This is not a Chanel jacket - Tweed jacket finish alternatives

What if you want to make a Chanel jacket but didn't want to bother with all of that hand quilting and didn't want to get involved with an epic project.  There are alternatives to the interior finishes that are acceptable.  This jacket originally retailed for $2,250, it is a fancy tweed, very soft and luxurious, much like the tweeds used for Chanel jackets.

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Honk Kong bound seam allowances
Silk crepe de chine facings 


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Pocket detail 3 layers of crepe de chine cut on the bias and fringed.


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Silk crepe de chine hem facing with scalloped lace.
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Seam finish hidden under a strip of crepe de chine
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And if you look closely to the left, you can see under the facing an area that reveals a serged edge.

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If you've been sitting on the sidelines thinking you could never have a jacket that resembles that Chanel cardi, because you didn't want to commit to quilting, here's your alternative.  The idea of these finishes appeals to me for a summer version of the cardi, something that doesn't have an extra layer to make it even warmer.


This construction would highlight the soft drape of the tweed, with no interference from lining or quilted backing.  It looks "finished" on the inside.  I would have concerns over time that it would be stretched out, and would not store the jacket on a hanger just to be sure.  The other thing I would add to this are removable underarm shields to protect the garment from waxy deodorant.  As a relatively quick project (if you already have a TNT), there's nothing wrong with this approach.





Comments

Corrine said…
Very nice alternative and certainly something to consider. Love the lace hem.
June 12, 2012 at 7:42 PM
BeckyMc said…
I recently took the French Jacket Class from Susan Khalje which teaches the techniques used by Chanel to create those iconic jackets. The quilting is not done by hand, but by machine. There is no "quilt backing" to interfere with the drape. The jacket is two layers only, which gives it the cardigan like feel, while looking like a jacket. The lining (silk charmeuse or crepe de chine) is quilted to the often very unstable silk tweeds and boucles. The silk lining, once quilted to the outer pieces, stabilizes the tweed, helping it keep its proper shape. I have a piece of silk tweed that falls apart if you look at it sideways. The silk will keep it from self destructing when worn.
Just thought I'd share some of the logic involved in the way a real Chanel is made, and dispel the notion of hand quilting and backing.
June 12, 2012 at 9:12 PM
ELMO said…
Becky - Isn't Susan wonderful, how nice that you could take the class with her. The quilt backing I was referring to was just the silk that you are joining to the tweed, once you join two fabrics, you naturally change the drape on them, however slight.

I have made one other cardi jacket and personally, whether Chanel or not, I find the hand quilting is a better finish, so that's why I always refer to hand quilting instead of machine quilting. Thank you for bringing this up.
June 12, 2012 at 10:11 PM
ELMO said…
Corrine - When are you going to start on your jacket?
June 12, 2012 at 10:15 PM
Irene said…
Thank-you for that "inside story". Certainly gives one something to think about in the way of alternative methods to finishing a garment. One of these days ... I'll actually buckle down and tackle a jacket without succumbing to the easy method of fusible interfacings.
June 13, 2012 at 2:15 PM
ELMO said…
Your welcome Irene, I will mention that not all of the Chanel jackets are quilted, some of them just have a bagged lining, so you can forgo quilting altogether.
June 13, 2012 at 5:49 PM
becki-c said…
What a different way of thinking! I can't imagine wearing it without lining. How would that wear? I am not really a cardigan person (don't even have one). But making it from boucle would definitely give you the custom feel that we seamstresses like.
The finish is so lovely, thanks for sharing.
June 13, 2012 at 9:58 PM
ELMO said…
Becki-c - Thank you, I'm thinking if your weather is like mine, even thinking about a boucle is not even a little appealing, it was 100 degrees in the car yesterday.
June 14, 2012 at 10:10 AM
The Slapdash Sewist said…
I like seeing this alternative! I have a collarless tweed jacket planned at some point, but I will not be going for the whole Chanel--just not my style.
June 14, 2012 at 11:41 AM
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