Varsity schmarsity

Final version completed February 2020.

Project began in September 2016 ugh.

This jacket has been through two revisions and I truly can't remember when exactly the first two "completions" were. I bet I didn't take photos either time because I subconsciously knew how unsatisfied I was. I didn't want to admit it because the even the first version was a several months-long ordeal and I needed to feel like my time wasn't wasted. At least this time I know for a fact that I will not be making a third revision.

This project was my first attempt at outerwear that wasn't some kind of sweatshirt. I didn't know anything about coat-making and I really wish I had looked up some tutorials or patterns or something because the first result was truly not wearable. It was a real lesson in trying to learn too many unfamiliar techniques all at once: fully lined, ribbed cuffs, button snaps, welt pockets, drafting a facing. Just, so many.

Mistake number one was that I made the sleeves and welt pocket tabs out of some awful white upholstery vinyl because I thought all faux-leathers were the same. It was stiff and thick, I couldn't move my arms properly, and the fabric simultaneously didn't insulate or breathe as it wasn't meant to be worn on a human body. I wore it one windy evening and suffered. Version number two rectified this by removing the sleeves and pocket tabs with the thinner, muted green faux-leather as pictured. (The original white was too stark on the black bodice, I felt). I initially lined the sleeve with a paper-thin poly satin so I tore that out and replaced it with some batting-backed stuff that was labeled as a proper lining. 

Cool, so then I could finally wear this thing without my poor arms feeling both weirdly sweaty and cold, but then I ran into another problem of my sleeves now being much warmer than my bodice. It had a wool shell and a flannel lining so I thought the materials alone would be plenty warm; two is not a ton of layers to trap warm air between. Good job, me, almost had it right once again.

My solution was to sew in some medium-bulky polyester batting. Normally you're supposed to sew this to your lining like you would a quilt, but I sure as hell wasn't disassembling this thing, lining, sleeves, bodice and all. Nope. I opened up the neckline and inserted one big piece of batting, avoiding the armholes, and put a few stitches in strategic places to anchor the piece to the flannel. The addition made it wearable, but I confess that I haven't done so because it's not nicer looking than my RTW jackets. And I have a lot of jackets.

Sloppy, but effective!

There are a few small remaining fitting issues, like how the armholes are pretty narrow so I can't fit a bulky sweater underneath (I widened them once already and can't be half-assed to do it again), and how the shoulder seams sit too low, and how the entire thing is just too long and would be more flattering cropped just a few inches. Can't do anything about that last one without sacrificing the welt pockets, to which I'm too attached to discard.

I will give myself some credit: this is where I figured out how to bag a coat shell and lining without seeking any instruction. The ribbed cuffs added some difficulty too, but I achieved a (initially) neat looking interior without any exposed seams. Sewing isn't a competition about how well a person can solve construction puzzles, and it would be silly to act superior because of it, but I just need to remember this one medium Win. Just for me.