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Harris Tweed Jacket

starzoe | Posted in Photo Gallery on

Finished this jacket yesterday, Harris Tweed has been in my stash for thirty some-odd years. Pattern used: Butterick B 4619, a great fit, have made several coats from this pattern, all different.

Am still struggling with posting the photo, let’s see if this time it works.

p.s. Okay, the title is the front not the back but it worked. I expected the photo to come up in the preview.

Edited 9/28/2008 7:43 pm ET by starzoe

Edited 9/28/2008 8:05 pm ET by starzoe


Edited 9/28/2008 8:05 pm ET by starzoe

Replies

  1. twreeder | | #1

    Beautiful fabric but Harris Tweed always is, isn't it?  It is timeless.  Excellent workmanship (or should I say, "workwomanship?).  You will be proud to wear it.

    TW

    1. starzoe | | #2

      Thanks for the compliment - I have a photo of the back, must try to post it while I remember how! This is the second jacket from this fabric, the first was thirty years ago, sadly out of date now, gone to the thrift store. This is the inside back lining.

      Edited 9/28/2008 8:06 pm ET by starzoe

      1. User avater
        ThreadKoe | | #3

        Absolutely wonderful, I love the knit sleeve and collar. You have created a wonderful classic. It is such a pretty colour too. Nice workmanship, inside and out. Cathy

      2. dodey | | #27

        Hi, I like your use of knitting  in the sleeves and the collar. I think this might have been to make the fabric go farther, right? Good lesson for us all!

        1. starzoe | | #28

          Right, I only had enough fabric (and just barely enough) for the body.

  2. katina | | #4

    Your gorgeous jacket is a wonderful start to my day. Beautiful in every respect. Did you buy the knitting yarn at the same time - knit the yardage and then cut 'n' sew?

    Thank you for sharing this.

    Katina

  3. MaryinColorado | | #5

    Oooooooooooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!  Your jacket is beautiful and so professionally done!  The lining too, wow.  I love the fabric and the neckline and those sleeves, oh boy, so great!  You must tell us about your techniques for this unique and cozy jacket!  I love it!  Mary

  4. Ocrafty1 | | #6

    Absolutely gorgeous!  The quality of your work is flawless and shows your professionalism to a T.  I'm terrified of working with wool....give me satins and silks anyday!  I did make one wool jacket for my dad about 40 yrs. ago, back in the early '70's...I was in my late teens.  It was an uneven wool plaid.  All of the plaids matched, even across the sleeves.  Dad was so proud of that jacket.  He wore it for yrs., even after it was out of fashion. I think my problem is not so much the wool, but that I've never really learned how to line a jacket properly, or how to do a good job of tayloring.  I've read lots of articles about using hymo, etc., but really want to do it properly, with all of the padding stitches, etc...The old fashioned way, if you know what I mean. 

    You did a super job...one to really be proud of!

    Deb

    1. starzoe | | #7

      Well, thank you all for the compliments. I bought the Harris Tweed from a bin store a long time ago, pay by the pound so it was not expensive. I made a Chanel jacket from it and wore it for decades, this latest jacket had just enough fabric for the body. I used the pattern for the sleeves and knitters' graph paper to design and knit the sleeves. Next time I will do it differently, knit a flat piece and then cut it to size for the sleeves, it would give me more options as to fit when combining fabric and hand knitted pieces.Crafty1, if you work with satins and silks you will find working with wool to be a cinch. It is so forgiving and so much simpler than slinkies.Now I will have to find another project - plaids are in, in a big way and I have several in my stash, all wool rescued from the thrift store in the form of pleated skirts, taken apart and drycleaned, each about two and a half meters. Maybe a bias jacket? This is my favourite type of sewing.

  5. Gloriasews | | #8

    All I can say is 'Wow!'.  You did a beautiful job!  And fast, too - I thought it would take you longer than that to knit the sleeves & collar.  The colour match is perfect, too, & you'll be sure to get many compliments - mainly, 'Where did you buy that?', as it looks like an expensive, 'bought' item.  Beautiful colour, too. 

    Gloria

    Edited 9/29/2008 6:45 pm by Gloriasews

    1. starzoe | | #9

      Oh, I am revelling in all these compliments! Yes, it is lined, except for the sleeves. I pulled some lengths of the coloured yarns from the tweed, and am thinking about doing something with them (i.e., trim of some kind), but will probably not, I like things clean and classic. I have a ball of yarn left, maybe for a scarf and could use the threads for accent, to match.Am now in the process of re-making a black fleece jacket with ultraleather trim. I didn't like the front fit and haven't worn it since I made it last winter.

