Gaby's Andean Jacket

Gaby was with us for almost two weeks and I wanted to use the time and sew something for her, that I could measure directly on her and she could take with herself when leaving back for Vienna. She immediately chose an Andean jacket for herself. 

Originally I had about 2 m of the fabric, in two 1 m cuts and I had quite significant leftovers after I made my own jacket. It was clear that the fabric itself wouldn't suffice, so I went downtown and found some suitable complimentary knit fabric, and also more of the same purple polyester lining, which I liked so much for my jacket.

As Gaby is taller than me, I made her jacket a bit longer than mine - as much as the fabric allowed and I also added length to the sleeves. Cutting the pieces, matching the stripes, fitting everything within limited fabric, with some fabric defects at that, which I had to work around, was one of the biggest challenges I have faced sewing. But I love these Tetris games with fabric, so I might say I had fun with this project.

 

Pattern: Sinclair Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie

Size: Regular , shortened -4 cm, 4 S with added 2.5 cm to the sleeve length

Fabric: French Terry / double knit; lining - polyester jersey

Time to make: 6 days

The jacket is almost identical to mine, with the exception of the back, which has a dark navy insertion. I actually like that solid piece a lot and find it more a feature than a bug of the jacket. Some other compromises had to me made too, but they are not significant and noticeable - the collar is not a single piece, like in my jacket, but is made of one front layer and two pieces, making the back layer. The bottom band is also made out of two pieces - the outer one is striped, the inner one is solid color.

Still, despite the patched up work here and there, I think it turned out perfect and hope she will enjoy wearing it.

Gaby's Fleece Jacket

One of the two jackets I made this winter for Gaby - the fleece jacket. I had promised her a fleece jacket a long time ago and in my head it had to be very close to one she already has had for many years and adores - raglan, zippered, with a high collar and welt pockets. 

I explored a number of patterns, mostly in my mind, some with muslins, and in the end I decided on the Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie by Sinclair Patterns. Halfway through sewing Gaby's jackets I hit a rock at the zipper - the layers of fleece fabric around the pockets were becoming too thick and I was debating various options. To clear my head, I took out my piece of Andean striped knit fabric and made my Andean Jacket.

Having finished it successfully, I returned to Gaby's fleece jacket and completed it. Looking back, I might have done a few things differently, but it fits her well, she likes it and it is unbelievably warm, so I am pretty happy.

Pattern: Sinclair Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie

Size: Regular shortened -3 cm, 4 S

Fabric: Fleece

Time to make: 2 weeks

 

As in my own version of the pattern, I modified the pattern collar, adding height and some gathering at the front, otherwise I believe I kept the pattern more or less as it is.

 

Although this is the same pattern as my Andean jacket, it has a completely different vibe in its solid color and fleece fabric. Now I think of making one for myself as well :)

Andean Jacket

My latest and most favourite make - a lined zipper jacket. The outer fabric is one of the fabrics I was given by a friend a couple of years ago, when she decided to quit sewing and destashed. I fell immediately in love with its pattern and was saving it for something special. A few times I was just about to cut into it - for a long skirt or a short poncho, but luckily, abandoned the idea. 

I say luckily, as I think this zipper jacket is the best use for this fabric. The pattern is Sinclair Journey, which I bought recently for another project I am making for Gaby. I was half way through with Gaby's jacket, when I hit a rock and decided to step a bit aside and make another version of the pattern for myself.

As it happened, I had the perfect fabric for the lining and the perfect zipper, even its length was the exact one I needed - it seemed the stars had aligned for this project.

The version of the jacket I used is View B - the one with zippered pockets, but I decided to make mine one-side welt pockets (my first!). The pattern pockets are designed to stay loose, but experience has shown that such pockets are not very practical, so I designed my own pockets to be attached to the zipper opening and the bottom band.

