Congratulations, you are so close to wearing your new Sienna Maker Jacket! We just have a few final finishing touches to add before we’re all done.

HEMMING

Let’s hem this jacket! If you’ve been following along with the entire sewalong, you know that we have made a few adjustments to our cropped green sample so we can show you a method of hemming the jacket that is different than the traditional method outlined in our instruction booklet. We’ll show you how to hem our blue View B sample with this traditional way first.

The facings will end at the hem allowance, 1.5″ from the bottom raw edge of the jacket.

Press the raw edge of the hem up by 1/2″ all around the jacket.

Press the hem up again by 1″ and pin in place. The folded hem will cover the ends of the facing. Topstitch the hem in place.

Now we’ll show you how we hemmed the green View C sample. First, a little recap. We extended the length of the lapel facings so they matched the length of the jacket. After stitching the facing to the jacket, the facing was folded towards the jacket front with right sides together. A stitch line was marked at the final hem length, 1.5″ from the bottom of the jacket.

The corners were trimmed and the raw edge of the hem was pressed up by 1/2″. Then everything was turned right side out.

We followed the same steps for finishing the back button placket vent.

When it comes to topstitch the hem in place, the folded hem has already been secured inside the facings and back vents when these were stitched down. Measure the rest of the hem to ensure it is even and pin in place. Ensure the finished edge of the hem on the front is evenly spaced under the right and left front pocket. Topstitch the hem in place.

BUTTONHOLES & BUTTONS

If you are making View C, you need to sew three horizontal buttonholes on center front to close the jacket (you can also install snap buttons – see our tutorial here). We designed the jacket to be closed left over right, so our buttonholes will be sewn to the left front of the jacket. If you prefer your jacket to close right over left, feel free to switch sides! We still have the buttonhole locations marked on our left front with our original tailor’s tacks in red thread, so we know they are evenly spaced, we just need to confirm the length of the buttonholes. Measure your buttons to determine how long the buttonholes should be. Add 1/8″ of length to either side of the button so you have space to get the button in and out. Mark the length at the location on your jacket front and sew your buttonholes at your machine. You can also check out our buttonhole tutorial for more tips on how to sew the perfect buttonhole.

Strengthen the buttonholes with some fray stop before opening them with either a buttonhole chisel or a seam ripper.

When you have opened the buttonholes, mark the location for where the buttons will be sewn. Use a pencil to mark the location through the hole on the far side. If you center it on the buttonhole your jacket front will shift over giving you more ease than intended.

If you haven’t sewn the buttonholes on the back button placket vent already, now is also the time! The buttonholes should be evenly spaced and centered on the left vent. Mark the location of the buttons through the buttonholes with a pencil. They should be as close to center front as possible.

Mark the button locations on the sleeves, centered through the buttonhole.

As we mentioned before, if you are using a thick fabric, you will want a little wiggle room when you sew on the buttons so you can do them up easily. Our buttons had shanks, but if yours are more like regular buttons, sew them on by making a making a thread shank.

OPTIONAL LAPEL BUTTON

You may want to add an optional snap button at the neck (great for keeping your chest warm!). Try on the jacket buttoned up or with the belt looped closed. We’ve suggested a location for the button on the pattern, but you can tweak that to see what works for you. If you need help installing snaps, check out our tutorial!

Enjoy your new studio maker jacket! It’s glorious now but hopefully it will soon be covered in bits of thread, paint, clay… the signs of a well loved garment made just for makers!

 

In this post we’ll show you how to assemble the pocket sleeves and how to set in the two piece sleeve for the Sienna Maker Jacket. Note that the sleeved pocket can be added to any view! It’s fun having a place to put a pen, like on a delivery person’s jacket! If you would like to use the sleeve pocket to hold something like a phone, you may need to deepen the pocket bag depending on size – cell phones keep getting bigger and bigger these days, don’t they? If you do decide to make adjustments to the pocket bag or to the position of the sleeve pocket, keep the elbow of the sleeve in mind. When we were developing this pattern we sewed a few samples before realizing the pocket would open every time the elbow was bent since it was too low. Another option would be to sew one sleeve with a pocket, and one regular sleeve. If you are right handed, you would probably want the pocket on the left sleeve, or vice versa if you are a lefty.

