Hello!
For ages I’ve wanted to replace my old beloved khaki ripstop army-style jacket… I LOVED that thing and even did a 6 different ways post on it once. At some point I decided I’d made the sleeves just a smidgeon too short so with some sadness passed it on to Cassie. Who loves it equally, and wears it often… and I found myself pining for it all over again whenever I saw her wearing it!
Finally I’ve got around to making another one for ME!
I just adore jackets with tonnes of hardware and detailing, like zips and lots of different bits and bobs and interesting pockets. So set about planning for this one to be chockablock with loads of that sort of thing. I considered using the same Burda pattern I used for the previous one, but I had to make lots of additions/adjustments to that in order to make it the complex, feature-laden army-style jacket that I wanted, which is fine! but since making that one, lots of great patterns have popped up with all those features already incorporated into the pattern. Eventually I settled upon the Tosti utility coat pattern by Yuki of Waffle Patterns, it had the detachable hood, the belt, tabs, the front zip placket for a separating zip, multitudes of pockets, in fact: everything I wanted. I was really attracted to the variety of different pockets it had and was pretty determined to use each and every one of them in my jacket. There are six different types of pockets! an inner breast pocket, a sleeve pocket, two options for breast pockets and two options for hip pockets, and I used ’em all. Cassie thought I was loopy putting four different pockets on the front of the jacket, but I stubbornly ploughed ahead because I love that mishmash look… I know you’re not supposed to do ALL of them with the pattern, but I just wanted it!
Beware; pocket overload approaching…
Breast pockets:(L) inner welt pocket with flap; and (R) inner pocket with exposed zip closure
Hip pockets; (L) bellows pocket with patch flap; and (R) patch pocket with exposed zip closure
(left) patched sleeve pocket with exposed zip closure; and (right) inner breast pocket with double welt
The fabrics: the khaki cotton ripstop was from some online fabric store in the US; and I can’t remember its name, sorry! My neighbour Meggipeg and I went in together with a joint order. The fabric was priced reasonably, but postage was horrendously and shockingly expensive… the trap!!… but at least I got the ripstop so that’s ok. One of the saddest things ever is when Spotlight ceased stocking this stuff *sob*
The plaid cotton flannelette I used for lining and all zips were from Spotlight, and I had to visit two stores to find them all! and the copper press studs were from both KnitWit and Spotlight Yes, I had to visit a coupla stores to get enough of those too! The belt buckle was harvested from an old belt. Originally, I had decided I would put thin black fleece interlining in my jacket for some warmth, but once I had the lining made up I realised I wouldn’t need it. The jacket is pretty warm enough already, and truthfully, if it was any warmer it actually wouldn’t be all that useful in our climate.
There is tonnes of topstitching all over, so satisfied that part of me that adores precision sewing. I’m that weirdo that LOVES topstitching! and am pretty much totally and blissfully happy when I’m hunched over the machine, chugging along; churning out lines upon lines of precise, neatly and evenly spaced, stitching. The wonderful thing about this ripstop is that the little squares in the weave of the fabric make precision stitching and lining up pieces to be perfectly square very very easy.
(L) belt loop; (R) shoulder tab. Press studs from kits bought in KnitWit and Spotlight
(L) collar with press studs for hood, (R) wrist tabs
No one will ever see or notice this but me, but the plaid lining matches up all the way around #patternmatchingfreak
The lining appears a bit “blowsy” in this picture, due extra ease in the lining… many of the lining/shell seams have you make folds/pleats in the lining when stitching the lining to the shell, to account for the extra length.
I’d cut a plaid lining for the hood too but decided upon a self-lined hood. Less jarring in appearance when the hood is worn down. Which, let’s face it, it most usually is!
