Chantelle's Stacker Jacket in Ruby Star Chore Cotton Fabric
Hi, I'm Chantelle from @i_seam_sew_happy_xx and I am so pleased to be sharing my most recent make with you. I made the Stacker Jacket by Papercut Patterns using the most gorgeous Warp & Weft Heirloom Linework Chore Coat cotton fabric by Ruby Star Society. I fell in love with the fabric as soon as I saw it. The texture and variety of different colours of cotton running through the fabric are truly beautiful.
The Stacker jacket has a cropped boxy silhouette that pairs so well with lots of different garments. It has oversized patch pockets to carry all your essentials including a full-sized bag of sweets, much to my children's delight. This pattern is not a quick sewing project but it is worth every ounce of effort and time put in. Cutting out all the pieces (my least favourite part) was time-consuming especially as I meticulously planned the direction of the stripes. I loved using the fabric in different directions, to end up with a unique garment.
There is a plethora of classic jacket sewing patterns out there, but very few include a lining, which is what drew me to this pattern in the first place. Alternatively, you could use a bias binding on all the internal seams, for a tidy finish. Once I had interfaced the relevant pattern pieces, I constructed the pockets, which was straightforward. I decided to quilt the front and back yokes. I accomplished this by adding a natural fibre batting to the reverse, then sewing equal parallel lines throughout. I added the batting up to the fold-line markings only, to reduce bulk. I found a walking foot with a quilting arm to be invaluable for this purpose. The quilting arm is a handy little guide to keeping your stitching lines parallel.
The instructions and diagrams were very easy to follow. I sized up to be able to wear snugly jumpers underneath the jacket. The pattern would be excellent for a confident beginner to delve into jacket-making for the first time. Equally, more experienced sewists will enjoy the challenge too.
One of my favourite features about the Stacker is the front facing. It is part of the front yoke and jacket pieces. The mitred corners in the hem also make my heart sing and make the inside look so professional.
Everything else came together like clockwork. The Stacker is an incredibly satisfying make which succeeds in giving you a huge sense of pride when you have completed every step. This is the perfect addition to any handmade wardrobe.
The Stacker jacket has a cropped boxy silhouette that pairs so well with lots of different garments. It has oversized patch pockets to carry all your essentials including a full-sized bag of sweets, much to my children's delight. This pattern is not a quick sewing project but it is worth every ounce of effort and time put in. Cutting out all the pieces (my least favourite part) was time-consuming especially as I meticulously planned the direction of the stripes. I loved using the fabric in different directions, to end up with a unique garment.
There is a plethora of classic jacket sewing patterns out there, but very few include a lining, which is what drew me to this pattern in the first place. Alternatively, you could use a bias binding on all the internal seams, for a tidy finish. Once I had interfaced the relevant pattern pieces, I constructed the pockets, which was straightforward. I decided to quilt the front and back yokes. I accomplished this by adding a natural fibre batting to the reverse, then sewing equal parallel lines throughout. I added the batting up to the fold-line markings only, to reduce bulk. I found a walking foot with a quilting arm to be invaluable for this purpose. The quilting arm is a handy little guide to keeping your stitching lines parallel.
The instructions and diagrams were very easy to follow. I sized up to be able to wear snugly jumpers underneath the jacket. The pattern would be excellent for a confident beginner to delve into jacket-making for the first time. Equally, more experienced sewists will enjoy the challenge too.
In terms of inserting the sleeves, I had to deviate from the instructions slightly. I added a small row of gathering stitches to the tops of the sleeves to enable me to attach them to the shoulder seams. Otherwise, the fabric would be puckered. This was not a big problem to solve and is not noticeable. The sleeves were too short for me so I added 2” to the length. I would recommend checking that the sleeves are long enough if you decide to make this jacket.
One of my favourite features about the Stacker is the front facing. It is part of the front yoke and jacket pieces. The mitred corners in the hem also make my heart sing and make the inside look so professional.
Working with the Ruby Star Society fabric could not have been more of a pleasure. It is the perfect weight for a jacket. It is unbelievably soft and tactile. Also, breathable and oh so squishy! The warm autumnal rust colour makes the subtle rainbow strands pop.
Everything else came together like clockwork. The Stacker is an incredibly satisfying make which succeeds in giving you a huge sense of pride when you have completed every step. This is the perfect addition to any handmade wardrobe.
Furthermore, I added a hanging loop by using a strip of fabric 1.5” x 2” I folded each long edge to the centre, then in half lengthwise and pressed well. Topstitch in place and baste the strip to your lining. Adding a cute Kylie and the Machine woven label is the icing on the squishy cake! The label serves as a little reminder that I made something amazing. There is a secret feature to my jacket too. A couple of blooms nestled underneath the collar to tie in with the lining fabric. I made cute little adornments by using a vinyl cutting machine and iron-on vinyl. All other materials used were from my stash.