My Chanel Jacket

This jacket is part of a Chanel Sew Along. Our references for this project were Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer and several articles found in Threads Magazine.

 

My pattern is from PMB 5. I design the pattern and cut the fabric before I realized I had an issue with my neck and shoulders not importing over correctly from PMB 4. So I adopted the phrase that Tim Gunn likes to say “make it work”. And I did.

The garment is the Classic Jacket with a curved vee front neckline, jewel back neckline, fitted sides and back, single breasted, and a straight hemline. I used the shoulder princess seam on the front and back. The sleeve is a two piece sleeve which I modified. My shoulder pad setting was 1/2 inch. I took the pattern into Pattern Editor and made two modifications. I reversed the curve of the neck opening and I curved the cuffs. The inspiration for the curved cuffs came for Vogue pattern V8259 and Coco’s Cuff’s by Claire Shaeffer Threads issue # 151

The fabric is woven plaid cashmere. I found the fabric at an estate sale and had a limited amount. Matching plaids starts with the cutting of the fabric. To make this easier I printed a left and right pattern. I had no fabric to spare.

One of the articles we referenced for construction techniques is Inside a Chanel Jacket by Susan Kahjle Threads issue # 121. One of the trademarks of a Chanel Jacket is it subtle quilting. The quilting is usually done by machine. This fabric did not lend itself to subtleness when machine quilted. As a result, all the quilting in this jacket was hand done. With this dilemma I decided to construct the jacket first and the lining second, and the quilting somewhere in the middle.

Another trademark of a Chanel Jacket is the trim. I searched for trim in around the area but was unable to find anything that went with the fashion fabric. I then decided that cording might be the solution. I went to Fabric Mart and found some wool crepe to make the cording. I cut bias strips and sewed a soft rope from my stash into the cording with a zipper foot. I attached the cording. As I went to put in the lining, I discovered that the jacket had grown. By adjusting the cording I was able to fit the outer part of the jacket to the lining. I did have an issue with the length. I used the fabric from the cording to make a facing and I was able to complete the lining.

The last construction technique is the chain at the bottom of the jacket which helps the jacket hang nicely. This was sewn on by hand where the lining meets the fashion fabric. The key to sewing on the chain is that it can be neither to loose or two tight.