Gill McBride - Tailoring a Jacket

Tailoring
a Jacket

Tailoring
a Jacket

Gill McBride

First published in 2020 by
The Crowood Press Ltd
Ramsbury, Marlborough
Wiltshire SN8 2HR

enquiries@crowood.com
www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2020

Gill McBride 2020

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 784 2

INTRODUCTION

Having a really good jacket in your wardrobe is almost essential! A jacket should be a staple in the wardrobe, ready to be worn with jeans for a lunch or a shopping trip or paired with some fabulous evening trousers or floaty skirt for a dinner date. A jacket is so versatile and it will make you feel well dressed and confident. Everyone needs at least one jacket in their wardrobe!

Jackets come in all shapes and sizes. Many have lapels or revers like a traditional gentlemans jacket but many do not. Jackets can be collarless, fitted, boxy, long, short, structured or unstructured. The fabric choice we now have is also endless. Whereas, traditionally, jackets would have been more structured or tailored and made from wool or silk fabrics, we can now make jackets from any fabric we choose, including sweatshirt fabrics and knitted fabrics.

The thought of making a jacket is exciting and daunting at the same time. In the past, tailoring a jacket was something that only specialist sewers would have attempted. Today, however, we have the tools and the fabrics to allow all of us to have a go at making a beautiful jacket that we are proud to wear.

This book will help you to make a jacket by the speed tailoring method, resulting in a garment that looks couture but does not take couture time to make.

CHAPTER ONE

GETTING STARTED

What is it that makes you love a jacket? It may be the colour or the fabric from which it is made. It may be that it moves from smart to casual really easily. It may be that it fits you really well. Whatever it is, look at the jackets that you have in your wardrobe and take out your favourite. Examine it and decide what it is that you particularly love about that jacket. Is it the princess seams that make it fit so well? Perhaps the length is just perfect for you. Maybe the simplicity or the details are what make the difference. Take a note of what exactly you love about that jacket and use those notes when looking for a pattern.

In the diagram here, you will see described the different parts of the jacket. There are some definitions that may be new to you and it will help you to understand these better. The particular ones to note are around the collar and lapel or rever area. For instance, the gorge line is the stitched line between the collar and the lapel/rever and is maybe the most worrying bit for us when we are new to sewing a jacket.

Understanding a jacket.

The roll line is exactly where the collar folds over down the front of the jacket. It is important to understand what the roll line is when we come to prepare the jacket pieces before sewing. The break point is the point where the collar roll stops on the front of the jacket and the jacket front lies flat again, ready for buttons and/or closures.

The collar stand is at the back of the collar and lies against the neck. The part of the collar that folds over is called the collar fall.

The sleeve head is the top part of the sleeve from the shoulder to mid-way to the elbow. On the flat pattern piece, the sleeve head is round the top of the armhole part of the sleeve pattern. This is also sometimes called the sleeve cap.

The leading edge is literally the front edge of the jacket, from below the break point to the hem.

The other definitions on the diagram are more self-explanatory, such as pocket flap, top sleeve and undersleeve, side front and so on. These are also usually named on the pattern pieces whereas the definitions above are not found on the pattern pieces because they only apply once the jacket is being put together.

There are very many jacket styles to choose from and we each have our own favourite. Some of us will return to the blazer style with lapels and pockets. Some prefer a Chanel-style jacket that is very simple in design and where the fabric is the key factor. Casual jackets are also favoured by many and these can be lined or unlined, buttoned or zipped, short or long, structured or unstructured.

Choosing your style is important. It will make the world of a difference to the final garment if it is right for you. A princess-seamed jacket lies extremely well on all wearers, whatever their bust size. (Princess seams are long and curved and give a figure-hugging fit to the garment, especially over and below the bust.) Jackets with straight darts are easier for some of us to manage. Shorter jackets look good on all ages, if the fit is right. Longer-line jackets must be well fitted to look good and not drown the wearer.

When looking for your jacket pattern, do not be influenced by the finishes that you see on the front of your chosen pattern envelope. Look at the lines of the jacket, its design, the way it is made, the dimensions, whether it has darts or not, whether it has princess seams or not, and whether the sleeves are one-piece or two-piece. The finishes such as buttonholes, pockets and even vents can be added or changed to suit your preferences; these are the features that you can amend to make yours a one-off designer garment. The important features to look for in the pattern are the design and construction features to ensure that they are what you actually want to make and that they are what best suits you and your figure type.

Line drawings on back of pattern envelope, describing construction details.

Fabric choice is as important as your style of pattern. However, fabric choice is also mostly influenced by what you want your jacket for. If you are making a Chanel-style jacket for smart or evening wear, you might want to use a fabulous tweed in a gorgeous colour with a co-ordinating trim or a fabulous brocade. However, if you want to make a Chanel-style jacket to wear informally with your jeans, you might choose a more casual fabric such as a jersey that you can quilt and line with some fun fabric.