FINISHED! An Autumn Rigel Bomber

I feel like it's Rigel mania. Everyone is making one up or looking at fabric to make up.  It all started with Sophie at Cirque de Bebe with her spotty sensation which resulted of course in my first failed attempt.  Since then there has been just so many great ones it's hard to keep track of them. When I was shopping with Amy in January she bought some fabric for a version, the other week Amanda bought some fabric for hers and Kylie bought some on Saturday for another super cool one. All of them, super fun fabric and colour and print.  Just last week Clare posted her lovely ladies and Belinda her Curtain Call one and I thought damn it, the time is nigh to face my demons (and insecurities) and just make that damn bomber before Rigel mania passed me by.

So, after ruining the spotty fabric that I was going to make my first bomber out of, I started thinking about a bomber for Autumn (even through summer).  I had in mind that I would buy some Liberty cord but when I was at Tessuti in January, I ended up purchasing some of the Nelluto Autumn Cord which I had been eyeing off in the other colour ways online last year but was too slow to buy.  The weight is similar to Liberty cord.  I already had the ribbing and the zip from my failed attempt so while they may not have been the absolute perfect match, they work.  So this is definitely a subtle Rigel.   The cord being a deep colour with flowers which of course hasn't photographed particularly well. Perhaps there is a more flashy version in my future - with mis matching sleeves and bodice. But first let's talk about this one.

My previous experience with Papercut Patterns has shown that the sizing runs large. So I made an xxs. I made no other alterations to the fit.

Welt pockets.  Oh how these terrified me. I fumbled through the first one not at all sure what I was doing, but it all seemed to click with the second one. I finally realised that if I just sat the pocket down, instead of turning it over and over in my hands like some worry kerchief and ironed it as it should be, then it worked. Everything was fine.  I think I might love welt pockets now. Well, that might be going too far.

Despite liking the welt pockets...  lets face it, the insides are not nice and need to be covered up (sorry to go on, but the pattern really should have come with a lining) so I drafted a lining in some slippery yellow fabric.  This was my first time drafting a lining so I thought and thought about it disecting every single Rigel I saw.

So, this is how I lined it. I drafted a lining using the pattern pieces minus the facing (plus seam allowance).  I added a centimetre to each piece for ease and I added an inch or so onto the back piece, cutting it in 2 pieces. I sewed the lining together (minus a number of inches on the back seam. I attached the lining to the cuffs (turning the sleeves inside out and then some, attaced the hem and then the facing. I think in hindsight the cuffs should have been last!  I also had to unpick a few times to get the lining on properly as it was pulling on one side because I foolishly didn't put any notches for lining up so of course it went off a bit. I also had to hand stitch the small portion of the facing to the ribbed hem and lining.  There is probably a better way to do this but it worked for me.

Other sewers have mentioned this, but attention is needed with the zipper, if it's off then it's obvious. I think mine is ok.. phew!  The only thing I might change next time would be the weight of the interfacing - it might be a little stiff.  I hadn't thought about that until I saw these photos.

It's funny how much I doubted myself with this jacket, beating myself up because everyone could make one but me. But in the end I did it! I learnt welt pockets, drafted and lined a jacket, worked with ribbing and an open ended zipper. Will I make another one? Maybe. I need to be convinced on the style for me, but I really like the autumnal look and feel of this cord.  The days are getting shorter here, the seasons are turning and a bomber is a nice transeasonal piece.

Oh and a quick note on this photo. Have you seen "L'écume des jours" (Mood Indigo) with Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou and Gad Elmaleh (I LOVE Gad by the way.... do see "Un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul" (Happiness Never Comes Alone).  Anyway, we watched it on Sunday night. They do this fun dance in it called le biglemoi where their legs become really long. There is something weird going on with my legs in this photo (the shoes!)... like I'm doing le biglemoi!