Hey all!

It’s been a while since my last blog post! It’s been nice to have a break from blogging to focus on other areas of my life – did you miss me?

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve still been sewing. I’ve been trying to be better at setting boundaries for myself in all aspects of my life. I’ve been editing the content I consume, and the time I spend scrolling.

Since a lot of my wardrobe basics are well covered, I’ve been making more playful garments. Most of the garments that I make should be items that I can wear regularly.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what inspired me first, the fabric or the pattern. This time I was seeking purple coating fabric to replicate the jacket by Lee Mathews – see below. I went into The Fabric Store, and the last 1.5m remnant of fabric was there for me!

I took the design details I wanted from the inspiration images to create an unlined jacket in a length that suits me.

I used the Schnittchen patterns Holly jacket in a size 42 as a base pattern – previous versions here. The pattern has a nice shape through the body, set in sleeves, and has the same collar as the inspiration image! To make the pattern suitable for this project, I lengthened the pattern pieces’ front, back, and sleeves as I wasn’t adding the rib knit hems. I also widened the front to allow for buttons.

I originally planned to sew more topstitching and pockets, but I was drawn to the simplicity on the front of the jacket, with the stitch lines being a nice detail on the back of the garment.

I sewed the seams down to create a mock flat felled finish I drafted facings as I wanted a clean look. This video shows how I trimmed the seams. I added bias binding to finish the facings nicely.

A few other ladies and I were all inspired by the same fabric. We made a video of our garments. It is interesting to see how other makers use the same fabric.

The jacket is slightly longer at the centre, which is great when sitting down or commuting.

I love the finished jacket. It is an interesting mix of styles – a classic shape that is a wearable everyday piece with an interesting design feature. If you want a similar style and didn’t want to hack it I would look at Papercut Patterns Stacker Jacket.