Back to Basics, Black Blazer Edition

Every time I move, my wardrobe gets a real workout – I have to pick and choose those few garments that will a. fit in a suitcase, b. mix-and-match to the max, c. cover a variety of social/professional situations, and d. provide maximum comfort for travel and moving. That’s a lot to ask of just a few items! Since moving usually entail interviews for new jobs, etc., I have to make sure to include at least one work-worthy outfit, since I never know when the rest of my things will arrive (my sewing machines – and most of my wardrobe – are *still* in transit!! Agh!).

Anywho, that long, blabby paragraph exists simply to preface another one of my late-2015 creations: the perfect black blazer. Which has turned out to be the saving grace of my suitcase, since it dresses up most outfits while providing the necessary warmth to combat the now-frigid northeast.

The pattern is, yet again, my beloved Morris Blazer by Grainline Studio. To make the piece even more versatile, I lengthened the sleeves to full-length instead of 3/4 to allow for more layering possibilities. I managed to accumulate a lot of 3/4-length sleeves while in San Francisco, which, sadly, will not be as useful back east, since the New England doesn’t stick to that “sweet spot” of 65 degrees for very long each year. Alas.

But back to the blazer. The fabric I used is a strangely spongey stable knit. It was a bit of a pain to topstitch – I’m still not thrilled with the job I did – but other than that, behaved reasonably well. It also vehemently resisted pressing, and I ended up having to use a taylor’s ham like a wooden clapper (since I don’t own a clapper) to get them to lay flat.

The fabric also has a fun geometric pattern woven into it that adds some extra interest to an otherwise plain garment. I especially like how the pattern mirrors the shape of the shawl collar (yes, that was intentional…).

In other news, I’m getting ready to (hopefully!) get started on the coat project I mentioned in my last post by tracing the pattern, which is quite a task, since it has over 20 pieces! I’ve decided to do the Grainline Cascade Duffle Coat, view B, since that seems the most practical for New England winters. Now I just need my sewing machines and my fabric to arrive from the west coast…hmph…