StyleArc Logan shacket review & a peek at the Blomma tank

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. 

Merchant and Mills Eve trousers, an experimental foray

 I've been really slow at starting to sew again after moving.  My sewing room feels cramped and my best friend has just taken up knitting, inspiring me to binge knit to finish projects as fast as she now does.  It's been frustrating as my sewing queue literally is full of projects I thought up a year ago and every time I look in shops I see things that I want to sew and have been planning to sew and could already be wearing if I had sewn them.  Ah, time.  

Because of that when I started these it took something like 1-2 weeks to sew them as I kept stepping away from the sewing room and not going back in.  I was really scared of the flap zipper for some reason.  

 The fabric is a hemp-wool blend from one of my binge purchases online.  It is possibly from Ansje Handmade, but I can't be sure.  I've had it around for awhile but I only got a small piece so it wasn't going to be a big jacket, the plan was always some kind of pants.  The fabric is a relatively loose weave but totally opaque, and has a rather scratchy feel and not much drape.  As winter has crept up the idea of these pants landed in my head.  I made a size 10 I think.  

No problems overall.  I find the instructions of Merchant and Mills to sometimes be a bit funny, while also clear.  Like you can't look ahead too much or you get confused, but when you are there all is good.  I expected the zip to be very hidden so I absolutely forged ahead with a bright yellow invisible zip and...it peeks out.  The flap behind the zip is a nice idea and overall I do like the closure.  I opted for a sewn on hook and eye instead of a button.  The waistband is a bit narrower than I anticipated, and it lands at my high waist and is snug there, but not actually too tight.

As you can see the footwear struggle is real.

Overall these are sort of shapeless baggy pants with a comfortable fit.  The waist is at my real waist, there is room, they aren't tight, and the crotch is a bit dropped but not so badly that I can't ride my bike.  The pants themselves are a touch cropped, making it hard to know what footwear to wear with them in winter - and as scratchy wool pants they are definitely winter wear!  I think it's really stupid that patterns give you a back pocket but no front, however I decided to wear these for some reason before putting on the front pockets, always a bad idea, so the front pockets are indeed Not On Yet.  And I miss them!  

They are going on soon - wanted to do them on the cross grain but it ends up I only have a tiny piece of fabric left so they will be on grain.