Trish Newbery Carter Shirt Jacket review

 Literally not a single post in the internet about this pattern. Anywhere.  Really?? There are 7 posts on insta about it and they are all by the same person.  That's insane!  This pattern is like, invisible to the masses!  Where are people getting pattern inspo from these days?

I chose this for my more jacket-y shacket because it clearly could tolerate heavier fabrics, I liked the side slits, and the hood versatility meant in the future it might be hacked to so many interesting things.  I also really want the two front patch pockets plus side seam pockets in my shackets (that's like, the entire point!)  I made the Logan first (here) as the more shirt-y shacket and I love it but I do kind of struggle to fit it into my wardrobe much. 

This fabric is Italian, it is tweed on the outside but a mystery soft inner face.  It has a little bit of stretch to it.  I don't know where I got it, possibly Mood Fabrics when I shopped online a few years ago, but also possibly from The Fabric Store.  And what was I planning to make with it anyway?  It's been in my stash for a wee while and I presume I bought it with some plan I have since forgotten. 

Without any advice to hand I turned to the size chart. XS.  A little worried as the shacket seems to have no ease at the hips which on me can often lead to pooling in my lower back.  Indeed the instructions say Menswear fit: consider going up at the hip.  That's stupid, we are women, why are you making a pattern specifically that won't fit women?  Ok so S at the hip.  Regrets, should have done M.  

I wanted to finish this in a day and I didn't quite make it.  I took a lot of time on the details.  I broke out the very old and precious Liberty lawn for the hem facing and under the collar.  Spots I expected to be tragic mostly turned out ok - everything lined up the way it was supposed to.  This is not due to any help from the instructions.  They check every box entitled "what I hate in pattern instructions."  They are in a weird order, photos, done on coloured fabrics, and the words are not helpful.  I had to google how to do the sleeve placket because the instructions were so opaque to me.  

So I got it done, and now I had a button problem.  I've recently realised I need to just get rid of my donated button stash, because it doesn't provide, I waste hours looking for matching buttons and I still never have any.  I hate buttons, and my button stash actually makes things worse. 

I set this project aside until I could focus on buttons.  The fit is ok but it's snug on my hips, which is kind of ok because the fabric has a lot of stretch.  However, there's pooling in my back...the jury is out.  Will it pass my stringent judgment or will it be directed straight to the Someone Else pile?  The fact that it lounged on the floor for so long is kind of an answer to that question. I was actively avoiding dealing with this, and not just because it's really painful to do buttonholes these days.

I got some reasonable buttons and then continued to actively procrastinate until a friend showed up to visit me.  Her style is quite a bit different to mine and she's narrower in the hips than I am.  I stuck this jacket in front of her with my eyebrows raised and she fell in love instantly, in fact, she didn't even want the buttons.  I insisted on putting them on the sleeve cuffs only because they were gaping open.  

 

Sorry for worse photos than usual. I let my friend take them so I at least got them before she left.

My procrastination was a clear sign I didn't really want this jacket in my life.  The fit on her is much nicer than on me - again I should have gone up to M at the hips.  But also the style of this jacket suits her perfectly without the buttons on.  A win!  She has already sent me happy hotel selfies in her new shacket. 

 I wouldn't use this pattern designer again.  I'm not sure whether I would make this pattern again either.  There wasn't anything egregiously wrong with the fit on the chest or sleeves, I just didn't enjoy the experience.  It's probably a bad habit to want to try out another shacket pattern rather than improving on the two that I have...but you know, Tint of Mint Polina?  What's up with Tint of Mint patterns?  Are they another diy pattern designer with no experience and shitty drafting?  I admit I am very curious.  There's also the Axelle jacket...but it looks suspiciously like the Potter I'm already planning to make.

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.