Saturday, February 13, 2010

Nancy Erickson 1945 Jacket


I finished my 1945 jacket yesterday. We had a snow day in Montgomery, AL due to 3 1/2 inches of snow - biggest snow since 1993! So I took full advantage and completed my jacket. It has been an interesting journey. I planned this jacket over a year ago and had all of the lining, interfacing, and shoulder pads ready to go. I waited until now to start it.

I could say that I procrastinated because last year was so busy. I began dating, planned a wedding, and married. However, I managed to make several other pieces during the year. As I began this project, I realized that subconsciously I wanted to make something special for my mother's funeral. As I began the jacket, I thought a great deal about her and how much she taught me. Now that I have completed it, I know that my mother only has a few days to live. God certainly works in mysterious ways.

The jacket had it's challenges. I was very proud of the fact I made perfect welt pockets, only to discover they were both going in the same direction! So I had to rip out an entire section of the jacket and begin again. Then, I cut the top part of the jacket too large and had to do some significant altering. Thanks to Nancy Erickson herself, I now have the fit just right!

I had made pants using the Textile studio Soho Pants pattern a couple of years ago out of the same fabric. They look great with the jacket. This was definitely a sewing challenge, I learned several techniques and lessons along the way. As Nancy said, the next jacket will definitely be easier.