ASSEMBLING SLEEVE POCKET (VIEW C)

Below we have the pieces to make the left top sleeve, with fabric right side up. The double notches indicated the back of the sleeve. We have marked in all the notches in red since they were hard to see in the photo. This is important because at first glance it can be a little confusing which side of the pocket lining attaches to which part of the sleeve. We’ve designed the pocket to have the right side of the fabric on the inside of the pocket.

Use a scrap of interfacing to stabilize the buttonhole location on the lower top sleeve (L2). We’ve also marked the buttonhole location with red thread.

Right sides together, pin the pocket lining to the lower top sleeve. There are two notches that should match.

Sew the seam at 5/8″. Finish the seam with either a serged or zig zag stitch if you like, and press towards the lining.

Understitch the seam allowance to the lining, and press the pocket down along the seam towards the lower top pocket.

Pin the upper top sleeve to the other side of the pocket lining, with right sides together. There is one notch that should match.

Stitch together at 5/8″, finish the seam with either a serged or zig zag stitch if you like, and press the seam allowance towards the pocket lining. Understitch the seam allowance to the lining.

Sew a line of topstitching 1/4″ from the folded edge of the lower top sleeve and lining. Fold the pocket bag closed along the pocket bag fold line, as indicated on the pattern piece. The finished edge of the pocket opening will match the single notches on either side of the upper top pocket.

It’s a good idea to sew the buttonhole on the lower top sleeve now before the rest of the sleeve is attached. Sew a horizontal buttonhole at the location indicated on your pattern piece. It should be relatively centered on the sleeve. Once the buttonhole has been sewn, pin the sleeve pieces together along the pocket bag edges and baste together within the 5/8″ seam allowance. This is now the top sleeve.

ASSEMBLING SLEEVES (ALL VIEWS)

Right sides together, match the top sleeve and bottom sleeve along the side with the double notches.

Sew the length of the seam at 5/8″. Finish the sleeve with either a serged or zig zag stitch. You may also choose to flat fell this seam, if your fabric is not too thick. Press the seam towards the bottom sleeve.

Right sides together, match the top and bottom sleeve along the other seam, matching the single notch. Sew together at 5/8″. Finish the seam and press towards the bottom sleeve. A flat fell seam is not recommended here, as it can be difficult to topstitch the seam in place once the sleeve is sewed into a tube. (We were able to do this for our sleeves for the Kelly Anorak, but with the addition of a pocket lining, it may be too bulky.)

Sew two rows of basting stitches within the 5/8″ seam allowance between the front and back sleeve notches. Pull on the basting stitches to gather the sleevehead.

If you are sewing the sleeves without pockets, the previous steps for sewing the top and bottom sleeve together apply.

SETTING IN SLEEVES (ALL VIEWS)

Right sides together, align the sleeve to the sleeve opening of the jacket, matching all notches. Ensure the you are sewing the left sleeve to the left arm and the right sleeve to the right arm! The single notch indicates the front of the sleeve and the double notch indicates the back of the sleeve. Use lots of pins and ensure the gathering on the sleeve head is evenly distributed.

Sew the sleeves in with a basting stitch first to ensure the sleeve is set in smoothly without any puckers (we love hand basting for this step – it takes a few  more minutes but gives you total control over distributing the ease!) Once you’ve checked the sleeves are set in properly, sew again with a shorter stitch length at 5/8″.

Finish the seam with your preferred method (serged  or zig zag stitch, flat fell seam, or bias tape). Press the seam allowance towards the sleeve. We used a serged stitch to finish our green sample.

To hem the sleeves, press the raw edges under by 5/8″ twice. To reduce bulk at the seams, you can trim away some of the seam allowance at the first fold.

Topstitch the sleeve hems in place at 1/2″.

