Inspiration Garment from Chanel Pre-F/W2009 Collection

Hi everyone, glad to see so many of us sewing along and following along! There's no set schedule to this sew-along but Cindy and I were thinking a completion date of Nov 15 would be a good target.

I love the iconic Chanel jacket, but not generally on me. A jacket from the Chanel Pre-F/W2009 collection jumped out from among the costumey Russian-influenced garments, and when I saw this ad featuring said jacket in W two months back, I ripped it out and posted it on my bulletin board.

This jacket doesn't seem over-the-top to me in its embellishment at all. (The styling does -- bedazzled fur hat and oversized baroque chair? -- but that is another matter.) I don't use a lot of trim in most of the clothes I sew for myself, as that would require patience both to find the right trim and then to sew it. So I look forward to learning various techniques for sewing on different kinds of trim generally practicing patience. :)

I'd like to refashion the jacket from some other wool thing -- men's jacket or wool coat or something -- but I've been looking out and so far can't find quite the right source garment. I also haven't decided if I will use a pattern or drape on my form. I've never draped anything that is worn over other clothing, so I'm not accustomed to including so much ease. That's what muslins and first samples are for, right?

With my son going back to school at the end of August, I bet I won't get much serious sewing time with this jacket before then. It's probably realistic to read up on techniques and get my source garment/ fabric, trims, notions, and pattern selected by then, though.

So, fellow sew-alongers -- what are you thinking of for your project?