Simplicity 2508

SO. Simplicity's web site says this 2508. And my pattern tissues say it's 2508. However, my pattern envelope says 0571. And it's a brown Project Runway envelope, rather than the blue shown here (and in every other PR envelope I've seen). Which made it hard to find reviews on PatternReview . I just thought I'd start with that.

My second warning on this: There are a billion pieces. And while normally I disregard the amount of fabric needed to sew up a PR pattern, I'm very thankful that this time I just happened to have enough of the stash fabric on hand (and really don't have a great need for a matching skirt is I am being honest...). Here are some things the back of the envelope DOESN'T tell you:

1. You are going to cut four of the front panels for the jacket - they use the second set for the matching facing. But this isn't clear until you start sewing. I somehow missed that I needed to cut four of the front panels and had to go back and cut more. Had I not had the fabric, I wouldn't have been happy at this point.
2. Those facings have to be interfaced. But you're not going to 'cut' the pieces out. No, they want you to lay your fabric pieces, right side up on the adhesive side of your fusible interfacing, fuse them, then cut them out. Which works great, if you were planning on using fusible interfacing. I wasn't. I don't like fusible interfacing. And my light weight interfacing is not featherweight, while the fabric is medium weight. So now I'm going to have to run by Joann's or Hobby Lobby and pick some up.
3. Lots of the detail pieces are on the bias. This is why you need all that fabric. The cuff's? On the bias. The collar pieces? On the bias.

And then there are the design changes I decided I needed to make:

• omitted the lining - I live in Houston. I don't have the need for a traditional lined coat for warmth (I type as the temperatures are actually quite frigid here today) as a rule. So I took a nifty little idea from a trench I saw at Target. There is an option for a decorative yoke piece on the back of this jacket. For future design options, I'll contemplate embroidery or something decorative like that. But today, I'm using it on the inside of the jacket. I cut the yoke from the linen from my last dress. Decorative yet subtle!
• french seams - when one omits the lining from a jacket, one must come up with something for those seems. I could serge them and top stitch them down. I could. I just don't want to. The only seams I'm not doing a french seam on is those front princess seams.
  

Everything is cut (except for those stupid facings, gggrrr) and I've basted most of the pieces that needed interfacing. I'm still considering the fusible interfacing for the facings. I don't see a way around unfortunately. Photo's to come!