I was trawling the webs for shacket patterns about November. I had some specific features in mind but the fabrics I wanted were from the States so I had to rein in my excitement. My absolute favourite fabric also only had a small yardage available. I ended up buying two different plaid flannels (both are Robert Kaufman mammoth) and the benefit of this pattern is the low required yardage. Naturally once I finally got around to sewing my plans changed and this is the larger piece - I have a new scheme in mind for the smaller one.
The other pattern I want to try is the Trish Newbery Carter Shirt Jacket (a new to me company!) but I've decided not to use flannel for it, rather to use a double faced coating I've had sitting around so it will be really more on the jackety side of shacket. It has features I think are more shacket appropriate, like pocket flaps, button cuffs and a nice shaped hem and I am hoping it will work out nicely in my heavier fabric.
I used a size 8 in this pattern and am happy with how the size fit. Generally I find Style Arc true to size even if I don't think every pattern is a winner. This is the first thing I've made by them that I have loved and that fit me just as I wanted.
I would call this the lazy shacket pattern. The yoke is not doubled. There are no sleeve plackets. The hem is a small hem and you can't make it larger because it won't go around the curves (I tried). If you want to sew the side seam pockets down to the front so they don't flap (just a personal preference for me) beware because they overlap the front chest pockets.
As always Style Arc provide only the most skimpy of instructions. They were totally sufficient for this project. I used french seams wherever I felt like (shoulders, sleeves) but not on the side seams as I still haven't conquered french seaming in side seam pockets. I first heard of this being done by Carolyn but there is a tutorial here.
The tank is a Blomma tank, free pattern by Paradise patterns. I experimented with various methods of sewing the bands using my coverstitch machine, not entirely successfully. I love the grey one and then made another in rib which feels quite heavy:
The Blomma is an excellent addition to one's stable of free tank top patterns, I suspect when summer comes around I will do more experiments.
While I was sewing this shacket it seemed too flimsy because of all that single layering. I didn't think too highly of it. I made a feeble attempt to pattern match, as usual lining up something irrelevant and therefore missing the big show of the side seams matching up, but it's close enough and I'm not too bothered. I was therefore pretty surprised in the end when I put it on and discovered it's a substantial feeling overlayer that meets all of my desires to wear old-man chic. In the end I'm really happy with this shacket though I'm keen to make a heavier one too. It's not a pattern I would make hundreds of times, but I'm happy.
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