Its curtains! (again)

Different ones though. This fabric came from an IKEA curtain panel (Syssan), 55% linen, 45% cotton. A thrift store purchase, naturally. When my husband texted me a photo with a question mark, I responded "buy!".

So the scale of the print is a bit larger and more random than I had gleaned from the photo, but what the heck? I wanted a jean jacket, and that is what I made.

This is the Atenas pattern from Itch to Stitch. It's a classic style, but I think the shape of it is better than the standard boxy jacket. It has a nice amount of waist shaping and comes with cup sizes! So it's quite feminine, considering the style's tough guy roots. 

When I laid the fabric out, I gave no thought at all to trying to match the print. I just placed the many smallish pieces where they seemed to go, and cut them out. So it's interesting that the large leaf shape ended up straddling a seam on my upper chest. Luckily, it's not too "bulls-eye!"

The pattern has all the jean jacket bells and whistles, including chest and welt pockets (both or either of which can be omitted), buttoned chest flaps, two piece sleeves, waistband with (optional) button tabs, potential for flat-felled seams, and miles of topstitching. I made working pockets but omitted the button tabs. The seams in my jacket are faux flat-felled, stitched down with 2 parallel lines of topstitching, which I think is more attractive than a single line.  

It calls for no-sew jeans buttons (10 without the waistband tabs, 14! if you include the tabs). I only installed 9, having omitted the top buttonhole, as there is no way I'd ever do this up all the way to the collar.

This pattern has nice drafting details, like a separate piece for the bias under collar so the upper collar is a smidge bigger and folds over perfectly. The upper front is nicely shaped (cup sizes!). Everything went together really well, and I even followed the instructions. 

The fit is good with a simple shortening of the sleeves (standard adjustment for me) and grading from size 2 (above waist) to 4 at the hip. 

Things I will try to remember if I make this again (a distinct possibility):

I could stand another cm or so in the hip - the waistband is slightly eased so I could just lengthen the pattern piece without any other adjustments. The pattern says to pick the smaller size if you are between sizes, which I did. It could be a bit too snug depending on what I wear under it. Maybe not much, this version (summer camo). But if I did a denim one, I might want to wear it with sweaters. 

The centre front is a folded edge, which feels a little bit insubstantial given all the other hefty seams. It's interfaced of course, but could use more support (maybe some fusible tape?). A seam at CF would add a lot of bulk unless I made a facing piece for the entire front (the yoke seam carries through to the foldover facing as drafted). 

I should really have made faux chest pockets  (there is no way I'll ever use these). However, enjoy this photo of my hand in the lower welt pocket.