Wardrobe Staples: Light Open Front Longline Blazer

I really don't like to waste anything (reusing zip lock bags anyone?), and it sometimes bites me in the butt when it comes to fabric shopping. I had gotten just enough of this beautiful light grey cotton recently with the plan of making a simple dress/tunic, but later decided it should be a jacket instead. And instead of getting more fabric (which would have involved having the patience to go back to the store and postpone my project) I had to make it NOW. So had to come up with an interfacing hack for the collar - I actually did not have enough fabric for its lining. Overall what I did here is a total cheater's method for a notched collar, I've got another post lined up with the proper way of executing this. If you want to be a proper seamstress don't do anything I would do!

TOOLS:

Fabric (I used 2 m but to the last square inch, 2,5 m is safer, even more if you want a longer jacket) + I used a small piece of interfacing (about 50 cm x 10 cm) for the collar  |  Scissors  |  Pins  |  Thread & sewing machine  |  Fabric marker

I. Here are my cut pieces for the back and sleeves. The adjustments you might want are the length of the jacket, and the length of the sleeve (my sleeves are almost always rolled up, so I made them a bit cropped at 55 or so cm, to avoid a bulky fold). I'm a EU 36/US 4.

.. And for the front. You may want to zig-zag/serger raw edges if they fray. You'll need one more piece, the collar, but I cut that one later once I had the neckline sewn, to get the correct measurement.

II. I started with the back, taking the left back piece and folding 1 cm at the center seam, pressing the fold, and securing it with a straight stitch.

I then pinned the back piece centers together, right sides facing, and sewed down about 2 cm from the edge.

Then pressed both seam allowances to the right, and hand-stitched the fold on the upper part of the now created vent to avoid a visible seam on the right side.

III. Next the shoulder seams. Pin the two front panels at the shoulder lines to the back piece, right sides facing. I pinned the front sides just slightly higher than the back piece:

.. So I could fold the seam allowance over that of the back piece on the reverse, and stitch again on the right side for a flat-felled seam.

IV. Then pin the long rectangular lining pieces to the front seams of the two front panels, right sides facing.

.. And sew along the edges, starting a couple cm from the edge so you can fold it in after. Trim excess, especially around the corners.

Fold right side out and press. Also press a small (0,7 cm or so) fold to the free edge of the lining piece.

V. Fold the neckline and press.
VI. Make the collar but measuring the length marked in the image above (Mine ended up being 50 cm long) and cut a piece of that length x about 9 cm. Cut an equal part of interfacing (or if unlike me you have enough fabric for our project, you can make this the proper way and cut two pieces of fabric, attaching the interfacing to one of them).

After pressing the interfacing onto the collar through a wet cotton cloth, I folded the edges twice (1 cm fold). Note you want to fold the long edge first, then the short edges. At this point, had I had enough material, I would've placed the rectangles together right sides facing and sewed along the edges, to turn right side out and press for a ready collar piece.

I then pinned the collar onto the coat, right side facing reverse side of coat (the collar folds so the side where I attached the interfacing wouldn't be visible on the finished garment).

Mainly out of laziness I first machine-sewed the back part:

And then slip-stitched by hand the collar onto the coat on both sides. To create the notch I slipped the collar piece under the front panel lining, and added an unnoticeable stitch to secure it all in place.

VII. To prepare for the last seams, pin the sleeves to the arm holes (right sides facing the right side of the jacket), and sew along the curved edge. Press the seams open.

VIII. Then pin the sleeves and the sides. I pinned mine so the front side came just a bit lower, cause I wanted to do flat-felled seams. You could just pin these normally at equal seam allowances on both sides and press the seams open.

To create my clean finishes on the reverse side, I pressed the longer seam allowance over the shorter one..

.. And added a slip stitch by hand all the way.

The last step is to finish the hem (I did a double fold of about 1 cm and slip stitched that as well) and the sleeve hems (there I just zig-zagged them since I'll always wear them rolled up).

xo,

Julia