I sewed a jacket!
Inside out:
McCalls 7333 is a pattern for a loose-fitting hooded, unlined jacket with an elastic waist casing, 2 piece sleeves, and length and pocket variations. The elastic casing is on the outside of the jacket in the view I made. The pattern also includes sleeve tabs to secure the sleeves when rolled up. The sizing choice is either for an XS, S, and M pattern in one envelope or a L, XL, and XXL in one envelope.
I put to use the oldest apparel fabric in my stash; 2 yards of a lavender linen and cotton blend bought at Joann. I think it is from the Robert Kaufman Essex line, which would put it at 55% linen, 45% cotton. This fabric is easy to sew and has some heft to it in comparison with the whisper light lawn and rayon I’ve sewn this summer.
I made view C, but with a contrasting hood facing in cotton chambray because I didn’t quite have enough fabric. The facing is partially visible, and I’m very happy with the pairing of these fabrics. I also used the chambray for the waist tie. The waist tie is elastic with a fabric tie at each end. The channel for the tie stops before the ends of the jacket so the fronts can be overlapped.
Due to a lack of fabric, I also had to piece the sleeves, but I quite like the effect.
I used flat fell seam finishing, the type on the inside that begins with sewing the pieces right together as usual. I love how neat and sturdy this finish is. This was my first time sewing long sleeves with a cuff and button.
The pattern instructions for the cuffs and for where the hood attaches to the neck have you slipstitch these areas. In both cases, I stitched in the ditch from the right side. I’m usually not the best at the precise sewing needed to catch stitches on the underside, but it worked perfectly on the cuff, and I managed to get the neck done after some ripping and re-dos.
The buttons were from my vintage stash with a marked price of 15 cents. I have many old, carded buttons, but seldom use them. They were stuck to the cardboard and the backing was on the buttons.
I gently cleaned them, and they came out fine.
I started by cutting the size medium which was way too big for me even though my bust measurement put me in a size large. I cut down most of the pieces, but could have even started with an extra small in the back as the back shoulder breadth is wide. The weight of the hood can pull it off my shoulders. I should have measured the pattern pieces and compared them to an existing jacket. I took out length from the body and sleeves.
My biggest problem was having enough space to fit both the waistline casing and inseam pockets on my short torso, especially with the dropped shoulders. It’s awkward. It looks like the waistband is too high, and is too close to the underarm seam.
As worn open with the sleeves rolled up:
In the photos, the jacket actually looks like it fits me fairly well, so maybe it’s the dropped shoulders that make it feel so wide across the upper back.
This jacket is on my “make nine” list for 2019 as a spring jacket. I walk my dog twice a day so often need to put on something in the mornings or evenings when it’s a bit chilly. I wore it a few times earlier this month with shorts, and then the weather jumped into the high 90s before I could take the photos. Finally, a cooler day!
If I made the jacket again I would sew it as a wrap jacket without the elastic casing, and probably eliminate the hood as well. Either that or scrap the shirttail hem to give more room for the side pockets. Pockets are a must! I’m really excited to make more jackets or even a shirt that I can wear as a jacket.
Stitch It Again 