The Tabula Rasa Jacket Pattern (TRJ) has some of its deepest roots in quilting. My grant-funded collaboration with quilters and weavers from the Potomac Fiber Art Guild helped me realize that the TRJ is the perfect base for quilted jackets and vests. Consider quilting a jacket this fall. Cool weather…
Category: French Jackets
Spring Celebration Jackets
We love to celebrate spring with fresh Tabula Rasa Jackets (TRJs) in colors and fabrics that chase away the winter blues. I am lucky to have a variety of spring jackets in my closet that have this very effect. It makes getting dressed for Easter Sunday easier, even though here…
Sew! Let’s Get Dressed – Trimming the French Jacket
One of the last steps in completing a Tabula Rasa French jacket is to apply the trim. I love the way trim personalizes the jacket; trims can keep the jacket conservative and predictable, dress it up, provide an artful edge, or give it a fanciful finish. Whichever direction you choose…
Sew! Let’s Get Dressed – Managing the French Jacket Handwork
The Tabula Rasa French jacket pieces are quilted to the lining and the bouclé seams have been sewn on the machine. Reaching this place is satisfactory because after hours of basting, fitting and quilting there is actually a jacket. But one look at the inside reminds you that there is…
Sew Let’s Get Dressed- French Jacket Tools and Tricks
Much of the sewing on a couture French jacket is handwork. I can attest to this fact because even though I spend several hours a day hand stitching, my jacket is not finished. I have found that having a supply of good needles close by is helpful and so is…
Sew! Let’s Get Dressed – Cutting Out French Jackets
Welcome back to a post about our Tabula Rasa French Jacket experiment. We find ourselves at the scariest part of any fine sewing project, cutting apart your precious fabric. In the design stage everything seems so perfect; you have sketched your ideas and gathered materials, constructed and fit the mock-up,…
Sew! Lets Get Dressed – Fitting French Style Jackets
Last week the photos of bouclé had us all drooling. This week the photos of pattern work and mock-up adjustment are pretty boring, but we all know that our bouclé jackets won’t get worn if the fit is not comfortable and the styling pleasing to the eye. That is why…
Sew! Lets Get Dressed – French Jacket Fabric
Why does bouclé always look so beguiling at the fabric store? I believe it is the interesting mix of textures and colors that draw me in. So, I must also confess that four times I have succumbed to the temptation and purchased pieces of this stunning fabric. My first two…