Looking for a fresh new way to use your favorite LJC patterns -- and maybe make an on-trend, back-to-school piece too? Well, that's just what we have for you this week.
Giveaway update! We have a winner! It's Judy who said, "My favorite back-to-school supply is binder clips. I teach, and have to manage lots of papers. I’m so glad they make them in colors now." Judy, we'll be in touch via email soon.
We're going to be combining two LJC classics -- the Denim Jacket, and the Ruched Hoodie -- to make this fun, stylin' jacket.
First, you're going to need some fabric: some sweatshirt-type material (we're using a double sided knit), ribbing, and of course, some denim. A little bit of narrow ribbon in a splashy color is a fun extra...
Then, cut out all the pieces for the denim jacket EXCEPT the collar and the sleeves/cuffs.
Use the sweatshirt material to cut out the sleeves from the Denim Jacket pattern, and the hood from the Ruched Hoodie pattern.
Grab the Denim Jacket Sleeve Cuff piece, and draw a line 1/2" in from the dots. Fold along this line, and use this new (shorter!) pattern piece to cut two cuff pieces out of ribbing.
Sew the body of the jacket together, following the directions in the guidebook. Stop when you reach the steps for the collar.
Switch to the Ruched Hoodie guidebook! Sew the hood together following those directions: stitch and finish the rounded, CB edge, then carefully hem the face edge.
Pin your new hood to the jacket's neckline, lining up the hemmed edges with the notches for the collar. Be sure to match Center Back too!
The hood will be a little longer than the jacket's neck edge, so just ease the extra fabric in gently with your fingers. If your fabric doesn't want to ease, you can always run a couple of gathering threads to help get everything in place.
Fold back the front edges so that they just cover the end of the hood. Stitch.
Trim corners, and clip into the seam allowance a bit so that it lies flat.
At this point you have two options: zig-zag/serge the seam allowances, or...cover them with some cute ribbon!
I sewed a piece of ribbon directly over the seam allowance, lining up one edge of the ribbon with my previous stitchline. If you do this, make sure your ribbon begins and ends in the facing.
Topstitch the bottom edge of the ribbon down to the jacket, sandwiching the seam allowances. When you reach the front edge, pivot, and edgestitch down the front on both sides.
I added a second line of topstitching just below the seamline, for good looks and extra stability.
Sleeve time!
Fold the cuff piece in half, and stretch it to fit the lower edge of the sleeve. Pin and stitch. (If you need extra help with this step, just follow the cuff directions in the Ruched Hoodie guidebook. The pieces are shaped a little differently, but the idea is the same.)
Set the sleeves in the jacket, and topstitch.
Finish off your jacket by sewing the underarm and side seams, adding the waistband, and doing the buttons and buttonholes.
Congratulations!
Giveaway Time!
Would you like to win this adorable little jacket? Super! We'd love to send it to one lucky winner...
To enter, just leave a comment below finishing this sentence:
"My favorite back-to-school supply is..."
We'll pick a winner on Monday, Aug 31, and get in touch with the winner by email.
Thanks everybody! It's wonderful, as always, to have you following along.
For Pixie Faire,
Melinda and Cinnamon
441 Comments
My favorite back to school supplies used to be the art supplies.
My favorite back to school supplies used to be the art supplies.
When I was growing up, it was getting new saddle shoes. They were what my dad required us to wear, but at the beginning of the school year, they were all bright and clean.
I don’t remember if I got new school clothes at the beginning of the school year or a little later when the weather was cooler. Mother made many of my clothes, but one year-third grade I think, I had green jeans and maybe red jeans. Nobody else had them. I loved my green jeans which Mother ordered from a catalog. One year she bought me a ballpoint pen that had red, blue, and green ink that could be changed from one color to another. Those were the favorites that I remember. That was a longggggggggggggg time ago. The jacket is precious!
Thank you for the opportunity to think back and recall pleasant childhood memories.
My favorite back to school item was a new lunch pail. I would beg for the hot pink Barbie lunch pail. My mom had other ideas. She bought little wicker baskets for my sister and I. She purchased a used industrial Singer sewing machine and made little blue gingham napkins to cover the lunch items in the basket. We looked like little red riding hoods in blue. Sixty years later the basket and napkin are long gone but I still have that sewing machine. My mom loved us dearly. She would stay up until the wee hours of the morning sewing matching dresses for my sister and I. She had cams to make decorative stitches and used them to embellish baby doll clothes. She made prairie girl bonnets for us to wear to the village sentennial and matching vests and now ties for my brother and dad. She made curtains, bedspreads, quilts and pillows for our new house. I learned to sew using that machine when I joined 4-H. I still use her machine to sew doll clothes for the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots and Stuff the Bus. I never thought a new doll was a great gift unless it came with a change of clothing. The more clothes the better! Thank you for the memories!