Pattern Hack: Sewing a Tweed Jacket Inspired by Ready-to-Wear
In this post, I will walk you through my latest sewing adventure: hacking a sewing pattern to make a tweed jacket inspired by a ready-to-wear piece.
This project is part of my Fall Wardrobe Sewing Plans and combines timeless tweed fabric with contemporary denim accents to create a jacket that’s both stylish and unique. I used the Canvas Jacket pattern by Wardrobe By Me as my starting point, making several modifications to match the look of the inspiration jacket, from adjusting the pockets to adding fringe details. Everything turned out even better than I imagined; I’ll share my plans, how I accomplished them, the good and the bad, and some lessons learned.
Whether you’re new to pattern hacking or a seasoned pro, I hope this will spark your creativity and inspire your next sewing project. Let’s dive in!
The Inspiration
I have been wanting to make a tweed lady or Chanel-style tweed jacket for a while now, but when I saw this jacket from Ann Taylor, I decided to go in a different direction with a tweed jacket.
The Sewing Pattern
I love the denim trim on this jacket, and for some reason, as soon as I saw it, I thought of the Wardrobe By Me Canvas Jacket that I have made several times. Even though the shape of this pattern was a good fit to recreate this jacket, it still involved some pattern hacking.
A Great Jacket Sewing Pattern
The Wardrobe By Me Canvas Jacket is a fun and simple make, and I would highly recommend it if you are looking to make a jacket for the first time. It’s unlined, and the button placket and waistbands are finished by simply folding them over and topstitching.
The Plan
Hacking the Sewing Pattern
For my recreation, though, I had to change the pattern so that the denim button plackets and the waistband were sewn onto the tweed body.
I also had to make my own pocket flaps and adjust the pockets on the pattern. The Wardrobe By Me Canvas Jacket has pocket bands, which is a neat detail, but I changed the pocket pieces to make it a single piece.
I also made the pockets a little different from the inspiration jacket. The Ann Taylor jacket has pockets on the chest, but I moved them down to be above the waistband to make them more accessible. Also, looking at the inspiration jacket, I’m not sure if the pockets are fake or if they are welt pockets.
The Fabric and Notions
I got the tweed-style fabric from Fabric Mart, and the denim was already in my stash, leftover from a pair of shorts I made.
The buttons are from Hobby Lobby.
What Went Surprisingly Right
How I Created the Fringe Detail
The detail that I was most worried about was the fringe, and let me tell you I am shocked at how well it turned out. I added fringe to the yoke, sleeve cuffs, button placket, and waistband.
It was actually pretty simple. I cut strips of the tweed fabric at ¾” and sandwiched it in between the fabric pieces and sewed everything together, using a 3/8” seam allowance per the pattern. After the tweed strips were sewn in, I pulled out the strings to give the fringe effect.
What Went Wrong
The Button Plackets
I did mess up on the button placket length. The button plackets were supposed to go all the way down the length of the jacket, and the fringe was supposed to go all the way around the plackets. I did draft the plackets to the correct length, but when I started sewing the pieces together, I noticed that the plackets were longer than the jacket, and I got confused and cut them off.
The Waistband
Part of this placket problem was how I handled the waistband. I created a separate denim waistband and instead, I should have made the jacket the finished length with an extra ½” for the fringe and then just sewn the denim strip onto the waist of the jacket.
The Finished Jacket
In the end, I am thrilled with the result. I’ve already had a few opportunities to wear it. The jacket fits really well and looks great.
Have you ever done a pattern hack? How did it go?
What was your most ambitious sewing project?
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