacket lining).

New skills: bagging a jacket lining

Lessons: I think because I used two different types of fabric (cotton/linen exterior and cotton lining) and cut the lining fabric on the cross-grain, I ended up with the exterior fabric growing and being larger than the lining at the sleeve hems and bottom hem of the jacket. I cheated the sleeve hems and made a small pleat in the exterior fabric to make it match the lining. The remedy for the bottom hem was more extensive:

• Steamed the exterior fabric (cotton/linen essex) to tighten up the fabric weave.

• Aligned the lining with the bottom hem and folded under excess fabric to prevent the lining from relaxing below the exterior fabric. (I had this happen with the black & white Unfolding Jacket I made where I cut the mariners cloth lining on the cross-grain.)

• Basted and stabilized the lining & main fabrics using Wonder Tape.

• Hand sewed the seam using a blind stitch.

Hand sewing through Wonder Tape was horrible. The moisture on my hands activated the adhesive so I had sticky fingers and a sticky needle. I ended up removing the piece hanging out of the steam 2/3 of the way through hand sewing for sanity. Next time I’ll be more careful with my placement to make sure I’m not stitching through the Wonder Tape.

Thread gloss is a boon for preventing knots in thread while hand sewing.

What I'd do differently: Next time I’ll cut the lining on the grain so that I can compensate for the exterior fabric stretching using the cross-grain stretch of the lining fabric.

Care: Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry.

Glebe Pants (aka Fancy Pants)

Pattern/Technique: Muna & Broad Glebe Pants, size ii view A (unlined)

Modifications: Added 5 inches length at bottom hem. Folded a double hem (1” for first fold, then 1.5” for second fold). Used 36” elastic at waist, with 1” overlap.

Materials: 3.25 yds 100% cotton Ankara cloth from House of Mami Wata.

New skills: n/a

Lessons: Make sure to fuse the interfacing to the pants piece, not the pocket piece (I did the latter and when I flipped the pocket bag the interfacing stuck out of the pocket seam, so I had to remove it and fuse it again to the correct piece.

While sewing the folded waistband edge to the interior of the pants, pinning parallel along the seam edge will help it stay in place and overlap the interior stitching line.

I was initially going to also remove 1” from the rise because my Ninni culottes are too long in the rise. But when I compared the crotch shapes of the 2 patterns they were quite different, so I decided to make the Glebe pants as specced with the original rise. The rise is perfect so I’m glad I didn’t make that adjustment.

I experimented with cinching the waistband elastic an extra inch compared to the navy essex Sculthorpe pants I made earlier, and similar to the Sculthorpes I didn’t topstitch the elastic. If I notice any rolling of the elastic I’ll do a zigzag topstitch.

What I'd do differently: I’m stoked about how these turned out and I’d love to make another set in a linen, and a lined view B set in wool suiting.

Care: Machine wash cold, lay flat to dry.