Your Sienna Maker Jacket is near the finish line. All that is left are the finishing details!

This is not our first time around the block sewing notched collars. We sewed notched collars (with piping!) for our Carolyn Pajamas, and had even more practice with our Jasika Blazer. As you follow along, it is important to pay attention to when the seam allowance changes from the usual 5/8″ to 3/8″. This will be marked in the instructions in addition to this tutorial.

ASSEMBLING COLLAR & LAPEL FACING

To start, sew a line of stay stitching around the neckline of the jacket between the circle match points, just within the 3/8″ seam allowance.

Ensure the top collar, back neck facing, and lapel facings have been interfaced. The under collar pieces are not interfaced. Mark the match points from the pattern pieces with your preferred marking tool. We used tailors tacks sewn with red thread for our markings.

If you would like to add a me-made clothing label or a fun hanging loop, stitch them to your back neck facing now. Baste the hanging loop within the 3/8″ seam allowance at the top of the back neck facing.

With right sides together, pin the lapel facings to the back neck facing along the shoulder seams.

Stitch at 5/8″ and press the seams open. It’s easier to prepare the long curved edge of the facing now before the collar is attached and everything is sewn to the jacket. You can either press it under by 3/8″ along the entire outside edge or trim by 3/8″ and enclose it with bias tape. If you are pressing it in place, staystitch a press guide for yourself at 3/8″.

Right sides together, pin the interfaced top collar to the neckline of the facing between the inner set of circle match points. The curvy edge of the collar is the one that is attached to the facing neckline.

To line things up precisely, stick a pin directly through the match point on the collar and through the match point of the lapel facing.

Sew the top collar to the facing neckline at 3/8″. Start and stop sewing precisely at each circle marking.

To finish attaching the collar to the facing, pin the collar to the lapel facing between the inner and outer circle marking.

To start sewing, drop your needle precisely at the first (inner) circle marking where the first stitch line ends. Sew carefully at 3/8″, stopping precisely at the outer circle marking. Repeat for the other side.

Cut notches so the seams can be pressed open. At the inner circle marking, clip into both the facing and the collar. Clip close to the stitchline without cutting into it. At the outer circle marking, clip into the lapel facing only.

Press the seams open. A point presser is very helpful at this step since it lets you get into tight spots.

Once everything is pressed open, put the collar and lapel facing aside while we attach the under collar to the jacket.

ATTACH UNDER COLLAR TO JACKET

With right sides together, sew the two under collar pieces together along their straight edges at 5/8″. Press the seam open.

Right sides together, pint the under collar to the neckline of the jacket between the inner set of circle match points using the same technique as for the top collar and facings. Stitch at 3/8″ precisely between the circle markings, backstitching to secure.

Pin the collar to the lapels of the jacket between the outer and inner circles. Stitch precisely between the markings at 3/8″.

Clip to the circle markings so everything can be pressed open. Again, clip through both the jacket and under collar at the inner circle marking, and clip through the jacket lapel only at the outer circle marking.

Press the neckline seams open.

Sew two rows of stitching 1/8″ away from either side of the neckline seam between the two inner circle markings to secure the seam in place; you can do the same for the facing with top collar.

This stitching will help the seams lay flat within the finished collar.

ATTACH COLLAR & FACING TO JACKET

If you are sewing View A or B, assemble your belt and D ring strap and baste them in place along the waist notches at right and left center front. For all views, pin the top collar and facings to the jacket with right sides together,

It’s very important that all the circle match points line up at this stage. Ensure the outer circle marking of the top collar is matching perfectly with the outer circle of the under collar – using a pin through each circle will help you align them.

Sew the top collar and under collar together at 3/8″, starting and stopping precisely at the circle marking, backstitching to secure. Keep the seam allowances out of the way of your stitch line (it may help you to pin or wonder clip them out of the way). Keep your needle down to turn the corner. You can check out our tutorial on sewing sharp collar points to  get more tips!

