Akris Spring 2006, part 2

You know, I never finished my notes on the Akris spring
collection. You might not care, but this
blog has become my journal of what I am thinking and working on, where I keep
notes to go with the assorted odd photos I take, and although it may seem odd
to keep my sewing journal here, it is better for me than the notebooks and bits
of paper I have used in the past. Generally, I have never managed to keep a sewing inspiration notebook,
except for the collage of pictures I keep each year. Those are useful. But if I want notes on something specific I
want to do, I put it in whatever notebook I have at hand, or on my palm, or on
a little scribbled up piece of paper. Then it gets thrown in a box, if I am lucky, or lost otherwise. I never managed to keep a serious journal
because I never have it on hand when I want it, and then I somehow don’t manage
to transcribe my scribbled notes to the journal when I get home. 

The computer is usually accessible. The internet is accessible from anywhere,
hence my new set of notes to myself.

And on to Akris, or at least what I remember because six
weeks after I started this I am already starting to forget.

The second jacket I wanted to discuss has basically the same
shape as the one showcased on February 21 but the fabric is different:

This fabric is a smooth woven, fairly substantial, with some
drape. The cut is much the same as the
other jacket. Since February I have
looked at Neue Mode patterns as well, and I think the basic shape of this
jacket is closet to the original although any of the patterns mentioned would
work.

This jacket has interfacing at all the
seams. Narrow, approximately 1” strips
are fused at the stitching line and the seams are sewn down the middle of the
interfacing. The edges are serged or
overcast, folded under and topstitched.

I am sure the hems are interfaced as well. The only other interfacing is sew-in at the
shoulders. You can see it through the
lining, along with the shoulder pads, in the photo below. Notice the lining, a light hymo, is simply
pinked at the edge. I remain not particularly fond of the half lining.

My final photo is of the trim detail at the
collars. This is simply a narrow trim
that is wrapped around the edge, where a slight ridge is formed by the
thickness of the seam allowances inside. The trim is functional in that it hides that detail and highly
decorative. The trim is truly wrapped,
it is on both sides of the collar, and sewn in place. I think this little thing is what makes the
jacket. In fact it is the way the trim
is used and the interfaced seams that make this jacket seem interesting.

Of course there is more:

The next jacket is made out of a beefy silk matka in a
deep rich hot pink.

The photo doesn’t really do it justice. This jacket is longer, low hip length, and it
is a pretty standard fitted princess seam jacket. The curve of the bottom is not something I
think I am fond of, but then, that is why I like to make my own jackets. The matka is fused in front and the front of the jacket is
lined. The back is unlined.

The seaming detail is interesting. It is not what I expected it to be.

It’s not done how you, or I at least, might have thought:

Although you really can’t see the detail here, the edges are
serged. One seam allowance is sewn down,
giving the jacket that faux-felled seam look. Very easy.

I also really like the collar:

As you see, these two jackets really aren’t all that
complicated. It would not be that
difficult to make something similar. The
seam details ARE interesting. They
remind me that I often tend to try to make things far more complicated than
they need to be.