I’ve started the first garment of my #makenine2019! Top left corner … my jean jacket …

… with a cool twist! I want it to look as close as possible to the one my Inspiration is wearing! (the lady on the left) I don’t want to use leather though and I can only assume what the back looks like because I can’t see it in the photo. But I am inspired!

I was quite pleased to find 3.5 metres of black (yes, it is black) denim in my stash. It’s been there for a while. It feels like it has a bit of stretch to it, so it should be comfortable. I’m hoping to squeeze the jacket AND a pair of jeans out of this length. It should help that I want to add in some contrasting fabric.

Of course, my fabric stash doesn’t have anything to make the contrasting panels in my jacket – I’ll have to go FABRIC SHOPPING!

I did get a bit distracted … I ended up buying 3 more metres of 100% cotton bleached indigo denim. The colour was fabulous! I’m sure I’ll find something to make with it.

Now for the contrasting fabric … as soon as I found this fabric, I knew it was what I wanted to use for the contrasting panels. The wrong side of it had large stripes of red that I wasn’t too fond of, but at least the red was woven into the fabric tightly and there were no fibres hanging to get caught on anything. I was quite surprised to find this fabric, 50% polyester/50% cotton, in the “home decor” section of the store. I love it!

I’ve decided on my pattern choices – Vogue V8774, for the jeans, and Islander Sewing Systems “Jacket Express” for the jacket. I got this jacket pattern with a Craftsy course by Janet Pray and really enjoyed it! I have made this jacket before here, (over four years ago!) and I still wear and love it!

Starting with the jean jacket, I decided on cutting the corners square, instead of rounded. Also, when I was fusing on the interfacing, I noticed that I would have to be very careful putting this one together as only one side of the back denim fabric looks black to me, the other is a dark gray, which I definitely don’t want.

Sewing seams and topstitching. I could topstitch all night. Love it!

Then I started these front pockets. By the way, how many ways are there to make a pocket? Here’s the interfacing fused onto the facing and sewn onto the front, right sides together.

Facing pressed towards the inside.

Pockets prepared, making sure the right side is on the inside.

More topstitching.

Pockets basted onto the inside of the jacket using black thread with the right sides facing down towards the machine.

More topstitching on the right side of the front of the jacket, around the pocket edges. Have you ever seen a pocket put together like this before? Know of any other pattern that does it this way? I mean, it’s not impossible to do, just different than usual. As I cut it out and sew it, I can’t help but think that it might be easier to do a usual patch pocket on the front of the jacket. You would just have to put a cut out and a facing on the patch pocket piece. What do you think?

Now the welt pockets seem to be made with a more familiar method.

Pocket welt sewn on in the exact right spot!

Pocket lining sewn on in the exact right spot! Then comes the dreaded moment – I have to CUT a slit into my jacket front between the two edges and turn the pocket welt and lining to the inside!

Everything turned into the inside and pressed. A bit of edge stitching around the sides and top of the opening (Reminding myself not to sew the pocket shut!) Then the last piece of the pocket bag is sewn onto the pocket welt and lining.

So have you seen this method of sewing pockets in any other patterns? It’s a first for me!

Happy Sewing!

STASH BUSTING WITH THIS PROJECT?  Well unfortunately I started out 2019 by buying 3 metres of blue cotton denim and 1 metre of this wild polyester/cotton. Although I am hoping to have enough of the wild polyester/cotton left to make myself a bag (surprise, surprise) of course! So there is now 134.2 meters in the fabric stash!