Now sew the facing to the lapel of the jacket at 3/8″. Ensure the circle marking match up perfectly before you start sewing, and keep all the seam allowances out of the way of the stitch line. Your new stitch line will basically pick up where the collar stitch line ends. You may find it helpful to draw in the seam allowances at the point of the lapel so you know when to turn the corner.

Please note: because we are demonstrating an alternative way of hemming the jacket, we have extended the lapel facing pieces to match the hem of the jacket.

If you are following the instructions as written for the traditional method of hemming the jacket, your facings will stop at the hem allowance, 1.5″ from the bottom of the jacket. If you are sewing View A or B, the belt and D ring strap will be sandwiched between the facing and the jacket on either side.

Once everything has been sewn in place, turn the collar right side out to make sure the seams align perfectly. If they do not line up, adjust now before grading the seams.

Press all the seams open using a point presser if you have one. Try to get as close as you can to the corners. Pressing the seams open before turning everything right side out may seem a bit fiddly, but it’s worth the time because it will ensure a really crisp finished edge.

Trim the points of the collar and lapel, and grade the seams.  Remember, when grading seams you always want to trim the seam that is closest to the body and leave the seam facing the world the longest (this ensures you “thin” the seam but it won’t be visible from the outside where you did it). You could grade the entire seam in one pass, but we have a trick to ensure the seam is graded depending on where the lapel breaks. There is a notch on the lapel to indicate the “break point” where the lapel will fold over and you can use this as a guide. Start by grading the under collar seam allowance by about 1/8″. Next, grade the seam allowance of the jacket body between the collar and the lapel break point notch the same amount. To finish, grade the seam allowance of the facing from the lapel break point notch down to the hem. This ensures that when the lapel is folded open, the longest, ungraded seam is always the one facing the world.

Turn everything right side out, using a point turner to help with the collar and lapel points. Give the collar and lapel a good press.  To hide the seamline, try to slightly roll the seams of the under collar and lapel of jacket body under to break point. From break point to hem, roll the seam of the facing towards the inside of the jacket.

Secure the seam allowances of top collar and under collar together by sewing a basting stitch by hand at the back neck facing.

Since we are hemming our green cropped sample with an alternative method, we have a couple of extra steps before we can topstitch around the collar to finish. Skip this step if you are hemming the way we’ve suggested in the instructions.

The finished hem will be stitched inside the facing for a clean finish with sharp corners. Fold the facing over the seam to the jacket front with right sides together and pin in place. Draw in a stitch line across the facing at the hem allowance, 1/5″ from the bottom. (Ensure the raw edge of the facing has been finished by either pressing it in 3/8″, or by trimming 3/8″ and covering in bias tape.)

Sew across the stitch line, backstitching at beginning and end. Trim the corners and press the raw edge of the hem under by 1/2″.

Turn the facing right side out. Make sure the ends of the facing match in length on either side. Press the hem up by 1″.

Now! It’s time to topstitch the edges of the lapels and collar. Start stitching on the facing side of the right jacket front, 1/4″ from the edge.

We used a triple stitch to topstitch our green sample. When you reach the corner at the point of the lapel, keep your needle down to turn the corner. It may help to draw in the seam allowances here with chalk so you know exactly where to stop.

When you reach the collar, turn 90 degrees and stitch towards where the collar and lapel meet. Turn again and stitch in the ditch 1/4″ down the seam of the collar. Turn again to continue stitching 1/4″ around the perimeter of the collar. Repeat the same pattern on the other side of the collar.

This is what the topstitching will look like where the lapel and collar intersect.

Pin the pressed edge of the facing in place on the inside of the jacket around its entire perimeter.

Topstitch the facing in place by sewing 1/8″ from the pressed edge. It is easier to do this from the wrong side of teh jacket, but make sure your bobbin thread looks nice on the outside! If you are sewing View A or B, please note this stitching will overlap the inside pocket on the right jacket front.

Pat yourself on the back, you just sewed a beautiful polished notched collar! The next step will be to assemble and attach the sleeves.

