Simplicity 4129 - military-style jacket

(it still needs a good pressing...it looks great on me, not so much on the dressform - I'll try to get a picture of me wearing it soon)

Pattern: Simplicity 4129, View D
Fabric: Tan faux suede-type fabric, chocolate brown Ambiance lining
Other: 10 antiqued gold buttons

This pattern is apparently no longer available even as an OOP from Simplicity's website. It comes in sizes 6-22, I made size 20 based on my high bust measurement and widened to a 22 at the hip.

Alterations:
- 1/2" FBA
- Lowered bust point 2"
- Lenghtened body by 1-3/4"
- Lengthened sleeves by 1-1/2"
- Raised armhole by 1/2"

Details:
As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I wanted a military-style jacket and after seeing EricaB's version I decided to use the combination of the Simplicity pattern and the faux suede that I had in my stash. I found 10 antique gold buttons that went well with the fabric (the only gold buttons that Joann's had 10 of!) and some chocolate brown lining and I was off! I was doubly inspired by this Dolce and Gabbana jacket and really wanted to incorporate some of the other design elements into my jacket. The problem was that I wasn't able to find enough buttons in the right sizes to really accomplish this, so I ended up just making it based off the pattern.

The instructions were marginal. This is definitely not a pattern for beginners - the jacket itself isn't especially difficult, but the instructions are not very user-friendly. They have you jump around from view to view and then leave out certain necessary steps such as inserting the sleeve and when to attach the buttons! Although if you are intuitive enough to know that at some point you need to insert the sleeve before you attach the lining, you'll be fine. Ann from Gorgeous Things has mentioned before her disappointment in Threads patterns not having enough notes from the editors of the magazine and I have to say I was especially disappointed at the quality of the instructions for this particular pattern considering it is a Threads design.

The pattern calls for interfacing the front and front facing. I decided to only interface the facing because my fabric was thick enough that it didn't need the extra stiffness - even with a thin interfacing. I used knit fusible ala Tany to just give it a little bit of soft shaping. Because it's a more casual style, I didn't want it to be TOO structured. It also calls to only line the peplum. If I were to make this again, I would add more structure to the peplum and cuffs by using a stiffer interfacing. It is definitely wearable and I love it, just something I would recommend to anyone wanting to make this.

The fabric was a bear to sew and I had a heck of a time taming it, despite using a Teflon foot, roller foot and even-feed foot. Pretty much nothing made it cooperate the way I had hoped. In the end everything worked out and what few puckers I couldn't get rid of are all hidden by the lining anyway. The pattern calls to bag the lining and because the fabric was so difficult I only machine stitched the fronts to the facings and then hand-stitched everything else. Personally, I like hand stitching and this way I get the control I wanted.

Would I make it again? Probably not. I think a girl only needs one of these in her wardrobe unless she is really into the military style. I toyed with making a slightly different style in a navy microfiber I have in my stash and using silver buttons, but I think I'll save that for another project.

All in all, a winner - you can read my review here.