I'm having an absolute blast with my new relationship with Zelouf Fabrics! I love having the opportunity to work with fabrics I've never seen before and being able to stretch my creativity. 

This fabric is Lexi Lurex Mesh Bonded Knit. I used the Champagne color. That particular color only has a few yards left, but there are other wonderful colors to choose from. 

When I ordered this fabric, I knew I wanted to make a suit... it just screamed suit to me. Vogue 1716 was my original choice. But I wasn't sure how well this fabric would tailor and that jacket has welt pockets with flaps.

I reached way back in my stash and pulled Butterick 5428 (it's long out of print). I've been wanting to make that jacket for years. 

I lengthened this jacket by 7" at the waist and just added width to the bottom. I hated where the jacket would've hit had I not made that alteration.

Longer jackets just look better on me instead of one that sits right on top of the hips.

I interfaced the under collar and the facings. Normally, I would interface the entire body of a jacket with a lightweight interfacing. But I wanted this jacket to feel more drapey and I really wanted to play off of the beautiful pleated detail.

I love a jacket that has back princess seams. Makes altering so easy. I made my usual swayback adjustment. The only thing I wish I had done was create a back vent. I didn't think about until I was actually at a point of trying it on.

I used extra large coat hook and eyes for my closure. On the pattern, it instructed for a bow to be made and handstitched onto the right side of the jacket at the waist. I tried it that way and it looked pretty silly. It would never hang straight and stay that way. So, I just took that piece and cut it in half and sewed it to each side of the front to just make a tie.

I wanted a plain pair of wide legged pants, because the jacket is clearly the star of this show. 

I used McCall's 7443 (currently out of print). The pants are plain front with back darts and a side zipper. I was surprised at how short they're drafted. I had to add 6" of length and I should've gone longer than that. The pattern is drafted with a 2" hem allowance. I could only do a 5/8" so that they would be long enough to wear with heels.

I think a natural reaction to a fabric like this is to make a dress or a skirt. I've been trying to be more proactive in thinking outside of my sewing box. And I'm glad I did, because I love the way this turned out.

My pattern is vintage McCallʼs 2370. Itʼs 20 years old and perfectly relevant for current trends.

The fabric and pattern are a perfect match.

I still have a few more blazers that I want to crank out before summer. So, more to come!

I began to notice the emergence of this trend last fall. Sure, the blazer has always been around. But it's usually the basic notched collar, single-breasted one-button style. These reimagined iterations are everywhere for spring/summer 2019 in pretty pastels. And even on the fall/winter 2019 runways in beautiful textured textiles and plaids and checks... so, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. It's having a major moment, and as much as I love a tailored jacket, I'm going to milk it for everything it's worth.

Trying to find a current double-breasted blazer pattern is damn near impossible. I searched high and low, only to find a couple of out-of-print vintage patterns on Etsy and eBay (that I bought). Then it occurred to me to see what the indies had to offer. I went over to The Fold Line for a search. And voila! I found something that would work.

I picked the Style Arc McKenzie Blazer pattern. It wasn't quite what I was looking for. I really wanted a style that has princess seams that's tapered at the waist; a tailored back vent; surgeon's cuffs; peak lapels; and a breast pocket -- in a long length. Is all of that too much to ask for? Maybe it is. And maybe it's time I start producing patterns! It you want it, you need to create it. But nevertheless, I made this one work. And it was instantly available as a PDF download. And on the plus side, since it was meant to fit loosely, I sewed it without any alterations. So, that makes it a winner in my book.

Minerva Crafts reached out to me and offered a few yards of fabric for a project. And this couldn't be more timely. I selected the Lady McElroy Sydney 4 Way Stretch Plain Crepe Suiting Dress Fabric. It is 94% Polyester, which means when you arrive at your destination, you won't look all wrinkled and creased. And it's 6% Spandex. For fitted trousers, pencil skirts and body-conscious dresses, this is the most perfect crepe fabric that I've run across. I've found really good crepes in the past, but the color selections were nowhere nearly as vast as this offering. And it's heavy enough that lining your pants is not a requirement. 