Opening zip, and placket with press studs; (below) self-lined hood
I also made the belt, using a buckle harvested from off an old belt of Tim’s, and eyelets from a kit from Spotlight
I posted lots of these progress pictures on instagram also, so I’m sorry for the doubling up. But; you know instagram; it’s fabulous and I love it, but stuff gets “lost” in no time there since it’s not that easy going back to see things you posted a year ago…so I’m reproducing all those pictures here. I know a lot of us seamsters have migrated pretty solidly to instagram now; in fact it seems fewer and fewer people are reading blogs and it could be that blogging like this is dead or at least heading towards comatose. I mean, let’s be honest, how many people actually click over when you see the words “on the blog now, link in profile”? Precious few… and that’s just the way of things, times change, people now are of the moment and often are only interested in one quick visual; and that’s all absolutely fine and ok and completely understandable. I think though that I will still keep on with writing this blog anyway, just for my own benefit. I want to keep going for the same reasons I started it; as a record of all my sewing projects, because I can search for and look up older things up here, and you can’t really do that over on instagram all that easily.
Hmmm, well that was a bit of a diversion there, sorry! I’m writing a review of this pattern, but no point in reading it really. It’s pretty glowing, because I absolutely LOVE this pattern; I thoroughly enjoyed making my jacket, and am totally enamoured of the final product. Fair dinkum; I’m going to wear this to rags.
Fun fact; after a week of FREEZING cold weather.. today, the day after I finished this jacket and wanted to wear it for the first time; of course today was then an unseasonably warm day. Naturally!! But you know what? I wore it anyway, mwahahaha. Unco-operative weather! pfffft! see what I care! I wore it, and I roasted. And I loved every minute of it!!
Details:
Jacket; the Tosti utility jacket by Waffle patterns, khaki cotton ripstop with plaid, brushed cotton lining
striped Tshirt; self drafted, details here
Skirt; Vogue 1247, cotton corduroy, originally yellow and dyed brown, details here
Tights, self-drafted, black stretch, details here
Shoes; made by me, details here
So; like, we were going to this 80’s themed party, and, like, EVERYONE in this particular group always dresses up to the max! Not dressing the part would be heinous! and of course I had to be fully self-made, ‘cos of my challenge. Also, like, I had to be warm. It’s like the middle of flipping’ winter! Like, duh!
Ello ello ello!
I made some new shoes! and they lace up at the back of the heel.
I lined the shoes with some very thin, pale gold suedette from Spotlight, the same type of stuff I’ve lined all my other shoes with, and the exact same stuff as 
I’ve made another dress. Just right now, I’m fully into dress/skirt wearing, tending to pluck them from the wardrobe with barely scant regard to the several nice pairs of jeans in there. I dunno why, since it’s winter, and you’d think I would want to be wearing jeans, but that’s just the way it is. Of course I reserve the right to become a jeans fanatic again without notice, anytime down the track.
Well, for now I’m just going to enjoy mixing and matching this new one into the current wardrobe repertoire. The warm toasty colours are going to go with lots of things I currently have, I think.
hello! I’ve made some new shoes!
This is actually a shoe version of a muslin, whatever you would call that… I’m working up to making some shoes using some of the Icelandic fish leather that I bought when we visited there a few years ago and I’m trialling a new pattern. The pattern looks almost identical to the pattern I’ve been using previously, to make my previous pairs of oxford shoes, but since I made that pattern prior to getting my lasts I decided it would be prudent to make a new pattern tailored specifically to the lasts.
Details above: the top pieces are edged with close-spaced zig-zag stitch in black, and the shoes are fully lined with pale yellow faux suedette from Spotlight. The paisley fabric is from Spotlight too. Foam shoe liners from Coles for added comfort are covered with the pale yellow suedette which gives a co-ordinating, neat and tidy look inside. 
Craig and Cassie both separately and spontaneously, and without my asking, mentioned that they thought this is my best finish yet. The shoes are quite sturdy and I don’t think I’d even be embarrassed should they be subject to a close inspection. Hehe, I cannot say the same thing for some of my previous efforts!
