During our visit to Paris, my husband and I visited the Chanel boutique by the place de la Madelaine. As thrilling as it is to be surrounded by so many gorgeous things I am never really at my ease in a Chanel store. Everywhere I go, I am followed by a vigilant guard, so I can’t even imagine how stressful it would be to try something on. There were far more sales clerks than customers and their eyes were all fixed on me. And, of course, the more a crowd of people stare at you with gimlet eyes, the more furtively you begin to act. I did peek at a jacket that I found inspiring, but when I raised my camera the guard pounced on me as apparently no photos are allowed. Embarrassed, I edged out of the store with a few impressions lodged in my brain of metallic edging on a red floor-length coat.
Now, however, a momentous occasion is here. No longer will I need to lurk around a designer boutique, fearfully straining to catch a glimpse of the beauties within. I have my very own “couture” knit. Gabrielle is finished!
After having slaved over this project for all of three months, it feels as if there should be trumpets sounding. That is how excited I feel. I love my finished Gabrielle, and am certain that I will get a ton of wear out of it. After all, what I wanted was a glamorous winter top that I could wear with a simple pair of grey slacks when dining out with my husband, and I think I achieved just that. And it fits very well.
None of the construction problems that plagued me with my two Chanel-style jackets got in my way, for the simple reason that this time I made something I was familiar with—a simple knitted pullover. I now realize that if I am going to make another Chanel-style Jacket in the future I am going to have to learn more about tailoring. Perhaps the secret instead is to knit a simple piece, like a pullover, that I have already mastered, but let the complexity of the fabric be the challenge. Something for me to think about for future projects.
I do really feel the most satisfaction in having created a fabric that is ethereal in color scheme, like the original design, and that gives the impression of woven fabric. It is also really delightfully warm and soft, and it looks expensive. What a relief to finish this experiment at last!