You are now ready to cut out your jacket. I recommend that you measure the flat pattern before cutting. If you have never done this before, take out the front and back pieces. These will be one front which is half the front of the jacket, and the back will most likely be on the fold (or you may have a center back seam). In any case, when you place these two pieces side by side, you will have one side of the jacket facing you. Find the bust area (usually marked on the front pattern piece) and measure across the front, eliminating the side seam allowance and stopping at the center front line which should be marked on the pattern. Pinch the tape at the mark you just got and lay it down on the back at the same location as you did on the front. Now continue laying the tape across the back eliminating any seam allowances that there may be. Take the total of these two measurements, multiply by two, and you have the completed garment circumference at the bust area.
Measuring ease of the jacket

Repeat this at the waist level, at the hip level (if your jacket extends to the hips), and also measure at the tummy level - this is about 3-4" below the waist. For mature figures, this measurement is often the same or bigger than the hip measurement and you will need to know if you have enough room to button the jacket over your middle. Also measure the sleeves about 1" below the armhole seam. You need at least 4" more than your own arm measurement for comfort, more if you are planning on wearing this jacket over another jacket or bulky sweater.
I advise having 6-8" of ease in the bust and hip areas; this lets you wear a sweater underneath your jacket and you can move around more easily with the extra room. If you know that you prefer less ease, then by all means go ahead and fit the jacket more closely. Ease is very much a personal preference and my recommendations reflect my own preference.
Since this lesson is dedicated to sewing a reversible jacket, I am not going to cover pattern alterations here. There are a number of very good books on the market for this; I also wrote some basic bodice alterations on the Sew-What's-New site. The URL for that site is www.sew-whats-new.com - click on Sewing Lessons and scroll through the list to find the lesson on a simple top. The alterations are very basic but should be enough to alter a jacket. You can always cut your jacket with 1" seam allowances by cutting 3/8" beyond the cutting line. Then you will have some leeway to let the jacket out if necessary. Sandra Betzina recommends using 1" seam allowances on all the side seams of any garment for which you have not made a muslin or fitting shell. "Just-in-case" seam allowances, she calls them.
Your pattern's directions for lay-out are probably just fine and you can go ahead and lay out the pieces as they show in the diagrams. In the case of very tightly woven microfibers, you may wish to tip the pattern slightly off-grain in order to prevent puckered seams. This amounts to a mere 1/2" difference between the distance from grain line to fold at the top of the jacket to the distance at the bottom. Not enough to make the jacket hang off-grain, but enough to make the side seams slightly biased and therefore less prone to puckering.
Tip: When measuring from grainline to the fold, stick a pin through one end of the grain line and pivot the pattern until you have the line straight. Measure from both ends of the grainline to the fold or selvage and make sure they are the same. Then you can pin the pattern down.
Getting the grainline straight on the fabric

Now, please take out some of your scrap pieces of fabric and do some practice seams. This is such an important thing to do - you will find out in just minutes which seam is going to look best on your fabric, you can test for iron temperature, whether or not the fabric can take steam, which type of top-stitching looks best on the seam. Believe me, taking time to make some samples now will save you lots of time and frustration later if you have to rip out seams in the garment. And we all hate reverse sewing, don't we? I have heard it called frog-stitching too - rip it, rip it, rip it - cute, huh?
Here are some examples of seams and seam finishes on some fabrics that I have tried. I made my jacket from polyester microfiber and found that this sewed best with a regular seam, a slightly shorter stitch length (around 2, rather than 2.5), it didn't like a lot of steam. I also found that the walking foot or even feed foot was the way to go with this fabric. It really helped the fabric to feed through well without my having to push or pull and try to keep the fabrics together. Making samples of this fabric, I also discovered that I had to be careful pressing as the seam allowances showed through to the right side. So I decided to use strips of paper under the seam allowances when pressing. Then I could press quite hard and even use the wooden clapper which gives a nice flat look to a seam.

Plain seam, pressed open

Most outerwear jackets look good with top-stitching. Now, this top-stitching helps to control bulk in seams, it flattens the seams, adds strength to them, and looks good. All good reasons to make some samples of top-stitched seams. The next diagram is a mock fell seam.

Plain seam, top-stitched

This is a sturdy seam, often used in outerwear. Seam allowances must be at least 1/2" wide, or more commonly 5/8", to do this well. Sew a regular seam, right sides together. Press both seam allowances to one side and top-stitch from the right side. You can do as much top-stitching as you like. To reproduce the look of a true flat-felled seam, do a line of edge-stitching 1/8" from the seam, then a second line 1/4" from the first line of stitching. Or do just one line of stitching either close to the seamline or 1/4"-3/8" away from it.

