Crafted Spaces: Sew-Along - Reversible Jacket

This jacket pattern is the "Kwik Sew K4104" and was originally planned as part of our Fall Sew-Along last year; however, I decided to make the jacket as a reversible spring/summer jacket. It is the first project in our Summer Sew-Along, which will include several fun sewing projects that are great for warmer weather. A picture of the jacket was shared on our social media a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been loving wearing the jacket and will be making another one. This sew-along will share details of how the jacket was sewn together. I hope it will inspire you to try making one of your own.

Style Details
This is a lined, three-quarter length sleeve jacket, with no closure. There are darts in the bodice and sleeves, a waist seam on the front and a centre seam down the back. I decided to sew View A, which includes front welt pockets that I did not include. I chose not to include the pockets in order to achieve a smooth, double-sided jacket with as little bulk as possible.

The pattern ranges from size XS to XL. I made the medium size, which is a tiny bit roomy for me, but allows me to wear various style tops. You will want to confirm your size, based on your body measurements and your desired fit.

I used 100% cotton fabric for both sides of the jacket and finished my seams with my serger (optional). The navy blue and lime green polka dot is a medium weight woven (fabric 1), while the floral print (fabric 2) is "Flourish in Twilight" a quilting cotton by Anna Maria Horner. I also used cotton thread in coordinating colours. No additional notions or interfacing was used.

Preparation
I prepared my fabrics by pre-washing them to account for shrinkage. I felt this was particularly important since I was using two different types of cotton and was not sure if the shrinkage would be the same. I also reviewed the pattern instruction sheets and confirmed where I could make changes in the design.

Once I had identified the size I was going to make I confirmed if I needed to make any changes or alterations to the pattern, such as dart placement and shortening or lengthening. I did not make any adjustments at these points and proceeded to cut my fabric and transfer markings. I then decided to serge various edges of the fabric. This was particularly useful on the polka dot fabric to reduce fraying.

Sewing

I worked through step 1, skipped steps 2 and 3 (regarding the pockets), and proceeded to step 4 and sewed as instructed.

I finished the center back seams by serging the raw edges together after sewing. If you do not have a serger, you can use a pinking shear or use the zig zag stitch on your sewing machine.

The side and shoulder seams were pressed open.
I then repeated the steps with fabric 2.

Once both pieces of fabric were at the end of step 4, I proceeded with step 5 and attached the sleeves. I found it very helpful to hand baste the sleeves prior to stitching.
With both the outer and inner sections of my jacket completed it was now time to attach them to each other. As instructed in step 12, I faced the fabrics with right sides together and stitched along the front center edge and around the neckline of the jacket.
I then did an under-stitching along the same edges as far as possible.

I followed the instructions for finishing the bottom edge of the sleeves and turned the jacket inside out.
I followed by stitching along the hemline, leaving an opening to turn the jacket inside out.
The finishing touch was closing the opening of the hemline with hand stitching.

Tip! I did not leave an opening on the side seam as instructed, but inside left the opening along the hemline. I then used hand stitching versus machine stitching to close the opening to create a finished look.

Pattern Matching
As noted before, there is a front waist seam on this jacket, as well as a centre back seam. As a result some pattern matching is helpful in order to achieve a sleek seamless look. I suggest familiarising yourself with pattern matching in order to get the best results. If you are pattern matching some additional fabric may be required. As an alternative to pattern matching, consider using a solid print.

Ironing
I cannot stress enough how much ironing your project as you sew, can make a difference to the final project. Some of the seams in this project were pressed open, while ones like the center back seams; were pressed over to alternate sides. Some fabrics may require that you use a pressing cloth, while other may be best sent to the dry cleaners after sewing. Pressing tools such as a tailor's ham and sleeve board were very helpful for this project.

Changes I Made
I really like the simplicity of this pattern and it lend itself very easily to be made into a reversible jacket. Outside of attaching both sides of the jacket with the opening at the hemline, the only significant change I made was not including the pockets.

What I Will Change
I really thought about this project and what I will change the next time I make it, but really could not come up with any significant changes. As mentioned before, I did not include the pockets and perhaps I will try adding the pockets in a future version. I may also include the collar in the contrasting fabrics.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this project. I hope you will try making your own jacket along with the other sewing projects posted on our site. We are also excited to see your creations, so remember to share via social media with the hash tag #cssewalong. Visit us in the coming weeks for our next sewing project.

Happy stitching!