The Mysterious Galliano Pirate Jacket - Help Me Decipher It or Sew-Along!

[tigralon]

May 19 UPDATE:
If you're looking for the link to the pattern, the website has been rearranged.  The pattern is currently at http://www.showstudio.com/projects/unf/unf_start.html.

May 24 Update:  COMPLETED!!!
Take a look below, and be sure to check out pages 19 & 20 of this thread for two more beautiful jackets by IndividualFrog and cathou!

     

     


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ORIGINAL POST:
I am hopelessly in love with the Galliano Pirate Jacket that you can theoretically sew from a free-to-download pattern at http://www.showstudio.com/play.html (scroll down just a bit and click on "Design Download - John Galliano."  I say "theoretically," because this jacket has about 60 pattern pieces and no instructions.
Here is the finished jacket - isn't is fantastic?



So...anybody want to join me in a Sew-Along in pursuit of our own Pirate Jackets?  All together now..."shiver me timbers!"

[tigerlounge2000]

I've been planning to make the McQueen jacket from showstudio this summer, but I think this one defies comprehension, though two people have succeeded (you can see their jackets on the site).  I think you should just print out hte pieces, cut them in heavy muslin make yourself a duct tape dress form and just experiment with pins and basting thread.  I'd love to see how it goes!

[cathou]

I'm so in!!! I don't think it's going to be that hard to figure out since there is a lot of information on the pattern pieces (even though it's in french... but fear not!!! I am french!!!). But I do have this problem where I have to find a place to print it .... anyone knows of a place in motreal, quebec where I could print such large paper??

Oh and on top of not having any instructions... I was thinking of making it a second sleeve, detachable, for comfort purposes (I like to have two sleeves!!)... i'm so craaaaaazy

[eli_rockmell]

I'll be attempting that this summer, i think.  It's terrifying me already.

[IndividualFrog]

I have been staring at this for more than a year, vowing to make it, but I have had no luck at all getting it all printed out.  As soon as I do, I will be putting my all into making it and I'd love to have partners in crime.  I feel like it'll be very figure-out-able once it's printed....

If anyone knows a place in Connecticut that could print this for very cheap, let me know

JdB

[tigralon]

I'm so happy to hear that others are willing to take on this crazy project too!

Cathou, I'm glad you can translate the French because I tried but couldn't get anywhere with such specific tailoring terms.   I think that's a great idea to do a second, detachable sleeve - I had been concerned about the usefulness of a one-armed jacket, but I hadn't thought of just making a second sleeve.  Hopefully we could simply reverse all the pieces for the left sleeve, but I guess we'll have to see the pieces printed at full-size.

And that brings up the issue of even printing out the darn pattern - I'm in Philadelphia, and I also can't figure out where I could print such a large sheet (without it costing about a hundred dollars).  I tried to print it on regular 8.5x11 paper, in order to tape all the sheets together (as the directions state would be possible), but only 3 pages come out...very odd.  I wonder if there's a website where you can send large files, and they'll print it and send it to you for lower prices than copy stores.  I'll update if I figure out a solution.

[IndividualFrog]

On my pdf they have translations of the french notations.

I'm gonna look around and ask at all the copy shops I can find if they can print this thing out cheapish.  OR maybe I'll see if I can convince a friend to pay for the printing, and then they can have the jacket when I'm done (I'm a boy, so I won't get to wear it  )  I've been waiting too long.  And having partners-in-crime makes it seem so much more doable.  We can do it!!

As for me, I think it's kind of boring to do it all one color like those girls on the site, and I feel like another sleeve would throw off the balance...my plan is to make as exact a copy as I can.  The Union Jack!  Yeah.

This is going to be lots of fun, guys!

[mikan]

i'm interested, but I probably can't start until the summer. i have lots of costume/vintage pattern sewing experience so i think it will be okay.  i was always the one at work coming up with how to put pieces together from old patterns we scrounged somewhere... i'm not sure about the sleeve yet, maybe making one that ties on would be cool for me and more wearable in my climate.  i downloaded the pattern, but i haven't really looked at it all closely yet...  fabric choices will be fun

[tigralon]

On my pdf they have translations of the french notations.

I'm gonna look around and ask at all the copy shops I can find if they can print this thing out cheapish.  OR maybe I'll see if I can convince a friend to pay for the printing, and then they can have the jacket when I'm done (I'm a boy, so I won't get to wear it  )  I've been waiting too long.  And having partners-in-crime makes it seem so much more doable.  We can do it!!

As for me, I think it's kind of boring to do it all one color like those girls on the site, and I feel like another sleeve would throw off the balance...my plan is to make as exact a copy as I can.  The Union Jack!  Yeah.

This is going to be lots of fun, guys!

Yeah, I think that most of the french on the pdf is translated, but I've noticed several penciled comments without white translations.  I think that we can muddle through those, though.     Although, what does "B.F" mean?  It's on one or more edges of almost every piece...

I definitely agree on the Union Jack colour theme - it really highlights all the different pieces and seams.  The trick will be to find the same fabric in the right shades of red, white, AND blue (or barring that, at least fabrics of similar weights and textures).  (And I actually think that this jacket could look great on a guy!  But you'd have to alter the pattern so much, it would probably be more trouble than it's worth.)

I'm going to try to print it this weekend, and then next week hopefully cut it out of cheap fabric to figure out what in the heck attaches where.  But first I really need to finish this purse/hat/shoes combo that I'm deep in the middle of creating...

[tigralon]

Update on printing!!!  I managed to print the entire pattern on regular (8.5x11, for those in the States) paper.  There are two methods:
1) The quick & dirty way is to just use the Graphics Select Tool in Acrobat to select 8x10.5 rectangles on the page, and then click "print selection" over and over.
2) However, I was willing to do a little work and then have all the pieces able to be reprinted easily as I need more, so I took the longer route and copied my selections from Acrobat into Photoshop, then I could save each file (most files are either a few small pattern pieces, or a couple of large ones spread across two files).
Hope that helps!  The pieces then have to be taped together, but IMO that's better than paying exorbitant sums to print onto one giant paper.

And now I'll toss some questions out to you other Pirate-ers:
- Do these pieces have seam allowance?  Most seem to have a seam allowance drawn on, but of only 1/4 inch - that seems awfully small.  A few pieces (top of page 3) have no marked seam allowance line.  At least one says in white translation "seam allowance 1 cm" - does that mean to add on an additional 1 cm, or to cut as shown and then sew at 1 cm?  Any insight on whether to add seam allowance before cutting?
- I'm going to hypothesize that all the little notches around the edges are the equivalent of the "pyramids" that stick out of the cutting edges of mass-produced pattern pieces.  Anyone agree/disagree?

This weekend, I'm off to buy more muslin (want to make sure I have plenty) and also I'm planning to make a duct-tape dressmaker.  I already know that I can't tackle this without something to fit it on!