If you are sewing View A or B of the Sienna Maker Jacket, this post is for you! You will thread the belt through the belt vent to close your finished jacket. Sewing the belt vent facing can be a bit fiddly, especially with thicker fabrics. It results in a very durable and super clean finish on both the right and wrong side of the jacket however, so take your time and be as precise with it as possible. If your fabric is very thick, you may consider using a lighter fabric as an alternative, since the finished facing will be hidden inside the jacket. You could use a contrasting fabric as a design detail!

BELT VENT OPENING

Before you begin, ensure you have marked the belt opening on your left jacket front. Our belt opening marking was too faint for our photograph, so we’ve drawn it in red for this tutorial. The belt vent facing should be interfaced, and the opening should be clearly marked as well.

Press the raw edges of the belt vent facing in by 3/8″. We unfolded the edges and pressed the corners in to create mitered corners. This can be a bit tricky if your fabric is very thick or if it frays easily, but can be worth the extra effort since there will be less bulk when you go to topstitch the belt vent facing in place later. Position the belt vent facing over the marked belt opening on the left jacket front. The right side of the belt vent facing will be against the right side of the left front. Pin the belt vent facing in place, ensuring the belt opening markings line up. Instead of using pins, we basted the belt vent facing in place by hand. It gave us more control over the position.

Switch to a short stitch length, and sew 1/8″ around the belt opening marking. Since we basted the belt vent opening in place, we didn’t have any annoying pins to remove while sewing. You may need to unfold the pressed edges you made to make room for your presser foot. Keep your needle down to pivot as you go around the corners and make sure to backstitch securely.

The belt vent facing will now be stitched in place to the left jacket front.

Cut through the belt opening marking with a small pair of very sharp scissors. Try to cut as close as you can to the stitch line without cutting through it, and clip precisely to the corners. If you don’t cut exactly to each corner you’ll see puckering later on.

Turn the belt vent facing to the wrong side of the left jacket front by pulling it through the opening you just created. Press well and pin in place.

Topstitch the belt vent facing in place by stitching 1/8″ around all four sides of the facing, backstitching at the end.

This is what the finished belt vent facing will look like from the inside of the garment. Keep in mind the bobbin side of the stitching will be visible from the right side of the garment. If you would like to simplify the belt vent opening, you could substitute the entire facing for a simple buttonhole, but it will not be as durable. If you go this route, you will need to ensure the buttonhole is wide enough to accommodate the thickness of the belt. Our buttonhole tutorial shows you how to sew a manual buttonhole with a zigzag stitch, if you are unable to adjust the width with your automatic buttonhole settings on your machine. A corded buttonhole would also make this feature more attractive and strong.

PREPARE BELT & D RING STRAP

Prepare the belt and D ring strap. Fold the long edges of the belt and D ring strap in by 1/2″. Press one short end of the belt in by 1/2″ as well. Miter the corners of this end of the belt by unfolding the edges and pressing the corners in. Press the belt and D ring strap in half with wrong sides together.

Topstitch 1/8″ around the pressed edges of the belt and D ring strap; you may want to grade one of the long seams to reduce bulk. Helpful tip! Before topstitching the belt, pass it through the finished belt vent opening to ensure it fits through. If you need to adjust the width of the belt to fit the opening it will be easier before its sewn together. The finished width of the belt should be 1.5″. Fold the D ring strap in half and thread the rings through. Baste the ends of the strap together to close.

You may choose to sew a line of stitching along the end of the D ring strap; it will help keep the belt closed when you cinch it through the rings. This was a very helpful tip from one of our testers!

The next step is to assemble the body, but we want to explain how this belt works when your jacket is assembled. To close the jacket, thread the belt through the belt vent opening on the left side of the jacket from the inside.

Pull the belt through both D rings, and then loop through the bottom D ring to cinch close and secure.You can also loop the belt the opposite way across the back if you’d like to wear it open.

You’ll feel nice and cozy in your finished Sienna Maker Jacket thanks to your belt! To carry on with the assembly of your jacket for View A or B, check out our post on assembling the body.

