Sew for Victory 2.0

Last week Lucky Lucille announced Sew for Victory 2.0 - oh, so exciting! I loved last years Sew for Victory - the community, sharing ideas and the dress I made.

I really challenged myself, I scaled up a vintage pattern and learnt loads of new techniques, working with vintage patterns, bound button holes and side lapped zips. It was a steep but enjoyable learning curve.

So, how to top it this year? Well, I been turning over a couple of ideas, but there has been a project at the back of my mind for a while which I've lacked the courage to tackle. Then what happens? I sit down to the GBSB yesterday and the theme is vintage sewing and I loved it.

Firstly, the sewing machines. The contestants were all given a 1930s electric Singer sewing machine. Lynda and Heather (the most mature of the remaining contestants) both were delighted as they learnt to sew on this type of machine. Well ladies, you are in good company, because so did I.

This beauty is my mother's sewing machine; the machine that I learnt to sew on and the machine that started my love of sewing. Reliable, beautiful and up to any challenge. I do love my Bernina, but I'll always have a soft spot for the classic Singer.

Anyway, while I liked all the challenges the one which really caught my eye was the final challenge, making a vintage inspired tailored coat. I've been planning to make outerwear for some time, and I've had a couple of ideas in mind for a while. One of them is 1940's style, so would fit in with the Sew for Victory theme, and is going to be a challenge ... so I'm saying it in public, my Sew for Victory 2.0 challenge is 

The suit jacket from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing, in a beauty wool herringbone(?) tweed, which was given to me some years ago by a family friend. 

Yikes ... this is some project, a fully tailored suit jacket by the end of April? Gulp ... I like a challenge, but I just hope I'm not setting my sights to high. Wish me luck!