Sewing Basic Jackets

Sewing basic jackets might seem boring after last week’s blog post about a colorful, pieced and quilted vest, but it is a good way to get started with a new pattern and to test the fit of your Tabula Rasa Jacket pattern.

We met lots of new friends at our most recent expo. It is always a delight to hear from those of you who have begun a Tabula Rasa Jacket (TRJ) journey. As you are getting started, be mindful of the additional resources available on the Helpful Hints and Jacket Help pages of our website.

To begin, use the Common Fitting Adjustments for the Tabula Rasa Jacket PDF to guide you as you evaluate your mock-up and make your pattern adjustments. Because the jacket is styled with a square armhole, these adjustments can differ from pattern adjustments you are accustomed to for a more tailored set-in sleeve jacket. Please do take advantage of our illustrated directions to help you achieve a fine personal fit with your TRJ mock-up.

If you find your body changing over time, or an element of your jacket’s fit is not quite comfortable, you can return to the mock-up again (and again). Use it to assess whether additional changes need to be made to the pattern and tweak your pattern accordingly before making your next jacket. Nuancing the fit of a comfortable jacket can be a process. Do one change at a time to assure success.

The Helpful Hints page of our website also offers links to information about sewing darts, choosing interfacings, finishing seams and hand hemming. There are also links to additional resources and downloads for making floral embellishments for your jackets.

Be inspired by the jackets other friends in the Fit for Art Community have made. We post photos sent to Fit for Art by our friends and customers on social media as encouragement to those of you who have the pattern but haven’t started sewing or designing your own jackets. For example, we love this basic blue jacket made by Martha in Atlanta. Once she completed the jacket and was happy with the fit, she did the lovely topstitching by hand with a small needle and white embroidery floss. She says she is already planning another jacket using an art panel in her stash. Read more about the beginning of her TRJ journey on her own blog.

I suggest that you use this Endless Possibilities printable, a flat drawing of the Tabula Rasa Jacket, to begin sketching your new jacket. You can print out as many copies as you’d like and begin sketching your design ideas. If you plan to use more than one fabric, refer to the Mixing Fabrics PDF to find out quickly about how much fabric you need for each jacket section.

If you are a visual learner, watch Four Seasons of Jackets and Seam Finishes for inspiration to start designing and sewing a wardrobe of Tabula Rasa jackets. Don’t miss the photo gallery to see samples we have sewn for our own wardrobes.

Wherever you are in your Tabula Rasa Jacket journey, we hope you will take full advantage of the resources found in the Helpful Hints section, archive of blog posts, and photo gallery. These resources are available to encourage and inspire your sewing adventures.

Check the event calendar for listings of currently scheduled Fit for Art  classes and sewing retreats. Make sure you join our mailing list to receive the weekly blog post and monthly newsletter announcing new and upcoming events in your email.

We would love to hear and see where you are in your TRJ journey, so please share it with everyone!

Happy Sewing, RAE