WIP Wednesday - Quilted Jacket

Well, following last week's completion of my "fun" project, this week it was time to tackle another UFO on my list. My focus has now returned to the quilted jacket I am trying to make.

Here is some history: I first bought the jacket pattern last October at PIQF. Then after I made the muslin mock-up, decided it was too baggy.

So then I had to go about finding a new pattern. I found a cute, stylish Simplicity pattern, but of course it's not quilted.

So I decided to use the technique of the original pattern (foundation piecing onto muslin) with the new pattern's jacket shape.  Well adapting the pattern posed all kinds of problems, especially since I have never made a jacket before. I have called my mom many times during this project asking her to explain the instructions (lining? facing panels? Whaa?) As such, it's been a challenge and has been set aside on more than a few occasions.

On Sunday I pulled out the jacket to see where I was.

Then I just sat and stared at it for about 20 minutes, trying to think through a strategy of where to go next. Coming back to a project after many months can be difficult just due to the learning curve of remembering where you were and what you had been doing.

Luckily, I realized a few weeks ago that this project is basically "paper" pieced, with the muslin foundation as the paper.  I have been drawing all over the muslin with my water soluable pen (which I don't completely trust btw). I drew out the stitching diagram for my triangles so that their points always met at the seams.  Then I started on the remaining two front panels. Below is a shot of one with my seams and piecing lines all drawn on.

When I tried to stitch these, however, I ran into all kinds of problems.  I was having tension issues, so I ended up putting "the bottom line" in the bobbin, and somehow it worked even better than having the bottom and top threads match. I was also having problems with wobbly seams because at first I had just sketched the stitching lines freehand instead of drawing them with a ruler ("amateur hour," as my friends would say). Then I was having trouble with things not lying flat. I decided it was because the muslin was way too soft and flimsy of the fabric, and it needed to be starched.

 So of course, immediately after I starch it, all the lines I drew disappeared! D'oh! Luckily (or not) this "disappearing ink" comes back if you iron it. I had some problems with this blue ink bleeding onto my front fabrics after I tried to blot it off...I would come back a few hours later and it would have wicked its way over to some other area which would be blue again instead of invisible.  I don't trust it, but it leaves such great lines compared to chalk.  On that subject, this makes me really want to try those frixion pens. I have heard really good things about them, and I don't think they disappear and then come back when you don't expect it!

 Well anyways, after ripping out a LOT of seams, here's the side panel finished.

And here's the jacket front, before I trimmed the pieces. Today I am working on the back panels, then the tricky part will be figuring out how to do the sleeves. The fabric that I am using for those strips you see between panels is actually supposed to be the featured fabric of the jacket (it's the one all the other colors are built around) so I want to feature it more prominently in the sleeves.

I am linking up with WIP Wednesdays at freshly pieced. Hopefully by next Wednesday I will have made even more progress!