Prepping for a Susan Kahlje Class

Click for a Closer View

Click for a Closer View

This Friday Ann is hosting Susan Kahlje at the Gorgeous Fabrics Studio and I finally fixed on my project.  For a while I’ve wanted to make a Lagerfeld-era Chanel jacket.  I really like this one from spring 2010 RTW.  Photoshop is great for altering photos to pick up details; the highlights were darkened and the shadows lightened.  As you can see there is more to this jacket than you might assume from the runway photo:

• There is a conventional shoulder seam
• The side panel is uneven
• The front black panel appears to be steam shrunk to  keep the grain of the boucle aligned with the pattern piece

I also believe the black panel has been just laid on top of the upper bodice piece and stitched down; the white and black fashion fabric trim hides this lapped seam; a lapped seam also keeps the jacket fluid.

The trim is simple but ingenious:

• There is a lace underlay on the sleeves and the black panels
• The black panels also have double (looks to be bias) fashion fabric trim around the outer edges.
• There is a zipper closure
• The collar edge has more fashion fabric fringe as do the sleeves

Fortunately I found this jacket from Burda WOF to use as a base:

• The basic shape is the same in terms of the princess seam placement
• I’ll re-draft the two piece sleeves into a three-piece sleeves and shorten them
• The bottom of the armhole may need to be raised because this is an outwear pattern
• The collar needs to be a little wider and shorter
• The facings and other details are eliminated
• I’ll need to draft the front panel (the black pieces on the original)

Today I need to trace off the pattern and do traditional thread traced muslin so that Susan can help me fit and re-draft the sleeves.