Adelade and the Bandwagon

Hello hello!

I want to introduce you to the newest member of my family:

Everyone, meet Adelade! Dearest Addie came to live with me as a swarthy and curvy size 12. But alas, one too many cookies and one too few trips to the gym...

That's... "better" (?). Husband did point out that as I get skinnier (back to the gym and eating better these days) I WILL get the satisfaction of removing padding! LOL

For Adelade's maiden refashion voyage, we decided to jump on an old bandwagon, one I home we didn't miss by too much: the kimono jacket!

A handmade (!) jacket in a lovely soft cotton picked up at the Flagstaff Goodwill. We had some major issues: shoulder pads, to long/baggy sleeves. a weird pocket (bottom left), and some hard-core seam frayage.

But look at the print! Are those morning glories? Petunias? I dunno but it's so sweet and girly!

I think the extra fabric and interfacing was meant to give the garment shape? But it was loose on all edges but one, so it just wrinkled separately from the actual garment and made the whole thing hang super weird. I was so excited about getting Addie to help me with this project that I didn't get a picture on me, but picture 'unhinged grandma missing a shoe wearing a lumpy bathrobe 3x her size' 

I liked the way the actual shape of the jacket was cut, so rather than disassemble the whole thing, I just carefully cut off that weird extra fabric, leaving just enough to pin under and sew to avoid further fraying. I also removed the shoulder pads (obvs)

Pinning the raw edges under, from the back center down the front

More pinning!

Hard to see, but this is post-sew. The stitching to the left is the one made by me. I kind of like the double-stitched look!

Already hanging better! But the sleeves needed help. Also, that pocked had to go. Sorry pocket. I promise you can come back in a future project!

Sleeve length is about 30 inches past 'no bueno' (that's my old stuffy in the background; Brown Hooves the horse!)

I put the jacket on and used chalk to mark just a bit longer than what I wanted the sleeves to be (to include a seam allowance of course). That's what I'm pointing at here, the cut mark. I took 6 inches off each sleeve!

I sewed a double line to keep with the front of the jacket

Now that the shape and style was what I wanted, it was on to the repairs! This is a super soft fabric that just loves to fray...

The original seamstress had used a zig-zag to halt some of the madness, but I fixed the problem once and for all with the serger! Doing so also removed some of the bulk from the seams and helped with the drape

After! I threw this girl through the washing machine and she came out way less wrinkly.

Terrible picture, but you can kind of see how the sleeves fit and the nice, loose hang. One of these days I'm going to do a little 'show' of some of my refashions, and make husband take the pictures so you can see what they really look like!

I've already done a second project with Adelade but we'll save that for next time. Right now I'm off to do laundry and get some early rest... Had a ridiculously fun weekend in Mexico with the in-laws and I am BEAT (literally... I stood in the breakers in the Sea of Cortez and fell over WAY more times than I want to admit. When you're 5'2" it's like getting hit by a truck!)

Till next time!

~Illy (and Addie)