Welcome! I'll start by saying I've had this jersey fabric for ages. Being the magpie I am, seeing a jersey fabric with a bit of sparkle in was a must buy, I just didn't know what I wanted to do with it. Being a woman of a certain age I always run on the warm side so didn't want to make a sweatshirt. I also have an abundance of hoodies so set about looking for a soft jacket pattern that wouldn't take long (I have a date with the Closet Core Morgan Jeans pattern!)
After a bit of searching I went to one of my favourite websites for pattern resources - The Fold Line. I was lucky enough to meet the ladies behind this at the Stitch Festival in February 2020 and with an unexplained foresight that I may have a lot of time on my hands I stocked up on patterns. Something I love about The Fold Line is that when buyng online, for a small cost they offer a pattern printing services for PDF patterns which I always use. On the site I found the Alina Sewing and Design Co Fulton Sweater Blazer. I loved the neckline and the fact the word 'sweater' was in the title reassured me I could probably get away with my sparkly jersey. Also I love a pattern with a few options and being short the 3/4 length sleeves appealed to me.
The pattern is great and simple to use with clear markings. I was worried the fabric may be too stretchy to make a jacket but was pleased to find it was easy to cut out and retained the shape of curved pieces well. Was also happy to find the fabric didn't shed sparkly bits everywhere!
I found the jacket really easy to sew together apart from the collar which I found a bit tricky and had to unpick after the first
attempt. There is a video tutorial that I was only aware of once it was too late but will definitely follow this next time I make one. After I was happy with the collar the rest of the jacket was a breeze. I used a walking foot to ensure the fabric didn't stretch and had no trouble matching notches. I chose to finish all hems with my overlocker.
I shortened the jacket quite a lot as even the short version was too long for me. This made the pocket placement markings slightly out for me so I just winged this bit and put them on where I felt they looked ok. I also found the sleeve facings a bit chunky due to the fabric I'd chosen and think next time I'd use a different fabric for the sleeve facing to add a bit of detail and the option to fold this back. I would also make the sleeve opening a bit smaller as I like a 3/4 length sleeve I can push up Miami Vice style.
So in conclusion I'd definitely make another one of these jackets (most likely in black) as it's a great basic that you can modify but would also look great in a loud fabric. It's a quick project taking a few hours.
Up next on the blog will be my attempt to make my own jeans, a project I've wanted to take on for a while. Must be serious as I'm even making a toile....... I may be some time.
J x
Fulton Sweater Blazer Pattern - The Fold Line
Video Tutorial - Alina Sewing and Design Co
Grey Jersey Sparkle Fabric - I believe this was from Fabrics Galore but if not they're worth a look anyway and one of my favourite sites to buy from and I always look out for them at sewing events.
Scissor Necklace - Tatty Devine
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