Plain seam, with both edge-stitching and top-stitching

Make your samples and you will soon pick which one you like best.
Tip: Sandra Betzina, in her book Fabric Savvy, recommends stitching close to the seamline on microfibers, otherwise you get ripples if you stitch farther away. I found that, using a walking foot, allowed me to top-stitch at 3/8" and still keep the seam ripple free.

INTERFACING

To interface or not to interface? That is the question and the answer depends on your fabric choice. If in doubt, interface. But choose an interfacing that will give support to the open edges of the garment, but not overwhelm it with stiffness. If your jacket has a zipper closure, you may choose not to interface, unless the fabric feels stretchy. If you are planning on making buttonholes, then interface the center front edges of both front pieces. Buttonholes will be used frequently and, if not interfaced, will gape and stretch out of shape. Most fabrics can take fusible interfacing here, but test to be sure. I used a press cloth on top of the interfacing when I fused mine to the microfiber. The fabric itself could not take the heat needed to fuse the interfacing, but the press cloth allowed me to do this without damaging the microfiber.

POCKETS

Probably the very first step in your jacket will be patch pockets. Lined or unlined? Let's cover both. First, the unlined patch pocket.
First thing, interface that top 1" or so that is the pocket facing. This will keep the pocket from stretching out and getting gapey with use. Now a tip from Peggy Sagers, the owner of Silhouette Patterns. (www.silhouettepatterns.com) When you turn that facing over to the right side to stitch the top corners, pull the ends out very slightly beyond the sides of the pocket. We're talking only about 1/8" here at the bottom of the facing. Now sew the facing to the pocket, trim and turn the facing to the inside. Offsetting the raw edges of the fabric like that, will pull the pocket fabric around to the back of the pocket, so that your seam is not visible on the front.

Interfacing and sewing the facing of the pocket

Press under the seam allowances on the edges of the pocket and finish those edges if your fabric ravels. Now is the time to topstitch the facing down to the pocket, as shown in the diagram.

Top-stitch the facing and position pocket on jacket front

Check the position of the pockets on the jacket front. If you are shorter than 5'6", chances are that you will need to move those pockets up higher. I don't know why I always forget to do this myself and, being only 5'2", I find it quite frustrating to be reaching into the bottom of a pocket for my keys.
Pin the pocket in position on the jacket front. Regardless of the markings on the pattern, check that the edge of your pocket is equidistant from the center front edge. This side is more important than the other side, as it is more visually jarring if it appears crooked.

Only pin one pocket onto one side. Now for the other pocket, you want to be sure to get it in exactly the same location on the other side. Lay the front with the pocket (pocket #1) pinned to it down on the table. Then lay the second unattached pocket right side down on top of pocket #1. Match them up perfectly. Now carefully lay the second side of the front, right side down, on top of the pocket. Match all the edges of the fronts exactly, taking care not to shift that unpinned pocket. Pin through the wrong side of this piece to catch pocket #2 only. Use a few pins to do this. Then lift off the second side and pocket #2 will be in the exact same location as pocket #1.

I can't take credit for this, I learned it from Jan Bones in a seminar years ago at the Creative Sewing and Needlework Show in Toronto. Jan specializes in lingerie and her website is www.excellenceinsewing.com.

Now you are ready to top-stitch the pockets in position on the coat fronts. I prefer to edge-stitch unlined pockets; edgestitching is 1/8" from the edge, whereas top-stitching is 1/4". I find that, with top-stitching, your pocket edges curl up and they don't look professional. Of course, you can do both and I really like the look of edge-stitching and top-stitching used together.

Edge-stitching, top-stitching, and bar-tacking the pocket

Do you have trouble top-stitching? If you are using your regular zigzag foot, find a mark on the foot that you can line up with the edge of your fabric. I use the inside of the left toe as my guide. If you prefer, try an edge-stitching foot which has a guide to line up along the edge of your fabric and keep you straight.

The tops of patch pockets really place stress on garments. Haven't you noticed that these pockets often can tear the fabric of the garment through repeated use? To prevent this, place small squares of self-fabric on the inside of the garment under the two top edges of the pocket. Or you can fuse small circles of interfacing here as well. Now the fabric will be doubled just where it gets the most strain.

Begin edge-stitching right at the top of the pocket. Don't back-stitch, but leave the threads to pull under later and knot. If you do both edge-stitching and top-stitching, you might like to add a bar-tack at the top edge when you are finished. This will ensure that the pocket will not pull away. A bar-tack is a zigzag stitch with a very short length, done for a distance of about 1/4". I go forwards and then reverse over the stitching so that it doesn't come undone, making the bar tack the width between the two lines of top-stitching.