My most favourite part of jacket is the collar. Here again I took the View B half-hood, added 5 cm to its height, straightened the back seam, so that I could make it seamless and then extended the front of the collar, drawing a line at a right angle to the back - thus I added 8 cm width to the front part of the collar. The additional width goes into the folds and makes the collar one of main features of the jacket.

Pattern: Sinclair Journey Zip Up Raglan Hoodie

Size: Petite (152-160 cm) 4 S with added 2.5 cm to the sleeve length

Fabric: French Terry / double knit; lining - polyester jersey

Time to make: 5 days

This is my third lined hoodie and the first time I added the lining correctly and easily. I always knew there must be a correct way to assemble the outer part and the lining, and I think I finally found it after watching a video by Dasha Sineva, where she showed her process of sewing a lined jacket. The simple secret is to leave two openings - one big opening at the bottom back and one in one of the sleeves.

I had 2.15 m of this fabric in two pieces of about 1 m each and I have some big scraps left, which I intend to combine with some other knit fabric and make another lined jacket. Husband wants it for himself, as he also fell in love with the striped geometric pattern, but we'll see. I'm not sure the pieces are big enough for a grown man like him.

It's a pity it is already winter here and sunny days like yesterday, when we took these pictures, are a rarity, but come spring I intend to wear this jacket intensely. I was down to the fabric store today, bought the missing notions and tonight I'll back to Gaby's jacket, hopefully it will be no less successful than mine.

A short note on my preliminary work - when I bough the pattern, I determined Gaby's size as 4 S petite, printed the pattern and made a muslin out of an old bed sheet. I know you aren't supposed to make test clothes for knit garments out of weaved fabric, but I thought a muslin would still give me some idea. Well, I was wrong. The muslin felt too small and tight and made me go up a size and up a height. Once I cut Gaby's jacket out of her fleece fabric, I found it too wide, so I had to cut it back to 4 S and I knew that my initial sizing had been right. So, all that work to print two sizes and sew two muslins had been absolutely in vain. Now I know a muslin really works only when you are using a similar fabric, no going around that :(

And one further note: raglans and patterned fabric. It took me probably three days of measuring and thinking, until I cut the fabric. Initially I had drawn the pattern pieces as economically as possible and just when I was about to start cutting, it occurred to me, that the raglan connections would be clearly visible at the front and thus the pattern pieces of the body had to be aligned with the sleeves not at the bottom, but at the sleeve opening. I know that is probably pretty obvious for experienced seamstresses, but it was a revelation to me and it might help somebody (or my future self), when using such patterned fabrics and raglans. As a whole, it did take a lot of planning around the fabric, but i am really happy with the placement of the pattern :)

Burda Polar Fleece Jacket

Recently I've been more in a home-improvement and gardening mode and I kind of lost my sewing, not to mention my knitting, mojo. Still, I made one of my Make Nine projects - the Burda 6337 jacket.

This pattern had been long on my list and in my head I always saw it made out of polar fleece, something similar to a tourist RTW jacket I have and still wear a lot.

My original idea was to make the pattern for Gaby in a polar fleece fabric i recently bought for her. But in order to test the pattern, I decided to make an wearable muslin first, out of a huge fleece sweater of my husband, which he doesn't like and wear.

I'm happy I decided to test the pattern first, as it gave me a good feel for the fit and the look of the final garment and in the end made me realize that, though I enjoy my jacket, I will not use the pattern for Gaby's jacket, as this is not exactly the look I am after.

 

Pattern: Burda 6337

Size: 36, shortened

Fabric: polar fleece, used

Time to make: one week

Some notes and modifications: The sizing is a bit off, the jacket is too big on me and though I'm a 36 according to Burda tables, size 34 would have been a better fit. Because I was using an old sweater, I could not make the original sleeves of the jacket and had to improvise with the material I had - thus my sleeves have a seam along the center and are based on another Burda jacket. 

