Let the Celebration Continue!

I do hope you all had a wonderful time on Christmas.  I sure did and my house still looked like a hurricane blew through this morning!  We had quite the storm last night, so I guess it was fitting.  Ah, but today is special.  No housework for me.  It's my birthday!  My DH always pitches in to give me the day after December 25th off, and I have a birthday outfit to share with you.

I can now reveal the light-weight jacket made with the iridescent fabric that has both turquoise and burgundy threads running through it, because I also dug through my special fabrics, the ones you look at and admire but are a little too nervous to cut into, and made a fabulous skirt to coordinate. I am showing you a close-up of the skirt fabric.  It is a beautiful, nubby, mid-weight, silk with metallic threads running vertically and rainbow colors running horizontally.  I've admired this acquisition for many years.  It was high time to do something with it!  Here is the completed outfit; jacket, skirt, and refashioned t-shirt.

The jacket is tricky.  I also like it styled this way:

Even though the jacket is a little difficult to style.  I just love it...the color, the lapels, the cute sleeves, and single button closure.  (Maybe there is a part of me still stuck in the 80's.)  It is Burda 7794.  I took my time on this and made a size 10 with no alterations.  I used Shannon's recently posted tip of the day for finishing the facing edges with interfacing.  I used french seams, and got the width right this time! And I used jewel like deep peacock and gold buttons.  Here is a close-up of the sleeve and inside of the front of the jacket. 

For the skirt, I used New Look 6854, first blogged about here.  Since the fabric is so special, I also decided to line it with nude-colored Bemberg rayon.  I have to laugh.  My lining is getting better around the vent, but I still have some work to do.  I inserted a regular zipper and hand-basted the hem.  The peacock-colored tank started as a $6.00 t-shirt made out of a matte jersey.  I trimmed off the sleeves and v-neck ribbing and simply folded the edges and top-stitched with my coverstitch machine.  It is a perfect color match to the buttons in the jacket, and you will also see this color in the skirt fabric.  This skirt will also go with a number of jewel colored tops and cardi's.  I really love it. 

Here is the lining in the skirt:

Thank you for your thoughts on the previously posted dress.  I wore it most of the day yesterday and am happy with how it feels.  And thank you for making this past year extra special.  I have really enjoyed getting to know so many of you through exchanging comments and reading your blogs.  Only one thing left to do... Blow out the candle!  Oh, and have a little chocolate pie!  Have a lovely week everyone!