The Finished Jacket

One month after starting the jacket is finished, and I love it.  Taking the time to make and remake the toile and then cut the pattern to fit ensured a well-fitting jacket.   Having the lining quilted to the jacket, and the chain weight, make the jacket hang beautifully.  It feels structured and yet it's very comfortable, almost like a cardigan.  The silk lining is soft and light.  The style can be worn dressed down or dressed up, so I'll get a lot of wear out of this jacket.

Finishing

The lining is stitched to the body by hand, then tiny pick stitches sewn along the inside of the lining to keep the lining from peeking out along the edges

A chain weight is sewn along the lower edge, so the jacket hangs nicely.  At $.70 an inch it's an expensive addition, but the jacket just wouldn't be complete without this touch.

Buttons are sewn to the front and sleeves.   A few stitches are added inside the sleeve vent to ensure the sleeves stays closed

Tiny darts are taken in at the waist.  The darts are only on the lining, not on the outside fabric.  The darts will be sewn by hand, and then the outside fabric will be shrunk using a steam iron to give the back of the jacket a gentle curve in at the waist.

Attaching the Braid

The braid is sewn to the body and sleeves with a row of hand stitching on each side of the braid.

Double Buttonholes

The jacket is finished with double buttonholes - a hand sewn buttonhole on the outside, and a faux bound buttonhole on the lining side.  This gives a nice finished look to the buttonhole on both sides.

First the buttonholes are sewn by hand with silk buttonhole twist thread.  The thread is run through beeswax and then ironed.  A length of thread is also run around the inside of the buttonhole, then slightly tightened and tied on the inside to keep the buttonhole from stretching in future.  

Then on the lining side, the buttonhole is finished with a faux bound buttonhole.