The "CHANEL" Jacket
7:10 PM
Project Details
Patterns:
Vogue 7975, view E
Vogue 8259, the sleeves
Fabric:
Shell: Boucle Suiting (62% Wool, 13% Cotton, 13% acrylic, 12% nylon)
Lining: Silk Charmeuse (100% Silk)
Notions: Ten 7/8" shank buttons; 5 yards of 1/2" flexible trim; 3 coat size hooks & eyes; and chain
In doing my research for this jacket, I have looked at EVERYTHING CHANEL I could find. I have searched through Karl's RTW and Couture Collections from 2003 to the present. I found that the jackets that appealed to me the most were from Fall 2003, Fall 2004 and Fall 2005. I decided that the short, boxy version was not for me. I preferred the longer style with a little bit of nipping in at the waist. So I guess you can say that my jacket is modern like Karl and constructed like Coco!This was a very labor-intensive project and I truly understand the price point of these iconic jackets.
- I made a FBA.
- I cut out all of my pieces in a single layer and added a 2 inch seam allowance.
- I quilted the silk lining to the shell fabric by sewing vertical lines about 1" apart with a walking foot. I sewed the quilting stitches on the white part of the fabric because the lining is white and I was using white thread.
- In order to keep the threads from showing, you don't back stitch at the end. You pull the threads in between the lining and the shell fabric and tied them off.
- Using a walking foot, I machine stitched the shell seams.
- The lining seams were hand finished using fell stitches.
The shell fabric and lining are machine quilted together (as a substitution for interfacing) so that the shell fabric will not sag or loose it's shape. Genius right?!
- I set the sleeves by hand.
I used the three-piece sleeve pattern from Vogue 8259.
- Hemmed the shell fabric using a catchstitch.
- Attached the lining to the shell fabric using a fell stitch.
- I folded the pocket piece into the correct shape, making sure the plaid pattern would match up and trimmed it down before attaching.
- I hand stitched the trim to the pockets and attached the pockets.
"Luxury is what can not be seen." - Coco Chanel
- I hand sewed the chain weight right below the lining.
The House of CHANEL uses a brass chain at the hemline on the inside of the jackets to make them hang smoothly. The before and after of the chain is like night and day.
- I sewed on the hooks and eyes.
- I hand-stitched the trim to the jacket edges and the sleeve vents.
- And to pull it all together, I added my buttons.
Back view:
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15 comments
Hi Erica,
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that you didn't got any comments on this wonderful "Chanel" jacket. I'm from Germany and was looking for pictures how to make a Chanel jacket, so I finally I am here. I love what you did! Such a jacket is on my project list, I never made one and I'm afraid of all the work but as I can see, it's worth it. Great job!
I already ordered Haute Couture tweed from a French retailer and someone gave me Vintage Chanel buttons. I'm excited!
LOL! I actually had well over 100 comments. I changed my commenting system a couple of months ago and went back to Blogger and they were lost.
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving yours! ;-)
Indescribably beautiful on you! A true homage to Coco!
ReplyDeleteHi Erica,
ReplyDeleteIt's a silly question I'm sure but did you add an all round seam allowance of 2" because the pattern was too small for you, or to allow for fraying, or to allow for quilting ?
I am fed up with waiting for my lottery win so I am going to make my very own 'Chanel' jacket.
I have bought some absolutely stunning tweed - just has to be from the Chanel fabric supplier Linto Tweeds originally - on eBay for a song. 5.58 a metre in dollars, £3.50 in GBP. If anyone else needs to know it comes in about eight different colour ways. They are all multi colours on black but each has one colour that is more evident than others. It is so much more beautiful than the computer photo's. I am still gathering all of the bits and pieces I will need and am raring to go. I think I will buy some fray retardent as the tweed is very lossely woven indeed, and I'm sure it will need to be sewn using a roller foot on the machine. If my jacket turns out even half as good as yours I will be well pleased. Thank you so much for sharing it. (This started out as a brief note but seems to have become a treatise !)
Kindest regards, Carol
The 2" SA is for the quilting. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi, Erica,
ReplyDeletethis is a wonderful jacket you have made, with an excellent fit. I have brought home an Italian mohair check and am planning to do my first quilted "chanelistic" jacket. One question: Did you really use no interfacing whatever? I can clearly see that there is nothing at the shoulder, but is there not one piece of horsehair braid or anything to stabilize the seams and hems? As I have always been the queen of interfacing, padding and stabilizing my jackets like men's jackets to hang better over my scrawny upper body, I am almost afraid that a jacket that is "held by nothing" will eventually fall apart! How does your jacket wear, or is it a fragile, special-occasions-only jacket?
Greetings from Germany, Claudia
Just finished watching a YouTube from Chanel workroom, have had the shell thread traced and blocked out for more than a year, have had the silk lining almost that long. Sleeve construction is my excuse, want the cap and under arm to be narrow. The video showed no side seam, but another piece that cups the under arm. Can't move on till it's perfect. Might be in my ninetys and still scratching my head
ReplyDeleteN
I loveeeee this jacket! Wow. You're so talented! I am now following your blog!
ReplyDeletewww.queenofmayhem.com
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me how much chain you used?
ReplyDeleteMeasure the bottom width of the jacket.
DeleteMeasure the bottom width of the jacket.
DeleteSo chic! I started my jacket this week and I'm scouring the internet and every estate sale looking for my 8259. Wish me luck.
ReplyDeleteI'm late to the party! It's now 2022 and your jacket is still gorgeous. I enjoyed your article. ....very talented!
ReplyDeleteThe Cavallini Pouch, which I got from a local Homewares shop not long ago, is both fashionable and functional; I use it every day! Makeup, stationery, and tiny travel items may all find a home in one of these pouches. Cavallini is well-known for its vintage-inspired motifs, and I like how they adorn my purse. As an added bonus, I love that they are readily available at my neighborhood home goods stores, so I can pick them up whenever I need a kind present or a treat for myself!
ReplyDelete