The back button placket vent we came up with View C was one of the options we got really excited about when we were developing our Sienna Maker Jacket pattern. It’s a neat detail that makes this cropped version truly unique. Above all, we wanted a clean finish inside and when we figured out how to do this for this option we were thrilled.

Before we walk you through constructing the back for View C, we have a quick note. The instructions for finishing the hem for all views normally indicate to press the raw edges of the bottom hem up twice and topstitch in place. This means the hem is folded up over the ends of the back button placket and over the ends of the front facings. We wanted to show an alternative way of finishing the jacket here in the sewalong, where the hem is stitched inside the facing and button placket for a cleaner finish and sharper corners. For our green sample we made a few changes to make this possible. The construction will still be the same, with a few extra steps.

BACK BUTTON PLACKET VENT

Below we have the right and left jacket back pieces with wrong sides up. When you cut the back vent facing (pattern piece E), you will cut it once from fabric with right side up, and twice from interfacing, both with the sticky side up so they are the same orientation and not mirrored. This may seem confusing, but if you refer to the interfacing guide included in the instructions when you cut this interfacing it will make sense. Note: We’ve extended the bottom of the back vent facing piece (E) to match the length of the right back vent extension so we can demonstrate our alternative hemming method. Normally the back vent facing piece will end just above the hem allowance, 1.5″ from the bottom. We fully interfaced the back vent facing, which will be sewn to the right back jacket. We also interfaced the left back vent extension as indicated in the instructions, trimming 1/2″ from the longer straight edge. After interfacing, we marked the buttonhole locations and back match points with thread tacks.

Press the edge of the left back vent extension under by 5/8″.

With right sides together, pin the back vent facing to the right back vent extension, and sew at 5/8″.

Press the seam allowance towards the facing. Fold the long unsewn side of the facing under by 1/2″ and press. Fold the small top edge of the facing under by 1/2″ as well and press.

Grade the seam allowance of the facing.

Understitch the seam allowance to the facing from the top of the vent extension and press the facing to the back along the seam.

With right sides together, pin the right and left back pieces together along the center back seam.

Sew the right and left back jacket pieces together at 5/8″, starting from the top of the center back seam. Stop precisely at the circle match point that was marked earlier and backstitch.

To achieve a clean finish at the hem at the right back vent, fold the facing towards the right back with right sides together and pin in place. You will stitch the facing closed at the bottom in the next step. If you are hemming the jacket in the traditional way outlined in the instruction booklet, skip the next few steps.

Mark a stitch line with you choice of marking tool at the 1.5″ hem allowance. Stitch across the facing along this line, backstitching at beginning and end.

Trim the corner of the hem so it can be turned right side out.

Press the raw edge of the right back hem up 1/2″, and again by 1″. Turn the stitched facing right side out and straighten the corner with a point turner. The folded hem will be neatly enclosed inside the facing.

To secure the back vent facing in place, topstitch 1/8″ around the pressed edges. Keep the left back out of the way as you sew. We started sewing at the beginning of the small top folded edge, kept our needle down at the corner, then continued sewing all the way to the bottom hem. The fold of the hem will be secured in place with your stitching.

This is what it will look like so far once you have stitched the vent facing in place.

Press the center back seam to the left, and press the left back vent extension in from the circle marking to the notch at the hem.

To achieve the same clean finish on the left vent at the hem, repeat the same steps. Fold the left vent extension along the pressed edge with right sides together. Pin in place and mark your stitch line at the 1.5″ hem allowance. If you are hemming your jacket the traditional way as outlined in the instruction booklet, skip these next few steps.

Trim the corner and fold the raw edge of the hem up by 1/2″.

Turn the left vent right side out and ensure the hems match on both sides.

It’s time to finish the center back seam. You can finish with a serged stitch, bias binding, or a zig zag stitch. We used a strip of bias tape to do a hong kong finish, since the center back seam will be pressed to the left and topstitched in place. If you are not serging, trim the seam allowance down to 3/8″ before finishing.

