Have you guys seen the Wiksten Oversized Kimono Jacket from the most recent issue of Making Magazine?! I was honest-to-goodness obsessed from the first time I saw Jenny Gordy post it on her Instagram. I picked up a copy as fast as I could (and every project in it is hand's down amazing!) and then lamented over what fabric to use for AGES.
Did I want to go lightweight and make it a layering piece? Or a little heavier and make it an actual jacket? Did I want it to be subtle and textured? Or use some mix-and-match prints? These are the things that keep me up at night.
I have ideas for a million more of these, but I decided to start with one that would fill a hole in my closet AND use up fabric that I had in my stash. It was a win-win.
I landed on a lightweight Pendleton wool coating for the main fabric that I got from an Instagram destash ages ago. It's been sitting in my fabric stacks, just waiting to become the right kind of cocoon coat, but there wasn't a pattern that was calling my name until now. When I saw it sitting next to some of the Dawn Chorus fabric that we sell in the shop, it was just meant to be. (We've since sold out of the Dawn Chorus Lawn, but you can still get the charcoal version - Evening Roost!)
After sufficiently stalking everyone who has made the coat so far on Instagram, I decided to make a size Small, even though I am typically a size 8 and would have measured into a Medium...and boy am I glad I went down a size!
This coat has A LOT of volume to it. That's definitely what makes it so special and unique, but keep this in mind when deciding on a size. I have plenty of room to move in the size Small and I'll probably even take out a couple inches of volume from the back pattern piece in my next version.
That said, since the sleeves are lined in cotton, I don't think I would be able to layer this with a heavy sweater. Maybe if I had used something slinkier it would work better, but the extra room in the sleeves helps things get less bunchy.
I love my contrasting lining, but I wanted this to be an everyday, classic jacket and didn't want it to show when I'm wearing my coat. So, I made the collar pieces out of my main fabric for both sides. It meant needing to play some serious fabric Tetris to get it all to fit, but I just barely squeaked it out! I love how clean it looks with a one-color collar.
For the same reason, I left the lining out of the pockets and just used the main fabric so that there weren't any pops of the lining sticking out anywhere.
The cutting takes a little while, but mostly because you're maneuvering large pattern pieces for both the outer jacket and the lining...not because it's all that difficult. Once you get sewing, the whole thing comes together really quickly! It's so satisfying to feel like you have a brand new coat after a few hours at the machine.
While I love how heavy this version is for winter, I'm already excited to make one out of some sort of linen for warmer weather. Or maybe an unlined version out of some boiled wool! That's happening too. It's such a great layering piece and I can already tell I'll be living in these for quite some time.
For now, the pattern is only available through Making Magazine. However, it's coming out as a printed pattern next spring! Don't worry, we're already planning on stocking it.
If you can't wait until Spring, I highly recommend this issue of Making Magazine. There are so many projects in it that are perfect for gifting or getting your home feeling cozy for the winter season.
