Morris Blazer and Girl Charlee Fabric: Love at First Sight

After seeing so many wonderful versions of  Grainline's Morris Blazer  on the blogs, I wanted to make one for myself. The pattern sat in my stash until Jen started a Sew-a Long. My fabric was ready waiting for the next day of instructions. Then, I saw The Red, White, and Blue Sewing Contest at Girl Charlee's Fabrics. That would not have tempted me except I saw a gorgeous Blue Red Ikat on White Ponte De Roma Knit. It was screaming at me to use it for a Morris Blazer. Apparently, fabric can speak to me through the computer. I quickly ordered it along with a royal blue solid cotton jersey knit to make a top to go with it. O.K., I'll confess. A couple of other knits jumped into my cart, but those are a story for another day. I do love Girl Charlee knits and the prices are reasonable.

I was not disappointed with the two fabrics that I used for the contest. Both the blazer and top fabrics were easy to sew. They are so soft and comfortable! The Morris Blazer and the Briar top went together quickly with no hair pulling!

The instructions in the Sew-A-Long were clear and made sewing this blazer a breeze. The only problem that I had was the area in the front where the facing met the hem. I serged my facing so that it was a 1/2" too big at the joining point. As a result, it looked sloppy on the inside and bulky on the outside. The picture above showed how I fixed it. I turned the facing in 1/2" so that it fit perfectly. It sure would have been easier if I had done that first! Next time I'll either take the 1/2" off with serging or turn it under.

I made a size 4 in the shoulders and a size 10 for the side seams. I cut the back on the fold because of the print. I think that fit fine and no adjustments were needed. The pattern adjustments were: 1.5" full bust adjustment, added 2" to the length of the body and added 1 and 1/2" to the sleeve length. That's it. I'm pleased with the fit.

The Briar top deserves a separate post. It's a good top pattern, but I will make some changes in the future. I'm so looking forward to making another Morris Blazer and sewing my other new fabrics.

Happy Sewing!