Silhouette Patterns 950 Karin's Jacket

Reviewed by:	Ann Smith	About Ann Smith CA USA Member since: 8/24/02 Reviews written: 155 Sewing skills:Advanced Favored by: 186 people patterns reviewed: 152 Bio: I love to sew for fashion, especially unusual designs. I own way too many patterns and fabric! I hav...full profile
Posted on:	3/11/04 2:20 AM
Pattern Size:	Regular
Project Photo:
Pattern Photo:	Pattern Information provided by Ann Smith
Pattern Rating:	Recommended, but with modifications
This is a reversible jacket with applied pockets and zip front closure. Silhouette patterns have a sizing range with the garment measurement 34" bust to 57" bust, all included in one pattern. You select your size by deciding the amount of ease you want and then pick the size (1 - 8w) by the actual garment measurement. Then there are 3 different fronts included for B, C, and D cups. I tried this garment on at the recent Puyallup Expo and found the size 2 fit me everywhere except at the bust which makes sense since the measurement stated on the pattern is only 34" and I am 38". I figured, since the sample I tried on was made with the B cup front, if I just cut the D cup it would work out perfectly. I was quite surprised to find that the D cup only increased the bust size of the garment from 34" to 34 1/2". I added to the princess seams to get the extra inches I needed tapering to nothing at the shoulders. That worked out quite well. The fabric is a lovely pink faux suede with sherpa on the other side. Peggy Sagers had a bolt of the same fabric used in the pattern photo at her booth at the recent Expo in Puyallup. I liked it a lot so I brought some home. The odd thing is that the instructions in the pattern do not refer in any way to the construction used for this particular jacket featured on the pattern envelope. The suede jacket has all the seams opened and topstitched in place. The pocket edge is turned to the outside and topstiched. None of this is mentioned. The instructions call for centering decorative ribbon or tape over every seam on the reverse side and stitching it in place. Alternatively the instructions suggest that the jacket can be made with two fabrics. That is all it says, not how to do it. For this reason I don't think this is a pattern for someone with limited sewing experience. Although seam allowances are included on the pattern pieces, I don't think they were on the pocket piece. At least not for it to look like the picture. I added to the turned edge and didn't turn under the seam allowance as called for in the instructions. There are other omissions. No fold lines are marked on center front although they are referred to in the instructions. No hem length is indicated. The markings for sleeve front and back are almost invisible. The pattern calls for the pockets to be applied to both sides. The sample I tried on had them that way but the front seemed to poof out. So I just put them on the pink side. I don't really intend to wear the other side out anyway. I also flipped the sherpa to the outside at the sleeve edge. The sleeves seem to be on the short side as I did not shorten them at all and I usually need to. The zipper application on the sample was not very attractive on the reverse side and at the collar where it flips open. The entire zipper was in full view. I fused a strip of the sherpa to the zipper tape which looks pretty good. The hardest part of the construction of this jacket was doing the topstitching on the sleeve after sewing the second seam. Almost couldn't do it. There is a lot of topstitching and if one did the method used in the pattern instructions it would be hard to make it look really good. Peggy suggests ironing a fold down the center of the decorative tape to use as a guide, lining it up on the seam and topstitching on either side. I think this would be tricky to get really even consistently. I think this is a cute jacket and I'm happy with my results but I do not recommend it for a beginner unless it were not made to be reversible.