I just cannot cut into the velvet I ordered online, as there's probably no way to get more if something isn't quite right, so I am making a toile of some locally purchased blue velvet (it was relatively inexpensive and I have enough to make a jacket and a vest). I'll either give the toile jacket to DGD to have for a back-up (the color's "ok" with the new kilt tartan, just not as vibrant as the online velvet) or sell it to her teacher or online.
I spent the last week making adjustments to a commercial jacket pattern so that it meets the style and fit requirements of the Highland dance jacket. Today I cut out the toile velvet, cut hair canvas for each piece (excluding the sleeves), and mounted all the pieces, sewed the front and back princess seams, the CB seam and the shoulder seams. All seams are lightly pressed open.
I cut extra seam allowance in the side seams so that I can make further fitting adjustments if necessary and the side seams are machine basted. I'll get the two-part sleeves sewn together tonight, and machine baste them to the armscye.
DGD now has a removable cast and she's available tomorrow for a fitting, so with any luck I can tweak the pattern for any final adjustments and get going on the real jacket soon.
Beverly