Oliver + S School Days Jacket - Done!

So, after completing my post for the sew-a-long on the Oliver + S blog, the incomplete jacket sat on my sewing table for days and days, taunting me....

In between, we had two birthdays, complete with birthday celebrations at home, soccer, and school.  And, you know, life.

But, I persevered.

After all my research, poring through posts after posts on the Oliver + S forums, I realized there were many decisions/tinkerings to be made.  My final jacket is complete and here's the decisions I made:

• added interfacing (Pellon SF101) to the facings
• used pre-made toggle closures
• used magnetic snaps inside
• used quilting cotton for lining the hood and sleeves (designed by Liesl Gibson from my shop with a layer of Thinsulate (purchased from Amazon)
• used a fairly heavy corduroy for the main body
• used Polartec 100 for lining the body purchased here

And the final result:

 I absolutely love this jacket.  It's not a tough sew, and obviously the Oliver + S instructions are perfect.  There's a lot of steps, but they're all totally logical.  The jacket went together perfectly. 

This is a size 5 on my newly-turned-5-year-old:

 

I did think I was getting something by her, as I kept trying it on her while I was sewing and she didn't say anything.....but, when the jacket was complete, she said to me "you know I hate brown, right?"....ugh!  She does love the salmon-y color interior, so I'm hoping she'll wear it.

Then, since there was the lovely fleece still sitting on my sewing table, I whipped up a super-cute, very successful (per the child) outfit:

These are the Oliver + S Playtime leggings in a size 4 with about 3 inches added to the length.  A seriously perfect fit.  I used some Modern Workshop interlock knit from the shop - a great weight for leggings.  I love that the waist on these leggings is not high, nor too gathered.  The top is the Oliver + S Field Trip Raglan shirt made from the same Polartec 100 that I use to line the jacket.  I used a size 7 because of the weight of the fabric, actually with no modifications.  I added a hood, kangaroo pocket and bottom waistband and wristbands from self fabric.  The hood is lined with the Modern Workshop interlock.

I'm so happy with the result of my most recent sewing - really, this is why I sew.  I feel so accomplished when I create something.  Especially when the kid loves it too!

Cold Weather in SoCal....

At the beginning of the past week, the temperatures plunged....well, plunged as far as they go in Southern California.  When I left for work at 5:30 in the morning, the temperature was 45 degrees.  People were freaking out....wearing scarves, gloves, etc.  The Easterner in me knows that this was hardly cold....

My daughter doesn't have a winter coat, because "winter" is so fleeting around here.  I decided to try a pattern from Figgy's that I had always liked, but never tried - the Nituna jacket.

The pattern gives two options - a single layer such as wool coating or fleece, or a lined version.  I opted for the lined version and decided to use a blue corduroy and some quilting cotton designed by Liesl Gibson from her Ladies Stitching Club line.  The minute I saw this fabric, I knew that I was going to use some and coordinate with the beautiful shade of blue in the fabric.

I started this jacket at the beginning of the week, working on a teeny bit every night after work.  First tracing the pattern, then cutting/marking, and finally by Friday was able to sew it together.

Of course, by that time, the temperature was about 75 degrees during the day.....

I really like the finished jacket.  I made it in a size 2/3 with the length of a 4/5.  Typically, my daughter, a tall skinny 3 year old, wears between a 4 and a 5 in ready to wear, and I typically sew a size 3 with 4 length in patterns.  The sizing on this is generous to say the least.....

This is the first time I'd used one of Figgy's patterns.  It went together very well.  If I were to make this again, I think I'd actually use the smallest size (18 month) and length somewhere between the 2/3 and 4/5 for the sleeves.  I believe that perhaps it's sized so generously to accommodate most people's winter clothing underneath like heavy sweaters, but we don't typically have need for those here.

Corduroy plus quilting cotton make a great weight for our purposes.  Paired with a turtleneck jersey, I'm sure that this jacket will be quite warm enough for my kid to play in the sandbox at school on our coldest "winter" day.