      1. User avater
        ThreadKoe | | #10

        Are you a tam or hat kind of person? It would be really chic with the jacket, and less fussy. Cathy

      2. Gloriasews | | #11

        The compliments are well deserved - so bask in the glow.  As Cathy suggested, a tam would look really classic or your idea of a scarf is excellent.  Now we will wait patiently for the pic of your completed black fleece jacket :)

        Gloria

  6. User avater
    purduemom | | #12

    Beautiful!!!! I would have to agree with everything that has already been said about this jacket...It is simply gorgeous.  Your jacket has provided me with a little creative inspiration.  I purchased some lovely wool sweater knit this past weekend at the Novi sewing expo with the intent to make a cardigan, but after seeing your jacket, hmmmmm. Perhaps I could find just the right woven wool to complement.  Thank you for sharing and inspiring;  it is what I love about my visits to Gatherings.

    1. starzoe | | #13

      Thanks for the compliment. I may have to wait awhile to wear it, it doesn't get very cold here. Wet, yes, but not really cold.You cannot see the inside shoulder area of the coat. Instead of attaching the body lining to the sleeve head (a little bulky with that yarn), I trimmed a little off the armscye, bound it with bias tape and attached it at the shoulder and the underarm only. I didn't want to line the sleeves and this method worked very well.

  7. sewelegant | | #14

    Your jacket is beautiful.  I hate to admit it, but when I saw the heading Harris tweed I was seeing something quite different in my mind's eye.  I have heard the term many times, just never knew exactly what it was.  Is Harris a manufacturer of the tweed?  Kind of like Pendleton wool?  I know it's a British thing and very dear.  I was expecting something quite brown though so was taken back by the beautiful blue-green.  You showed your artistic side by tucking that silky scarf around the neck!  I think you will find this a favorite item in your closet.

    1. starzoe | | #15

      This particular piece of fabric is quite heavy, heavier than Pendleton wool. Harris tweed used to come in lots of weights - and colours. I am not even sure that there is still such a product. In the past, in Britain, you used to be able to buy a skirt length and yarn to match.Mentioning Pendleton reminds me of a coat I was given that I had thought of remodelling - it is a lovely pale blue and is 'way too large for me as is..........hmmmm, another project there, for sure.

      1. katina | | #19

        Thanks again for sharing your lovely work with us. Here's a link to the Harris website.

        Katina

        http://www.harristweed.com/

        1. starzoe | | #20

          Thanks for the Harris site, I didn't think about looking on the internet so see if it was still in business.

          1. Ceeayche | | #21

            What a refreshing twist on an old favorite!  Bravo!  Very nicely done.

          2. katina | | #25

            You're very welcome

            Katina

    2. katina | | #18

      You and Starzoe might enjoy this link. I still have a Harris Tweed coat from my teenage years, and far too many pieces of Harris Tweed in my fabric stash.

      http://www.harristweed.com/

      Katina

      1. sewelegant | | #24

        Thank you for listing the Harris tweed site, it is an interesting read.  I'll have to keep my eyes open for it now.  I know JoAnn's doesn't carry it, but I may be in a more elegant fabric store in my near future, if I am lucky and maybe they will carry it.

        Edited 10/1/2008 7:38 pm by sewelegant

        1. katina | | #26

          I hope you do find some. Perhaps mail order through the internet?

          Katina

  8. sewslow67 | | #16

    My goodness, this is such a beautiful jacket.  The color, detail, workmanship are all perfection.  I like the exposed zipper down the front too; all very distinctive; also the knit sleeves and collar.  You really do lovely work, Starzoe.  Wonderful! 

    You mentioned Pendleton wool in one of your messages:  I made the body of a jacket once, using Pendleton wool and my mother knit the sleeves for it.  As I recall, I made the collar in the wool though, but I like your knit collar better. 

    I would love to do something like that now but, alas, I do not knit very well.  My only sweater turned out to be one of those "cartoon" sweaters, i.e. a giant green bean could have worn it ...;  it was a disaster!  I wish I had your knitting skills.

  9. User avater
    VKStitcher | | #17

    Oooh!  What a beautiful jacket--my favorite colors.  This tweed has been patiently waiting in your stash to be transformed into a lovely jacket.  You did a great job, especially with the matching knitted collar and sleeves.  Classic fashions and fabrics like this never go out of style.  

  10. Josefly | | #22

    What a wonderful jacket. Its classic style will go a long way, and you did a very nice job on it. Besides the beautiful knitting, I was immediately struck by the perfectly-installed zipper - I always have trouble matching zippers to my fabric, but you seem to have found just the right color. Congratulations.

    1. starzoe | | #23

      Thank you - it happened that there was just one zipper the right length and colour at the shop. Luck. I am so happy that everyone likes the jacket - none of my friends have seen it yet, it is still too warm to wear but I might take it to my next knitting group meeting.

  11. scrubble4 | | #29

    starzoe:  WOW!  Thanks for the pictures front and inside/back.  Thanks for describing how you did the sleeves and neck.  Simply awesome and inspiring.  Your work is exquisite, the design is elegant and the colours are scrumptious.  Scrubbel4

    1. starzoe | | #30

      Thank you. Seldom have I had so many compliments on a sewing project! It is certainly encouraging. I have been sewing for a long, long time and it has been an ongoing interest, even to the point of sewing by hand when there wasn't a machine available.

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