This is my homework. I'm really lucky I love doing it so much.

It's well into Spring term at BYU right now, and I am taking my last two classes for my undergrad. I honestly cannot believe that I only have a little less than three weeks left of my college education. I feel like I've been at BYU for ten years-- not because it was boring or I didn't enjoy it. i LOVE college. i have just done so much in four years (got married, found my true calling in life, you know, those sorts of things) that I cant believe it is over. 

SO, for the last few weeks I've been working hard in the highest sewing class that BYU offers, which is Tailoring. As my teacher, the Doc, educates everyone else, tailoring is NOT just about sewing with wool to make wool coats. It's more about manipulating fabric to keep a permanent shape. Which is why wool coats cost so much-- there is a lot going on underneath the layers of your favorite coat that actually make it your favorite. It just happens to be made out of wool and wool happens to be the best material to use in tailoring. It can be confusing, but I am here to set the record straight. I'm not almost a college grad for nothin. 

I know this blog is solely about patterns that I make, but for time's sake in the tailoring class, we have to use pre-made patterns. It was hard to find one I actually liked, but gosh darn it I did. 

I love the giant collar! And I'm shortening the sleeves to make 3/4 length. I hate long sleeves.

The pattern is McCalls 5759. I highly recommend it. 

I found the fabric at  Yellow Bird fabrics in Salt Lake. Amy, the owner, helped me decide between a Marc Jacobs flannel or this heavy weight loose weave wool. It is very Chanel, and the Chanel girl inside of me just couldn't resist it.

A great learning exercise would be to go to a local DI or goodwill and buy a tailored men's coatm rip it open, and look inside to see all the interfacing, linen tape, and hand stitching that is involved to make it look as good as it does. You would be suprised. Part of me doesn't want to finish the jacket just so that I can look at all of my hardwork in the coat forever! but I guess it would be more fun to wear it, afterall, and keep all the tailoring secrets to myself. I was so excited to show my husband all the hardwork I had done so far when I finally got the body of the coat put together. I pulled the coat out of my backpack as he relaxed on the couch. 

Look at all this rad work I did, Steve! do you see all my hand-stitching work? and the cool interfacing?

yeah. cool. 

well did you ever think a coat would be so complicated and yet come together so simply? Isn't it beautiful??

yeah. sure. 

Pearls before swine, i tell ya. 

Tonight I finished putting together to collar of the jacket. This is the second time I've sewn this collar. The first time I messed up completely and sewed the interfacing to the upper collar, and not the lower collar (the upper collar is the collar that you actually see, while the lower collar is the one that makes all the shape and is interfaced). All those little stitches you see are done by machine, and make the stand of the collar really stiff and allows the rest of the collar to fall and fold over. it's really amazing. 

I have to steam the lower collar after it is interfaced and let it rest for about 24 hours so it can mold itself into the shape it needs to be. So awesome, right?? 

*sigh* i love sewing. This project is the most fun i have ever had.