Green Blazer for the Good Times

Remember a few years ago when everyone was building their wardrobe and trying to make clothes for the way they live? More cake less frosting. Becoming a wardrobe architect. All that jazz. Well, one year into the pandemic and I have no interest in sewing for the way I'm living. I have been feeling so unkempt in my sweatpants, no-makeup, and ponytail. So I'm dressing for the life I want. And somehow that life involves bright lips, clean hair, and a forest green blazer with rolled cuffs. 

Pattern: McCall's Palmer Pletsch Misses' Jacket #6172 

Fabric: 2 yds Robert Kaufman Ventana Twill in Dark Green

Cost: $30

Do I need a blazer right now? Absolutely not. But when you're bored at home it is the perfect challenging project. Also, if things ever do open back up, this will be nice for dressing up a bit or even more casual work meetings. I just love a good green!

I wanted to make a blazer because I love being able to roll my sleeves up. But if you've ever tried this on a normal jacket you'll find that it is quite difficult if the sleeves are too small at the wrists. To adjust this pattern, I found the widest part of each sleeve piece and widened all the tapered lines to match that width. So the sleeve is no longer tapered and rolls up really nicely. It makes the sleeves look pretty big and I thought I might have to take them in some, but this is really how much fabric you need if you want to be able to roll them up. 

I used my old standby pattern for this blazer, McCall's Palmer Pletsch Misses' Jacket #6172. I believe I bought this in 2010 and have been making great-fitting blazers with it ever since. Surprisingly, it is still for sale on the McCall's website. My friend Beth the jacket queen even named this as one of her favorite blazer patterns, so you know it's worth it. And if you're looking to brush up on your jacket-making skills, she offers classes at Hello Stitch studio. 

One other change I made to this pattern was to change the welt pocket to a sort of patch pocket that sits neatly between the side seam and the front princess seam. The truth is, I'm really not that good with welt pockets and wanted to try something a bit different. I also think it helps make the blazer a bit more casual.

I also haven't added a button yet. Maybe I'll leave it this way? 

Some people choose unlined jackets because they think the construction will be cheaper than making a lining. But I find that you spend so much time on nice seam finishes (which will show when you take the jacket off) that it is almost certainly quicker to line it. So of course, to take up as much time as possible, I did a mostly unlined version with bound seams. Not only did this give me more project to work on, but it also meant I could work with the materials I had on hand and not have to buy more lining. I lined the sleeves in a leftover lighter weight twill that turned out to be almost an exact match. The other seams are bound in a combination of black and black and white bias tapes that I had on hand. It was the perfect way to use up leftover materials. 

Here's another shot of the inside. You can see all the bound seams in more detail, as well as the sleeve lining. All the facings were hand sewn to the garment, and the sleeve was hand sewn at the armhole. 

I hope I find a time to wear this soon. In the meantime, I'll be dreaming about the life I want.