Our bias tape is folded over the seam and will be stitched in place at the next step.

Press the center back seam to the left and pin in place. Starting the the neckline, topstitch the seam in place at 1/4″. You will stitch through all layers of right and left vent extensions when you reach the curve. Keep your needle down when you reach the end of the curve.

Raise your presser foot and gently shift the right back vent extension out of the way. Continue to sew down the left vent to secure the edge in place. Sew all the way to the bottom hem.

This is what your stitching will look like from the right side of the jacket.

The folded hem is secured inside the facing and folded left back vent extension on either side.

You may choose to sew your buttonholes now, or leave it for the end. The buttonhole location markings on the pattern piece are a guideline only. You will want the buttonholes centered on the left vent and evenly spaced. Strengthen the buttonholes with some FrayStop before opening them with a buttonhole chisel or a seam ripper. To mark the button locations, use a pencil to mark the position as close to the actual center front seam as possible; if you center buttons on the actual buttonhole the vent will not stay centered while you’re wearing it.

If you are using a thick fabric, you will want a little wiggle room when you sew on the buttons so you can do them up easily. Our buttons had shanks, but if yours are more like regular buttons, sew them on by making a making a thread shank.

SHOULDER SEAMS (VIEW C)

You are ready to assemble the rest of the jacket body. Pin the left and right jacket fronts to the jacket back at the shoulder seams.

Finish the seam and press to the back. We used flat fell seams for our sample. Topstitch the shoulder seam in place at 1/4″.

SIDE SEAMS (VIEW C)

With right sides together, pin the front to the back along the side seams, unfolding the pressed hem allowance on the back. Stitch at 5/8″. Finish the seams and press towards the back. Topstitch in place at 1/4″.

You are on a roll! Next up, assemble and attach the collar and lapel facing.

 

In this post we’ll cover assembling the body for View A & B for the Sienna Maker Jacket. Your sewing project finally transforms into a real jacket the moment you sew your shoulder and side seams together. There is something so satisfying about watching your 2D pieces evolve into something 3D- this is why sewing is the best!

BACK: VIEW B (MID LENGTH)

The mid-length View B does not have a back slit. Sewing this version is very straightforward. With right sides together, pin the left and right back jacket pieces along the center back seam, matching the double notches.

Sew the entire length of the seam with a 1″ seam allowance, ignoring the back slit notch. Press the seam open.

Fold the raw edge of each seam allowance under by 1/2″ to meet the seam. Press well.

Topstitch each folded seam allowance in place. As we mentioned, there are a zillion ways to personalize your Sienna Maker Jacket with topstitching, so use your choice of topstitching thread, triple stitch, or subtle matching thread. Whatever floats your boat, it’s your jacket!

BACK: VIEW A (LONG)

The steps are essentially the same for the View A back, with the exception of the back slit.  With right sides together, pin the left and right back jacket pieces together along the center back seam. Match the double notches and back slit notch.

Sew the seam with a 1″ seam allowance, from the top of the center back seam, straight down to the back slit notch. When you reach the back slit notch, stop and backstitch. Press the seam open.

Fold the raw edge of each seam allowance under by 1/2″ to meet the seam. Press well. Topstitch each folded seam allowance in place. Sew a bar tack at the top of the back slit to help secure and anchor the slit.

SHOULDER SEAMS (VIEW A & B)

For both View A & B, sew the shoulder seams. With right sides together, match the left and right jacket fronts to the back at the shoulder seams and pin in place.

Sew the shoulder seams at 5/8″.  Finish the seams with your preferred method and press to the back. We’re using flat fell seams for our samples.

Topstitch the shoulder seams in place at 1/4″.

SIDE SEAMS (VIEW A & B)

With right sides together, pin the front jacket to the back along the side seams matching notches. The front pockets will be sandwiched in this seam.

Sew the side seams at 5/8″. Finish the seams and press to the back. Topstitch the seams in place at 1/4″.

