Putting a zipper into swoop pockets

 I actually took a zillion pictures while making the pockets, but they didn't illustrate my points clearly enough, so, fun with paint!

Start with the swoop-over side of the pocket bag.   I didn't want the lining to show, so I used a fashion-fabric facing for the top part.   Where the facing connects to the pocketing (lining) sew in the zipper - as marked in the red line of the first image.   Iron everything so that the seam allowance is pointing up towards the top of the pocket.

with the zipper laying flat, place the second piece of pocketing (lining) so that its bottom edges match up with the first and the extra folds under the zipper back towards you, not in towards the pocket.  The point of all of this is to have the zipper lie flat against your body rather than parallel to the ground, poofing out the pocket and spoiling the line.   Sew as marked on the red line.   (Yes, I know the two bottom edges don't line up in the picture.  I'm showing it with depth so its easier to understand how all the bits come together.)   Anyhow, iron this seam so the the seam allowance is pointing down.

Then attach the swooped over side front piece, as shown with the red line.    You can actually do parts 2 & 3 in one, but the pictures weren't as clear.



Okay, that's nice, but what is a swoop pocket?   

<--  Its this.  I was never able to find an official name, so I made up my own.  Corrections are most welcome.

The idea is that you take a princess seam and around him level, swoop the center front over the side front and pop a pocket in underneath.

Fabric-Fasting, Stashbusting Event of Insanity!

I was cleaning out my sewing closet the other night.... and I am putting myself on a fabric fast.   With the exception of halloween and items needed to finish projects (linings, trims, closures, whatever) and I am not allowed any more fabric until I finish at least 15 projects.   This includes new, in-progress and UFOs.  I know.   But this is getting insane. and I have at least five UFOs languishing for want of minor finishing.


The rules:

-Any fabric currently in my stash is allowable - full piece or left over scrap.   There are no limits on the size (can we say polar fleece socks?  'cause I sure can)
-If I cheat (which I may, because of the whole choir dress debacle that goes on year after year) I add another three items to the stash bust per item of illicit fabric.
-If evil people tempt me (Mom) they will be mailed cat fur.   Don't tempt me.
-Items which use several different kinds of fabric still only count as one item (the point of this is to use what I have, not just to get the numbers)


Just pictured here there are 24 different pieces of fabric.   Not all are created equally in terms of usefulness - but I also have three large rubbermaid tubs and several shelves with more.

Anybody else suffering from an embarrassment of riches?  Got ideas?  I actually need pants and could use a cold-weather dress or two.  I may end up making a couple of the formal dresses just because.  I'm not so sure about gifts, as I don't like putting all that effort into something unless I know it will be adored beyond reason and measure, but who knows what may happen.

soft and hard shells

 Lets switch things up and start with the hard shell -- a.k.a the tool taco.   Its a little zip up pouch with a foam backing with three interior pockets to hold a selection of tools.

It's a copy of one Kel already had and wanted to duplicate.   His sewing machine was being ...difficult and mine already had lovely peacock thread, so I ended up actually putting it together.

our taco and the original

Construction  is super simple - you need two and a half fabric ovals, one of foam and a zipper.  (Binding too -- we used self fabric bias tape)   Fold the half  (really, 2/3) oval down to finish the flat seam.   Then sew it to one of the fabric ovals in thirds (check out the interior stitching lines)   Make a foam sandwich with the two fabric ovals with a creamy foam center.   sew around the outside edge.   Attach the zipper such that one half is on either side of the oval and then pop on the bias tape to finish it off cleanly.  cutting included, its about a 30 minute project.


As for my shell - its slowly but surely coming together -- all the seam allowances are still huge and all over the place, so it poufs and wrinkles... but its getting there.

They don't show up well, but I'm particularly proud of how the swoop pockets came together.  I've got pictures of the process that I'll post later this week in case anyone else wants to try.






This is the view from my perspective -- snazzy zippered pockets so that all my bits stay inside my coat, no matter where I toss it.


The sides of the zipper are offset so that when closed the pocket lays flat against my body, which I like aesthetically and practically, to prevent excess rain from pooling up inside.

Another sort of pin

Waterproof fabric is a tricksy beast, but this is working pretty darn well.

arr and avast

source

Aye, ye scurvy scalliwags!  ye saucy wenches! ye loathsome wretches!  swab the fore-deck afore I throw ye t'the great beasties o the waves!!!!

wait, what?

a bit of progress on the shell

Well, I'm about a quarter of the way through the shell.   It may look like more, but at the moment everything is only basted in place.   I'm trying to couture-ify this coat (purely for my own amusement) and marked the seam lines rather than the seam allowances - which are all over the place.   Due to the slippy nature of the plasticy ultrex coating, I was worried pins wouldn't hold it in place on the sewing machine, and took Susan Khalje's advice and basted away.

The tricky part - i.e the zippers - pit, pocket and arm -- is still to come.  Also the stealth pockets I intend to hide beneath storm flaps.  Think happy thoughts.

Its a bit hard to see -- but the red lines are the seam lines and the blue/black lines are the wonky seam allowances 

Because of the waterproof nature of the fabric, I didn't use pins -- just pattern weights -- and could trace directly onto the fabric with markers  (I found dry erase worked best, oddly enough)






This was the final muslin, which has long since been taken apart and used for pattern pieces - but it shows where I'm headed with the shell.

I'm going to be documenting this process more than usual, so get ready for pocket-induced insanity.

Coat Fabric is Here!

 Yay and Horray! I have the fabric for my coat!

I went with the codura faced ultrex for the shell (waterproof, windproof, breatheable -- it's the dark blue with the white- with the white being the waterproof bit) from seattle fabrics and a bright blue rayon bemberg (static free and breathable)  from vogue fabrics for my lining.






I also got waterproof zippers -- I have five - one for the center front, and two each for the pockets and pit-zips.

This amalgamation is rounded out by the thinsulate I got last year for my previous attempt at a winter coat.

I'm a lot happier with this pattern, more sure of my ability to work with my materials and have a better plan for how to accomplish everything.   Wish me luck!  My goal it to finish by the 1st of October.