Review of Vogue Pattern 1426

Pattern review for this fabulous designer shirt/ jacket by the American designer Lynn Mizono.

The pattern is can be purchased here Vogue 1246. The fabric is quite old and I have been longing to use it for ages but never could decide what to do with it. I thought it perfect for this jacket though, and even though there wasn't enough fabric for the entire garment I decided to go ahead anyway. It is an embroidered linen with flower applique on it, purchased as I said several years ago.There was just enough to cut out the main body of the jacket and a small piece was left over for the contrast panel on the top. I had another piece of linen in the same weight but plain. This went into making the sleeves and collar and the trousers. My final piece of linen went into making the bulk of the top. It was a bit of trial and error with pattern placement bit in the end the fabrics go together very well.

In case you missed my last post I am trying very hard to reduce my stock of fabrics rather than just have them sat there gathering dust. After all I chose them because I wanted to wear them!


I am enjoying working with Vogue patterns immensely, they are challenging with plenty of pattern pieces but very satisfying to work on.  When working with a pattern which has little or no symetry you are most likely working on a single layer of fabric so you need to find somewhere large enough to cut out. I did manage to use my dining table with a bit of judicous folding!



The other thing you need to be aware of is that you must be meticulous about transferring every single pattern marking onto your fabric or you will become muddled and it will be an unpleasant experience. If your fabric has no obvious right or wrong side then you need to mark the back of each piece too. Preparation is key to stress free sewing no matter what pattern you are using.



There are quite a few corners on this garment and the points need to be sharp. So this is how I do it. I trim the corner on the inside, bearing in mind that linen frays so I don't want to trim right up to the stitching, I want to cut away just enough to remove the bulk. I pressed the seams open as far as I could, A sleeve pressing roll is so useful for this, Jaycotts have a fabulous range of pressing tools so take a look, Pressing tools If you do not have any yet I would definitely start with a sleeve roll ,a sleeve board and a pressing cloth. You will be using them for years to come so the initial expense is money well spent. I also love the pressing Mitt and the finger guards.

You also need a point turner in your basic sewing kit, Point turner again this is an item which you will be using in many years to come.


The back of the jacket has ties which can be fiddly to make. Not with this nifty gadget though! The Prym Turning Set makes strap making so easy, you will be thinking of lots of ways to use it!




I know that you are interested in what sewing machines I use.
My main machine is the Bernina 350PE Bernina 350 PE and it is a fabulous machine. It is robust, reliable and has a wide choice of stitches including decorative stitches and Fonts. I really love and appreciate this machine.
I also have a Brother sewing machine , which is the machine I carry around if I am giving a sewing lesson, or if I want to sit at the dining table for a change.
Brother innov-is 15
Both of these are great machines and come in at different prices. Choosing a sewing machine is something that should be given thought. My only bit of advice would be to choose something you can grow into as you become more proficient - and you will!
You also need to choose one within your budget. Jaycotts know all there is to know about sewing machines so don't be afraid to telephone or call in and ask for advice. They will guide you through the different machines with their various functions and prices so that you end up with a machine which suits you perfectly. Contact details are at the end of the post
Although I did not use my overlocker except for the trousers seams it is by Brother and I find it a dream to use. It copes with all fabrics and is easy to thread. It is the Brother 3034D overlocker. Again though there is plenty of choice at Jaycotts.



I also made trousers, these are the same as on this blog post. Palazzo trousers
As I was saying earlier I didn't have enough of any of the fabrics to make a full garment, except for the trousers, so I had to mix them up. Luckily they are all in the same colour palette so blend together really well


All of my seams are French seams. I have a tutorial all about seams so take a look, it really is a useful seam to be able to do. All about seams. The sleeve head is neatened with a strip of fabric rather like a Hong Kong seam - details of how to do it is also on the post.
There are no raw edges anywhere.



The sleeve was only meant to have one button folding the upper edge upwards, but I didn't like having the other corner flapping loosely so I folded that inwards and added a button to hold it in place.





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Posted By Blogger to #SewAngelicThreads on 9/21/2017 12:36:00 pm