It’s looking like a jacket now! You’re ready to assemble your collar and facings!

Pockets are unarguably the most important feature of any garment, but they are essential for a jacket destined for a maker. Just think of how many times you’ve gotten up from your sewing machine and gone to press something, and that seam gauge hasn’t been handy. With our Sienna Maker Jacket you will now have a zillion pockets, and will no longer have to re-trace your steps searching for missing tools!

VIEW C

Let’s get started! Transfer the pocket location marking from your pattern to your fabric pieces. Here are the front pieces for View C. We’ve marked my two front pocket locations and breast pocket match points with tailor’s tacks, but feel free to use your preferred marking tool. The extra thread tacks are for the collar and lapel match points, and the buttonhole locations. If you are sewing from the Sienna Maker Jacket in sizes 14-30, sew your bust darts first. This post on how to sew darts should have you covered if you’re looking for tips!

Prepare the pocket pieces. For View C, there are two front pockets and one breast pocket. The notches indicate the fold line.

Depending on your fabric, you may choose to finish the inside raw edges of your pocket pieces to prevent fraying. The top edges will be folded under, so we’ve serged the remaining edges. Press the top edge of each pocket piece down at the notches.

Fold the raw edge under to meet the first fold line and press again.

Topstitch the folded pocket edge in place 1/2″ from the finished edge, then fold the remaining raw edges of each pocket under by 3/8″. If any corners will peek out from the outside of the pocket, you may trim them or miter the corners.

Pin the pockets in place on the jacket fronts, using the match points as a guide. You may want to use a ruler to ensure the front pockets are evenly spaced above the hem and equal distance from center front. This will help ensure they look symmetrical when you hem your finished garment. If you are sewing bust darts, you may want to tweak the breast pocket location to cover the dart tip if that’s your preference.

Topstitch each pocket in place 1/8″ around the outer edges, backstitching at beginning and end. If you are using a triple stitch like we did, learn the rhythm of your machine’s stitch and go slow when you approach a corner so you don’t stitch too far! Here is what the View C front pieces will look like:

VIEW A & B

If you are sewing View A or B, the steps are similar, but you will also have the inside pocket. If you are finishing the raw edges of the pockets with either a serged or zig zag stitch, it is not necessary to finish the outer edge of the front pockets (pattern piece P) since they will be enclosed in the side seams.

Fold the top edges under at the notches and press the raw edge under to meet the fold line. Topstitch the folded edges in place at 1/2″ and press the remaining raw edge in by 3/8″. Again, it is unnecessary to fold in the outer edges of the front pockets since they will be enclosed in the side seams later.

A small triangle of seam allowance may be visible at the top pointed corner of the front pockets from the outside. Fold the triangle under so it won’t be visible from the right side and press.

Pin the inside pocket to the wrong side of the right jacket front and topstitch in place 1/8″ from outer edge. As we mentioned, there are a zillion possibilities for topstitching options for your Sienna Maker Jacket. Keep in mind that the bobbin side of your inside pocket stitching will be visible from the right side of the jacket.

Pin and topstitch the breast pocket to the left jacket front at the corresponding match points. Stitch in place all the way around at 1/8″, backstitching at the beginning and end. For this pocket alone, you may want to sew a secure “triangle” at the top edge (similar to what we instruct here).

Pin the front pockets to the left and right jacket fronts, positioning the pocket at the match points and aligning the outer edges with the side seams. These pockets will not lay flat against the jacket – this is normal. When they are stitched in place you will have a roomy pocket bag to fill with all your crafty maker things!

Sew a first line of topstitching 1/8″ away from inner and bottom edges, then sew a second line of topstitching 1/4″ away from the first line. Base the remaining edge in place within the 5/8″ seam allowance along the side seams.

Here is what the View A or B jacket fronts will look like when the pockets have been sewn in place. This is officially a jacket made for a maker!

If you are sewing View A or B, the next step will be to sew the belt and belt vent opening. If you are sewing View C, you can start assembling the back with the button placket vent.