I made a coat! I made a coat!
You guys - I am SO excited about this jacket. Like, I was literally jumping up and down when I finished it and maybe haven’t wanted to take it off since.
It’s not that this was a hard pattern to conquer; in fact, it was much easier than I thought it would be. But this project has made me feel like I’ve reached the next level in my handmade wardrobe. I needed a challenge and this was it. I didn’t just make another t-shirt to add to my closet, I made a coat. And this is the perfect layer for the crisp, clear days of Fall.
I’ve been planning on making a jacket for quite some time now. I found some amazing wool coating from Pendleton when I was down in Portland this summer and snatched up a couple yards on sale, originally thinking that I would make a Moss Skirt. Then, I saw this version of the Waver Jacket from Papercut Patterns and I knew that I needed to make a PNW version of the jacket. Wool, flannel, and all. I called down to Pendleton and grabbed a couple more of the last yards of this fabric…the jacket was meant to be.
After reading about Heather’s experiences with her version, I decided to take her advice and base my size off of the finished garment measurements, not the body measurements and I am so glad I did! Based on the size chart, I should have measured into a size small or medium. But based on the finished garment measurements, I decided I wanted 2-4” of ease in the chest and decided to cut out a size extra small. I made a muslin just to be sure, but it fits just like I had hoped.
I went with the short version and didn’t make any additional alterations to the jacket, with the exception of leaving out the waist casing. I really wanted a jacket that had more of a swing shape to it and I doubt the wool would cinch very well. Other than that, it’s sewn as the pattern is written. If I were going to make this jacket again, I think the only thing I would change would be to add about an inch more length in the sleeves - not because they’re short, but because I prefer mine longer, and I’ve already noticed that I tend to tug them down a bit.
As I mentioned, I used a wool coating from Pendleton, and unfortunately they don’t have an online store for the fabric that they sell by the yard (find a friend in Portland!). For the main body of the lining, I used a plaid flannel from Robert Kaufman. The sleeves are lined in some sort of slippery, polyester lining so that my shirt sleeves don’t stick.
Plus, Nate decided that with a couple of alterations, he could probably wear this pattern too! He’s one step closer to being ready to learn how to sew...
