Jacket Challenge #2

Here is jacket #2 made from Textile Studio's Capri Jacket pattern. I had made a jacket several years ago from sweaters I bought at a thrift store. However with the change in styles it was too boxy especially since I had lost some weight. Also the lining that I had used shrunk, even after pre-washing it. I carefully took off the lycra trim that I had used to bind the edges and then took apart the jacket at the side seams and shoulders and removed the sleeves.

I also removed the buttons and snaps to be used again. I then recut the front and back using the pattern but kept the same neckline shape from the original jacket. The lining which was a rayon batik, was not worth saving. Even though only a few years old it was already starting to show wear. I dug through my stash and found a large enough piece of black knit that I used for the lining instead.

Now for the sleeves. Because the original jacket had dropped shoulders the old sleeves were too short for the set-in sleeve on the new jacket. Going through my scraps I found that I had saved the extra pieces of sweaters that I hadn't used (probably thinking I would do something with them). I cut pieces off that had the knit ribbed edge and used that to lengthen the sleeve. I then did not have to bind that edge but I did have to attach the knit lining to the sleeve above the cuff with small hand stitches.

After sewing the shoulder and side seams of the sweatering and the lining I placed them wrong sides together and bound the edge with the lycra strip I had removed earlier. I then set in the sleeve (with its lining attached) and stitched it together. Lastly I replaced the snaps and buttons that I had removed from the first jacket. It was a challenge to remove the the lycra strips originally but it was worth the effort.