Grainline Morris Versions Five and Six

 

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen that I recently made a Grainline Morris Blazer for my daughter.  The fabric we chose was a lovely ponte that I had previously decided I had no use for and had been relegated to the destash pile. This was the fifth version of this pattern and I have loved all of the predecessors so it was pretty quick to make up.  I had a few comments though that not everyone had found this pattern such a straight forward make.  So after finishing my daughters version and discovering that I actually had enough fabric left to make my own, I thought I would do a little post about how I went about it.

It's funny that sometimes I don't know that I need something until it actually appears in my wardrobe.  My Instagram post showcased the blazer as part of six different outfits put together with existing items from my wardrobe.  It was a bit of a lightbulb moment when I suddenly realised that actually I could probably have put together more.  I did originally think my daughter and I could share the blazer but there was just over a metre left over and rather than just put the leftovers back in the cupboard to not see the light of day for who knows how long, I decided to make one for myself.  As luck would have it, there was just enough with a little careful pattern placement.  There was also just enough stretch interfacing left as well, if I put a couple of joins in strategic places.

To avoid the worst of the annoying drooping at the front that a lot of people seemed to have, not only did I use stretch interfacing but I topstitched all of the way around at about 1cm from the edge.  I then hand stitched the front facing down from the inside, behind the lapel.  The stitching is visible from the outside but it is hidden behind the collar.  It is not a perfect fix but it was a trade off between a slight puddle or visible stitching.  Had the fabric had a little more texture I would have stitched all the way to the hem.    I then did a small catch stitch where the facing meets the hem and again at the side seams and centre back.  I did the same with the sleeve hem facing.  If there is one thing that really annoys me, it is when facings flip out when I am wearing a garment and the catch stitching avoids this situation.  I would say though, that this blazer really needs a very structured knit to work well.  Ponte is a great option because it holds it's shape nicely.

My blazer had it's first outing last Tuesday.  Last week was Cup and Show Week in Canterbury which is a huge week on the Canterbury Calendar.  The A & P Show is the largest Agricultural Show in New Zealand which happens over 3 days.  The week starts with the New Zealand Trotting Cup, as well as two other days of horse racing and concludes with a long weekend.  What is not to like!  Traditionally it is a big dress up week and as a sewist, I just love the whole fashion in the field.  Unfortunately the whole week, bar the public holiday was cancelled due to COVID, well for spectators anyway.  Cantabrians though are a resilient lot.  We have, after all, endured 15000 earthquakes a while back so we are not easily deterred.  Rather than give up on the occasion the bars all ran their own celebrations and often with best dressed competitions as well.  As a family we decided to participate which is where my new blazer came in.  My entire outfit was certainly not up to fashion in the field winning stakes but it was fun to dress up for an occasion given they have been few and far between lately.  It was a lovely day with a few bubbles a nice lunch and good company and my blazer was the perfect weight for the walk  from home on a chilly spring morning.