Parka: Down to the Wire

I have until Tuesday evening to complete a jacket as my final project for my class. While for some people this may seem like ample time, I'll be honest --- I'm stressed. And to add to it all, as part of my procrastination ritual, I'm writing this blog post! I'll get it done, but for some reason, when there's a deadline attached, the sewing doesn't seem quite as fun...

I'm making a parka from the January 2009 issue of Burda. I was attracted to the parka's mix of casual and elegant style, and of course I love that stand-up collar.

Image from here.


I made a one-sleeved muslin (lazy!) that fit well. The only alteration I needed to make was to decrease the shoulder line by 0.5 inches and decrease the sleeve lengths.

The fabric I'm using is from Thai Silks and is a black and gray version of the photo below. It is a silk and cotton blend that I threw into the wash and pressed. It isn't as crisp as it was originally, but I like the slightly crinkled look that resulted. The pattern is woven into the fabric and the colors are reversed on the other side.

Image from here.

I'm off --- wish me luck!