Monday, 24 June 2013

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Living in Glasgow, even when it's sunny, requires jacket mindfulness. I don't think I've experienced a day yet when a jacket isn't needed at some point. This just isn't a city where you can get away without some kind of 'wind cheating'. Using complex justification principles, I decided that I could allow myself, therefore, to buy a Toast jacket that seemed to deliver everything I desired for those glorious days when waterproofing isn't actually necessary -- colour, texture, stylishness. I went for this very tempting example.

But it was huge. So I tried this one. And it was also huge. I love the idea of Toast clothes, but the boxy shapes that look great on tall people look ridiculous, if I'm honest, on short ones. Boxy-ness is okay, but you need some indication that you are there inside its folds if you are to avoid looking like a walking pile of fabric. Or like you've stolen a jacket from an 80s stockbroker, or from your Dad and you are five.

So I had a go at making my own, using Kwik Sew's K3655 pattern (adapted quite a bit to drop the buttons and introduce a kimono-style tie, as I couldn't quite forget that lovely yellow Toast one). I could go through all it took, but it wouldn't make for interesting reading. It was time-consuming. In general it was pretty satisfying, although required total concentration and careful planning. And as I decided to line it, that took a Herculean effort essentially to start again just as you were nearing the end and making another jacket. Deep breaths. I box-lined it using this tutorial.

But now it's done, I like it. It's a tiny bit too fitted for total perfection -- I'd like to have been able to wear a cardigan underneath it, but perhaps that's just me being a bit too nesh. It is supposed to be Summer, after all.

2 comments:

  1. You are amazing! Really really amazing!

    I hope that all three of you are well and that Glasgow cheers up summer-wise soon.

    And yes, Toast is really hard to wear!

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    1. Thank you for your lovely messages Cara! You're too kind.

      We're good, thanks! It's our anniversary on Friday -- it's just perfect to have the pictures you took to remember it by. Aaaand in commemoration... it's raining again in Glasgow.

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