This pattern is for a sporty outerwear-type jacket. Made in a heavy weight linen as suggested it would be a nice spring layer.
It makes a nice basic for changing details and I've used the pattern 3 times before, but never as it was intended.
Here's one that got written up on the old blog: turquoise ikat
It's an unfitted shape with a center back seam and shoulder darts. I added bust darts for this version which is intended to be worn as a top.
The fabric is a cotton with a bit of a crinkly texture. It has a bit of body to it which I am liking more these days than flowy/drapey/clingy. It will also still work well as a light jacket in the summer when air conditioners everywhere are competing for champion air conditioner of the world.
Here's the glamor shot.
For this version, I added bust darts and eased the back shoulders to the front rather than make the shoulder darts.
The front button band is cut on and self interfaced.
The collar was made narrowed. I also narrowed the sleeve at the wrist since it wasn't meant to be a jacket.
I made a nice deep hem that incorporates little side vents.
Lately I've wanted clean finished insides as much as possible, so the hem edges are all turned under and stitched rather than serged. The shoulder, sleeve, and center back seams are all flat felled. The armscyes and the side seams are the only ones that are serged.
Buttons are getting harder and harder to source! I didn't have any in my button stash that were perfect, but at least had some that were the right size. I am going to have to get more intentional about building up a button stock in the future.
Bloggers who take full length photos in beautiful locations with perfect lighting have my sincere admiration. It takes a lot of dedication to set up tripods and remote clickers and wait for decent light. Here's my lovely bathroom selfie with the sleeves turned up.
Selfie critique: I am not sure if I am standing crooked because of the way I'm nolding the camera, some temporary hip issues or if my body is just crooked now. I need to start paying attention to my posture, and if my stance is not temporary, well, there are alterations for that.
The bust darts need to be a bit deeper.
And next time I make this as a top, I'd like to make the shoulders a bit narrower.
The fabric is really everything when the pattern is as simple as this. Here are a couple of other versions.
Here's an earlier one in a natural homespun kind of cotton. You can tell that this one is so useful that it just stays in the back seat and is always there when I need another layer. Heavy cell phone has bagged out the pocket.This one is probably the closest to the original pattern.
This last one was made in a heavy cotton flannel with wide asymmetrical stripes. The center front has a facing. So does the hem - it doesn't show in the photo, but there is a curve to the side vents and the facing makes a nice flat hem.
This version was underlined with power mesh to improve the hang of it and to keep it from clinging in the rear. That stuff also works nicely as far as slipping the jacket on and off goes, so it's worth remembering.
Yes I like jackets, both making them and wearing them.
