Twelve in '11

Great sewing minds think alike.  I'm joining in with Robin, Robin's blog Carolyn,  Carolyn's blog and other talented sewers around the globe.  Gigi's wonderful posts Gigi's  about her 2010 jackets had me pondering this week....and it turns out that there are numbers of us on the same wavelength.  Let's make 2011 the year of the jacket.

Jacket sewing is really what inspired me to re-enter the world of fashion sewing.  One of the first jackets I made was a pattern from Sandra Betzina's No Time To Sew pattern collection. No Time to Sew on Etsy
 It was a shawl collar, dolman sleeve (it was the early 90's after all) jacket and I did my first piping on it.  Her TV show on HGTV, Sew Perfect,  and her infectious enthusiasm were so inspiring.  Even now I beam when I recall a woman at a sewing conference complimenting me on the color and piping detail of that jacket.

At one of those sewing expos I heard Nancy Erickson of The Fashion Sewing group speak.  Nancy Erickson's site  What was memorable about her talk was the advice to spend your precious sewing time on things you probably couldn't or wouldn't buy....designer jackets.....and not on things that you probably could already afford....T shirts.  Wow, that was entirely different from how my mother approached sewing and it struck a nerve.  I subscribed to Nancy's newsletter for years, bought her patterns and even attended a long weekend workshop.  I never got her jacket pattern to work for me....that low armhole, even after many alterations never fit my bust and upper bust area to my liking.   But then Sarah Veblen Sarah's site fit me a few years ago and it's been fun ever since then to make jackets.

Count me in for 2011.  Jackets fit my lifestyle, my body and have great paybacks for my time.  I have some TNT patterns that I can adapt and there are a few that I'm willing to add to my repertoire.  I also like the fact that any "third" layer can be considered a jacket.  I have a few knit pieces that I want to get into my wardrobe so they'll be on the list as well.

What's on my radar?
Since Pantone is predicting that Honeysuckle Pink is the new spring color, I think this fabric will be perfect.

I have no intention of matching those large hounds tooth checks since I have to sew separate shoulder seams at left and right.  So I might just make put a sleeve and side panel on the bias or better yet just use a raglan sleeve pattern.

And I've been meaning to make another stitch and flip Chanel knock off in this soft wool silk blend:

I can still fit in the easier to sew items, knit tops and skirts, but I like having a specific goal for the sewing year.  Of course, this goal appeals to me while it's quite chilly here in Florida.  One thing I'll have to do is cut out several of those jackets ahead of the hot summer weather.  When it's warm and humid, jackets, interfacing and linings are the last things I want to think about.  I see some cutting marathons in the next few winter months.