Jean Jacket

 I rarely make a denim jacket - mostly because they are a serious time commitment and I wear them every day for work so they get worn out pretty fast. It’s not worth the time I have to put into sewing one to have it wear out only eighteen months later. However, I make exceptions to this if I want one in a hard-to-find color, like the one pictured! I really wanted a light khaki/tan colored jacket and could not find one anywhere, so I made my own. This is made from a twill, and I used Simplicity 8845, which I had owned for years but hadn’t tried yet (I had used other jean jacket patterns, but this was my first try on this one). 

I don’t always do well making unisex patterns for myself. I have somewhat narrow shoulders, a small rib cage and fuller hips, which doesn’t lend itself it that type of pattern since they usually run bigger and don’t accommodate curves much. But, while denim jackets are fitted, they are not dependent on following all the curves of the body, so I thought this pattern would still work for me. 

I measured the back pattern pieces against my go-to denim jacket and decided to make the extra small, since that matched the measurements exactly. However, I should also have measured the front, because it turns out the front side piece was 1.5” smaller than the ready made jacket. This made the finished front 3” smaller than I needed it. I can wear the jacket and looks okey, but even though I had to take the shoulders in, since they were too wide (common for me, having narrow shoulders, probably not a pattern issue), but I actually can’t button the jacket shut at the bottom. I do not think making the next size up would have fixed this issue, but changing the angle of the side front piece would. However, that is a pretty major alteration to need to make for a semi-fitted garment, and not something I’ve ever needed to do on a pattern before. 

The only other adjustment I made besides taking the shoulders in was shortening the jacket by an inch. Before I put the sleeves in and the bottom band on I could already tell it was going to be too long for me. Not surprising given that it’s a unisex pattern and I’m only 5’5” tall. 

Other issues I had with the pattern were that the collar was too small by about 1 1/2”. Since I made the xsmall, it is not possible I cut out the wrong piece and that was why it was too small. Luckily I had enough extra fabric to cut out another collar on a medium, which fit perfectly. 

Also, the front yoke was too small by an inch and didn’t line up with the lower pieces. Making it bigger would have meant the collar, which was already too small, would have seriously been too small. Also, the shoulder/front chest area was plenty big, so adding two inches to the front was not necessary. 

When I measured this jacket against my favorite one when it was finished, the back still matched up perfectly, and the front is really close, except that side front piece that is smaller by 1 1/2” at the bottom. 

This pattern is pretty involved, with almost every seam being flat felled, meaning it was sewn, then topstitched and edge stitched. I didn’t use topstitching thread, just all-purpose that matched. I didn’t want anything that would stand out on the jacket - I just wanted it to be simple and clean looking. 

I hadn’t done a welt pocket in a while, so I watched this YouTube video as a refresher, and it was excellent! 

All in all, I have a jacket I will get lots of use from, and a pattern I will be looking to replace, since it’s clearly not the one for me!