Zippy Jacket Sewing Pattern Review

Blank Slate Patterns are currently my favorite patterns to sew.  The directions are easy to follow, with very helpful pictures.  The patterns are easy to tape together and find the right size, even using a black and white laser printer.  The items fit well and are a joy to sew.

One time when fleece was on sale, I bought my son some yellow Snoopy fabric.  He has bothered me ever since to make him something from it.  The jacket we bought last spring got lost, so I decided here was my perfect opportunity.

I looked over various jacket patterns and decided on the Zippy Jacket from Blank Slate Patterns.  The pockets were different and fun and I had sewn the Just a Jersey T-Shirt this spring and loved it.  I'm going to have to make a new one every year.  The one drawback was that it did not have a hood.  My son had requested a hood.  Specifically a hood with a zipper.  Like his sister's coat has.

I decided now was the time to stretch my sewing skills.  I had the Explorer Hoodie I got in a Pattern Anthology collection.  I used and altered that to add a hood with a zipper to the jacket.  A lot of hood seam ripping later and we had the finished product!

From the back with a zipped hood

Front with unzipped hood

Back with unzipped hood

 My son holds still better than my daughter and so there are more pictures.  I like how the hood turned out.  When unzipped it looks a bit like a super-hero cape.

The rounded pockets are so cute and the printed dots on the fabric go along with the pockets nicely.  That was not planned, but turned out well.

Once again, the pattern was so easy to follow, with great photos to illustrate the points.  I have for those yet to sew to pattern.  When turning under the cuffs and the waistband to sew the last seam, turn the fabric enough to cover the seam that already attaches it to the body of the jacket plus a bit.  I had to go back and resew a few spots, because I did not turn the fabric under far enough everywhere.  There is plenty of fabric to turn it under sufficiently and catch it just fine.  Follow the picture and the directions and you won't have any problems.

I can't really give you an accurate time estimate, since I added the hood and that took as long as the rest of the jacket.  I also spread it over a month, since I broke my arm and had to wait for it to heal somewhat before sewing it.  I would say it was fairly fast, especially considering the zipper.

For anyone that is afraid of the zipper, the pattern has great instructions.  I liked it enough I used the same method to put the zipper on the hood.  

My son loves his jacket and it looks great -- handmade, not homemade.  

Minky Swing Girls Jacket Review

My daughter loves this jacket.  You can find the pattern and tutorial here.  It only comes in size four, but since she is big for her age, it fits her just right.  The pattern and tutorial were easy to follow and sew.  The photos really helped.

Speaking of photos…

 

Swinging in the Swing Jacket

Due to budget constraints, the jacket needed to be something that would work for daily use.  Fleece seems to wash and wear well, plus it's fairly cheap and goes on sale often.  With fleece a lining is not necessary, but I decided to line it and I'm glad I did.  Lining is fairly inexpensive and it just makes the jacket seem much nicer. 

I did make a few alterations to the pattern.  I added a zipper to the front.  It doesn't swing or hang quite as nice as it would without the zipper, but a zipper keeps the wind out and so works much better for everyday play.  My daughter had very strong opinions on the button placement and chose where they went.

I also added pockets, since I like pockets in my jackets.  I looked at a jacket I made years ago for me and added similar pockets.  I used the seam for the pocket opening placement.  This wouldn't work on all jackets, but due to the fullness of the jacket, the pockets are easily accessible there.  

The collar is a bit off, but I think that is due to my sewing.  By the time I noticed it, I was not up to any more unpicking.  I think stay stitching around the collar pieces before sewing them together would have solved most of the problem, since fleece is a knit and has a tendency to stretch.  

If any of you are thinking of making this jacket, I would definitely recommend it.  It sews up quickly and is lots of fun.

Just A Jersey

Little Mister loves his new shirt. When he saw it, he said, "Mom, I need to wear this shirt for baseball!". He was very excited.

What does it say Mom?

Silly faces with sis

Look what I found

The pattern I used was "Just A Jersey" from Blank Slate Patterns. You can see it here. I loved this pattern. It was easy to cut out (4 pattern pieces for six pieces total, plus the two numbers). I think the most difficult part was appliquéing the numbers on. The pattern gave great directions on how to do this. I did make some felt bean bags with numbers, that gave me a bit more confidence. However, even without doing that the directions were clear enough it was easy. The shirt took just a few hours.

I love the shirt, its look and its ease of use so much. It's nice to have some fun, yet easy, options for boys. In fact, if little mister didn't already have enough shirts, I would consider making a different colored one for each day of the week. Variety is said to be the spice of life, though. I'll just have to wait until next year to make another one. And maybe make one for my friend's son in the meantime.

The Madonna Ruffle Top

Little Miss loves her new shirt. It's pink and it has a tutu! In her world, shirts don't get much better than that.

Up A Tree

Skip to My Loo

Time Out

The pattern for the shirt was "The Madonna Ruffle Top" from Shwin Designs.  You can find the link here.  The directions were good and the pattern was fairly simple. I loved all the pictures. Since I hadn't sewn on knit in years (decades), I'm glad I bought matching thread. That way when things were a bit off, it didn't show and I didn't have to unpick. Having never used a double needle before, I was a bit nervous. However, I did a couple of test runs, adjusted the tension, and went for it.

The results looked great. The ruffles were easy to cut out, but tedious. I think next time I'm going to use my curing mat, ruler, and rotary cutter to speed up the process. I'm also going to mark on the bodice where each row of ruffles' top should line up, before I start sewing any ruffles on. As mentioned above, I loved the look of the double needles. However, my machine's manual mentions using a cord when sewing it to help with the tension. Next time I'd like to try using the cord.

This was a fun pattern to sew. A little bit time consuming due to all the gathering of the ruffles, but not bad. Little Miss loves it so much and is in need of a new dress or two. I have extra of this fabric, so I'm planning on lengthening it a bit, possibly flaring the skirt out and adding a few more layers of ruffles. I think I'll make the ruffles a bit bigger and spread them out a bit more for the skirt portion. If I make another shirt, I plan on leaving it just as it is.