Python blazer- Burdastyle Asymmetric Jacket #116

Walking around Rome this spring, I couldn't stop admiring all of the great asymmetric jackets. Some more moto, some more equestrian, made in wool, leather, canvas or cotton. I refrained from buying any-- instead, I came home with yards of italian wool! 

But when it came time to sit down and sew, I ended up pulling out this fabulous python ponte that I had picked up from Emmaonesock. I'm a little dubious about ponte as a jacket fabric... I had a RTW ponte blazer with me in Rome that pilled horribly. At the same time, I had a couple ponte tops made from ponte from Emmaonesock and Marcy Tilton that I wore constantly all spring and they didn't pill at all. So I guess I'm hoping my ponte is higher quality and will fare better than that RTW blazer! Just to tease me, I was halfway done with the blazer when I spotted a fantastic python denim at Emmaonesock... argh! 

The pattern is the Burdastyle Asymmetric Jacket #116. This was actually my very first foray into Burdastyle patterns. My first muslin for the jacket was awful. Too narrow in the bust- and I NEVER have that problem. I had traced the 42, the largest size on the pattern I downloaded. The size chart said the bust was 37 3/4, and I usually measure a 38. The next size up has a bust of 39 1/2... what is a size 38 girl supposed to do? I hate that I'm always between pattern sizes! So I basically ended up trying to grade the bust up a size, and the hips out a size (or two). I also increased the size of the armholes and widened the sleeves. I basically redrew the whole pattern! A couple muslins later I had a viable pattern.

I guess I should have guessed I'd have trouble... all people who have posted have mentioned how form fitting the pattern is, and they have mostly embraced the skin-tight look. But since I plan on wearing this at work over my usual tops, I want the fit to be a little more relaxed. 

Once I got to sewing, it came together pretty well. As is quite well known, Burdastyle directions are worse than useless, but how the pieces fit together was fairly self-explanatory. I found the cuffs to be difficult though. Trying to get the zipper to fit in smoothly and the cuffs to match perfectly was a B----! It would have been easier if the cuffs had been a single piece of fabric folded over, but for some reason I don't understand, they have a seam instead of a fold. In my opinion, just another place to introduce inconsistency. I'll definitely do it my way next time. 

Of course, the lining had to be hand sewn to the zipper. I did the rest of the lining using the numerous "bagging" tutorials on the internet.

The rest of the jacket was pretty darn simple. The collar was totally non-fussy. Even installing the asymmetric zip was pretty straightforward. 

All of the zippers are Riri zippers from Pacific Trimmings. They are just awesome zippers. I used two long zippers, and cut them to length as needed. 

I bought extra zippers stops which installed with pliers on the cuffs and at the top of the separating zipper on the front of the jacket. For the pocket zips, I didn't bother with zippers stops.

The lining is stretch silk charmeuse from Mood. The lining would have been straightforward too, had I not cut out the WRONG part of the front jacket piece! It looked totally wonky, and I had to tear it all out and do it over. Unfortunately, that means I had to do the zipper in the lining twice too! Argh! I could just have done away with it, but I just love having interior pockets too much, and I sucked it up and did it all over again with the right pattern piece. 

So that's about it! I looove my new jacket, I can't wait until it gets cool enough to wear it this fall!

Oh, and here is the rolled up sleeve shot, as demonstrated by the Burdastyle model. Who wears jackets this way anyway? Not me, but it does show off those cuffs that took so much work!