When you come to the corner of the pocket, gauge the distance and turn the hand wheel manually if necessary, to end up in the right spot to pivot. With the needle down in the fabric, lift the presser foot and turn the fabric 90 degrees. Check that you are the same distance from the edge as before. If you are not, re-adjust your stitches by walking the machine until you are in the right spot. Sometimes, I have to lift the foot and move the fabric just a tad to get myself re-oriented.

Once you have gone around the entire pocket, you can then top-stitch a second row of stitches if desired. I use the edge of my presser foot as a guide for this row, by lining up the edge with the previous line of stitches. This gets me just about 1/4" away from it (actually 5/16" to be exact).

If you are not making a bar-tack at the corners, you will have to draw the threads to the underside, knot them, and then secure them with some extra stitches to the fabric. I use these ends to sew the corners more securely by invisibly tacking them down to the coat.

LINED POCKETS

Lined pockets are just about as easy as unlined pockets to make. Simply cut the same piece out of fabric and lining fabric. The lining will be trimmed later. Place right sides together, and stitch the top edge at 1/4", leaving a 2" opening in the middle for turning the pocket later. Press the seam towards the lining.

Now, fold the pocket fabric down on the fold line for the facing on the right side of the pocket. This will cause the lining piece to drop down below the pocket. Cut off the extra so that both pieces are the same size. You can also, trim the lining slightly smaller on the sides if desired (just an 1/8"). Doing this pulls the seams to the underside of the pocket so that they don't show later.

Stitching lining to pocket

With pocket and lining pinned right sides together, sew around the two sides and bottom of the pocket. Trim the seams and trim off the bottom corners diagonally to reduce bulk. Now turn the pocket right side out through the opening you left in the seam at the top. Take the time to push the corners out well so that you get a sharp corner. I use a wooden bamboo point turner to do this. Be careful if you use scissors that you don't poke right through the fabric. Been there, done that.

Press the pocket well, doing most of your pressing on the wrong side and using a press cloth on the right side so that you don't damage your fabric. A wooden clapper is a wonderful tool for flattening edges. After pressing the edge with a steamy iron, place the clapper over the pressed area and hold it there for 5 or 6 seconds. The wood of the clapper holds the steam in the fabric while the weight of the clapper bends the fibers in the direction you want. The clapper has a much better effect than just an iron, without the risk of damage.

Stitch and turn pocket, and sew to jacket front

Now, you simply pin the pocket into position on the jacket as in the previous instructions for an unlined pocket. Choose your method of attaching the pocket to the jacket and you are done. Repeat for the second pocket.

After the pockets are put on the front of the coat, sew the shoulder seams next, then the sleeves are put in flat construction method. This means they are put in before the side seams are sewn. I like to topstitch this seam as well, pressing the seam allowances into the sleeve and then top-stitching on the sleeve side of the seam.

Now you can fit your jacket. Either baste or pin the side seams, from the hem to the bottom of the sleeves and try on the jacket. Be sure to pin the front closed, placing one center front line on top of the other. You will now see if the jacket is either too big or too small. Hopefully, it fits with an adequate amount of ease. If it feels too tight, re-pin those seams with a smaller seam allowance. Remember not to fit the jacket too closely as the lining is going to take up some room as well.

If you have a collar, you can either complete the collar and sew it to the right side of the outer fabric. Or you can sew one collar piece to the jacket and the other collar piece will be sewn to the lining. Hoods are constructed the same way. I actually like to complete the collar and sew it to the neckline of one layer because this makes for a strong connecting seam there. If you sew one piece to the outer fabric and the other to the lining, they will hang loose along the neckline and can spend their life shifting around.

When constructing the collar, be sure to interface one layer, if not both. In the jacket that I recently make with microfiber and fleece, I forgot to do this and the collar kind of wrinkles. I also forgot to trim the under collar smaller than the upper collar in order to help it roll better. This is not necessary if your two fabrics are equal weights, but with microfiber on the top and fleece on the under side, the microfiber should be bigger so that it can lay over the fleece. I cut them the same and the fleece tries to push the microfiber up and the collar likes to stand up around my neck. I have to take the time to roll it over if I want to wear it as a normal collar.

That covers the jacket for this week. Next week, we will put the lining or reverse side together, which you will find very easy once you have come this far. We will sew the two layers together and I will show you how to bag the jacket, so that you can line it entirely by machine.

Any questions, please feel free to email me at mail@timmelfabrics.com

Reversible Coat from Burda World of Fashion Sept./02

This jacket is done in two fabrics that you might not even consider for a coat - gabardine reversing to wide-wale corduroy.