Since this is a dry-clean only suit, I didn't wash the fabric. However, I did pre-shrink it in the drying using the steam method. It's been my experience working with stretch wovens that they'll sometimes shrink during the construction when the heat and steam are applied during pressing. So, I didn't want to take any chances. For the construction, I used a stretch needle and I used a pressing cloth.

I used a Bemberg Rayon Lining and I love that the blazer is drafted with an all-in-one type of facing. It makes the inside look so good.

This pattern calls for shoulder pads. I almost always make my own custom ones. Here is a quick tutorial that I created for Instagram.

My only regret is that I didn't stop and modify the back with a tailored vent. I didn't even think about it until I was sewing.

The drafting is wonderful. The instructions will probably not be of much use to you if you're a beginner and/or you've never made a jacket before, because there are no step-by-step pictures or illustrations if that's what you're accustomed to. But fear not! I have the perfect solution for that. This pattern plus my Tailored Jacket Tutorial is a perfect match. 

If you make a great jacket, why not a matching pair of pants? These are Simplicity 8749 and it's my second time making these. 

These days, I'm leaning towards tapered pants. I get double duty out of them because with their ankle grazing length, I can wear any height heels.

So, y'all are going to need to bare with me. I'm going to be on a suit and jacket binge for a few months. Because this tailoring stuff is so addictive.

Sometimes, you just don't want to wear a dress, so a fabulous suit will fit the bill for an evening look. 

Suits are so popular this season in women's wear that I knew I had to make a couple. More to come... Maybe Hillary started a trend. Or maybe we're all just kind of ready to stop overthinking dressing as much as possible and to simply just have our blazer match our pants. Even if you don't have a job that requires suit wearing or a special occasion for a "lady tux", don't feel intimidated. Suits are great wardrobe pieces that you can create in a fabric you love that would fit your lifestyle... and make perfectly good since wearing together or as separates. It's okay to break them up!

I wanted to make this suit in a fun fabric that I knew would work for either a special occasion, or pairing the blazer over jeans, my white jumpsuit, navy pants or white skirt. And Lord knows I love a printed pant! These would pair perfectly with a red or any other bright, jewel-tone sweater or top.

The star of any great suit is the blazer, of course. 

My inspiration comes from one of my current favorite designers, Veronica Beard.

My jacket is Vogue 8958, view D. It's currently out of print, usually the good ones are! Sometimes you have to reach in the back of the pattern drawer for current styles. This gorgeous design has really good bones. It has the perfect wide shawl collar and two-piece sleeves. I'm tall, so I like long blazers. I like for mine to be long enough to cover the booty, because it creates a flattering line to my shape. But the only thing this jacket was missing is a back vent.

So I had to modify the back pattern piece. This jacket had only one pattern piece that was supposed to be cut 4 times. It has a center back seam, so 2 for the back and 2 for the back lining. 

Creating a vent and a vent lining and then sewing it is pretty complicated if you've never done it before. Not impossible, just tricky. 

If this is something you all would like more details regarding, let me know in the comments below and I'll do a YouTube tutorial for you.

The fabric is very lightweight, so it's completely interfaced with this White Knit Fusible Interfacing, which is my new favorite! And I also added a back stay using Whisper White Silk Organza.

I cut the size 14, and I didn't have to lengthen the jacket.

I did however lengthen the sleeves by one inch. If I make this one again, I will probably add a sleeve vent and buttons. I'm not bothered by not having this detail, but I do think it's all about aesthetics though. But this fabric is so heavily printed that the buttons are not missed.

I cut my contrasting collar in White Polyester Crepe.

And the way the collar and facing are drafted gave me a beautiful turn of cloth. Because no one wants to see the seam line!

I love the cut of this jacket, how it's nipped in at waist. The vent was the perfect touch. And I can't wait to make this one again.

My pants are Vogue 9181... the same pattern that I used to make the hot pink cords. Officially, my tried and true!

I cut these the same way but made the hem longer. The pink cords are meant to be worn with lower heels. As these are meant for 4" heels. So they're around a 37" inseam.

I still used pockets. And I omitted the belt carriers this time. This pants fit so well at the waist they're not needed.

I love how this suit turned out and I can't wait to start on another one.