  

One of the features of the jacket I do not particularly like is the collar - just not my style, I think. I would prefer a hood or a higher cowl. And a minor last note - the inside part of the pocket would be better made out of the main fabric. I made both parts of the pockets out of the lining fabric, but the pockets are too thin and cold for keeping my hands in during hikes, so a warmer fleece pocket would be more desirable.

I already wore the jacket during our hike to Dupevitza and it proved really warm and comfortable, so I am actually quite happy to have used the fleece material from the discarded husband's sweater. Still, I'm in search for the best fleece jacket pattern for the planned Gaby's jacket.

Men's Lined Hoodie

I made a new hoodie for my husband. The pattern is very similar to that of my own hoodie out of the same fabric - front zipper, big three-part hood, split kangaroo pockets, fully lined.

 

The outer fabric is a double knit in large houndstooth design in black and grey. I was gifted this fabric a couple of years ago and after I made my hoodie, which is a staple in my hiking wardrobe, I've been contemplating a similar one for husband as well. Recently, after making him a Burda longsleeve out of a nice viscose knit, I noticed that my pattern contained actually two versions - the one I made and a second version with a hood and a kangaroo pocket. And the hood was exactly the style I was looking for - with raised neckline and a central insertion.

The original pattern is actually a blouse, but there's nothing easier than adding a zipper in the center and turning a blouse into a zippered anorak. Because my outer fabric was kind of thin and prone to sticking to other fabrics, I opted for a full lining again. I've been into high quality heavy viscose knits lately, so we chose this gorgeous bright orange viscose to liven up and complement the dark color of the outer fabric.

As far as sizing - my husband is size 48 according to Burda size tables, and the long-sleeve from this pattern in size 48 fits him perfectly. For the hoodie I went a size and a half up - that is I chose size 50, but added additionally a bit of width to the body, to take into account, that this is a lined hoodie, to be worn over other blouses.

Pattern: Burda #131 from 12 / 2020

Size: 50 with with added length

Fabric: double knit; cotton viscose knit; rib knit

Time to make: two weeks

The hood is deep and wide enough, without being too roomy, I think it has a good balance.

The pockets are also deep and lined as well. I added rib knit at the pocket openings for stability. 

I also tried to do pattern matching, where possible, without being too obsessive.

We still haven't worn our similar hoodies in the mountains, I wonder how it would feel - cute or ridiculous :)

Denim Jacket for Gaby

Right after I finished my denim jacket in January I planned another one for Gaby and it was only a question of finding the right fabric before I made it. Of course, the second time cutting it and sewing it was much easier and, having had the experience of wearing my jacket all spring, I made some changes to the pattern.

The jacket is cropped and I had cropped it further for myself, as I am short. It is perfectly fine for my height, but as Gaby is taller, I went back to the original size 18 length and added further 2 cm below the waist. I also returned to the original widths, as mine proved to be a  tad too narrow for wearing more voluminous tops underneath, so hers is the original size 18 width too.

The pattern - Burda 109 from 02/2010, was on my Make Nine list, but I'm not sure if making it twice counts as two items from that list :) Anyway, it is a really well drafted tailored short denim jacket and i still would recommend it to anyone in the market for such a jacket.

Pattern: Burda #109 02/2010

Size: 18, modified

Fabric: denim

Time to make: one week

 

Another slight difference from my own version of the pattern, is that this time I used  denim with elastane, which I hope would add to the comfort value of the jacket; and, on quite a different note, I experimented with the decorative stitching. I had read, that one could use regular thread for decorative denim stitching, but threading it double from two bobbins into the same needle. Well, it works and was actually easier to sew that the thick cotton thread, sold for this specific aim - while my machine struggled with the tension of the thick thread, it took quite nicely the thinner thread, coming from two bobbins. And apart from better looking seams, this opens the possibility for cheaper and easier accessible decorative seams in numerous colors.

I heard from Gaby last night and she told me that the jacket fitted her beautifully and she already wore it to Uni together with a couple of her new blouses.