Project: Butterick 5542 (1930s), Jacket, part 6

Readers,

Work continues, slow but sure. As I’ve noted before, it’s been the interfacing decisions that have taken the lion’s share of the work. And interfacings are not photogenic. But I’m happy with my progress.

Jacket pieces underlined with silk organza.

Silk organza is very light, with a crisp hand. It’s almost transparent.

Yesterday I underlined all the jacket pieces with it to add just a little crispness to the linen and limit wrinkling. I couldn’t believe how long it took me to hand-baste the organza pieces to the linen. But I think my efforts will be rewarded.

The fronts are getting a little more support in the shoulders and down the center fronts, to define the closure and support the buttonholes and buttons, with a fusible woven interfacing fused to the underlining

I stitched the lined patch pockets today and edgestitched them to the fronts.

The fronts, with darts stitched and lined patch pockets applied. It's just beginning to look like a garment! — The fronts, with darts stitched and lined patch pockets applied. It’s just beginning to look like a garment!

The patch pocket piece is not symmetrical: one lower corner is more rounded than the other. Another jacket I made, from a 1941 pattern, had this very same type of pocket. I wonder whether there’s any practical or design reason for the difference in the roundedness of the corners. The pattern illustration doesn’t make this distinction and there’s no indication whether the more rounded corner is supposed to go toward the center front or the side.

The original pocket piece from which I made this tracing is not symmetrical. Is that a style statment? — The original pocket piece from which I made this tracing is not symmetrical. Is that a style statement?

Then again, maybe the previous sewer eighty years ago just shaved a bit of pattern tissue off one corner as she was cutting out her pocket pieces.

This pocket mystery merits further research. If I make any discoveries, I’ll pass them on. I like pockets. Any excuse will do to work them into the conversation.

So ends Part the Sixth of this jacket chronicle.