Introducing the Hove jacket!

I am very excited to let you know that the Hove jacket is here!

It will be no surprise to you (if you have been following along with my journey for a while) that this pattern has taken a long time to come into fruition. I even accidentally gave a (not so sneaky) sneak-peek of it almost 2 years ago when I was running my Kickstarter campaign.

The Flynn jacket and the Hove jacket actually started out as two variations of the same pattern! Over time as I continued to work on the patterns, I realised they were moving further and further apart in terms of design, and were going to become a mammoth of a pattern that would probably intimidate makers - rather than inspire!

The Hove jacket is a loose-fitting jacket designed for woven fabrics. With two different styles, it is the perfect layering piece. It has a relaxed sporty vibe that can be dressed up or down, depending on what you pair it with.

Hove features a fully lined hood, open-ended zip closure (or double-ended zip if you'd prefer), high-low hem, in-seam pockets and pleated back detail.

VIEW A DETAILS

View A has a dropped shoulder and sleeve with a hem facing. The sleeves are designed to be worn either straight or folded back, for a more casual look

VIEW B DETAILS

The Hove jacket View B is sleeveless (creating the look of a dolman sleeve) and has been designed to be worn over long sleeve tops and dresses, although works equally well in warmer weather over a sleeveless top or t-shirt.

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I am really excited to continue releasing patterns that work so well worn together! In the pattern shoot, we paired the Hove jacket with the Darlow pants, Collins top and Rushcutter dress.

Who is the pattern for?

The pattern is placed at a Level 3 (out of 5) on the In the Folds pattern skill scale, which means that you should feel confident using a range of different sewing patterns and class your sewing skills as immediate (or courageous beginner).

In saying that, the Hove jacket is a great entry level jacket, as you don’t have to worry about lining and due to it’s oversized silhouette, it is easy to achieve a good fit.

As always, the pattern is available in 10 sizes (A - J, which equates to Australian sizes 6-24). For more information about sizing, please visit the Sizing Chart.

On both views, all seams are finished with bias binding, for a beautiful and high-end finish. This means that not only will you end up with a beautifully finished jacket, you will also learn some new skills in the process!

What skills will you learn by working through this pattern?

By working through this pattern, you will gain confidence in:

• Sewing curved seams

• Sewing pockets

• Setting in sleeves

• Finishing seams with bias binding

• Inserting an open-ended zip

• Sewing a hood

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What the testers said about this pattern:

‘As a beginner, when I first read the instructions I thought I was out of my depth, but as I started sewing pieces just magically came together, it was my most accomplished make to date and have given me great confidence.’ - Jo

[The Hove jacket pattern] ‘is really clean in the delivery. Your instruction style is spare but clear. Your designs are unique and kind of bananas in a beautiful way, so sewing this jacket up was such a delight and surprise. I just couldn't wait to see how you would have us pull it all together! And it was not only a great intellectual sew, but the way it fits is so well done. I think you're brilliant and nobody is doing what you're doing! THANK YOU!’ - Celeste

‘The hood! The hood! It is so satisfying to have and it came together so well. I was a bit nervous about it, but it ended up being one of the easiest parts of the pattern for me. Also, pinning the long seams was a challenge (I ran out of pins!), but they were really satisfying to sew.’ - Leanne

‘I love the ease in the hips. I almost always need to grade up in the hips (29"waist, 43" hip) but it was so nice not to have to! The shoulders fit so nicely too.’ - Mia

‘It was an amazing experience… I found you develop very clever methods for the finishings (the thing with the bias binding that was kind of difficult in the beginning was super delightful after I understood it, and the puzzle of the pieces (I don't know how to say this in other way) was really delightful - seeing how everything was coming together. This made me reconsider sewing all your other patterns :)’ - Juliana

For your reference, the model Marisabel wears a Size F.

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Flynn jacket : Full bust adjustment

The Flynn jacket is intended to have a substantial amount of design ease, to create an oversized shape, designed for layering. For this reason, I suggest focusing on your high bust measurement when selecting your size. The size chart for the Flynn jacket can be found here.

This pattern is drafted for a B cup bust. Due to the large amount of ease, it is unlikely you will need to do a full bust adjustment (or small bust adjustment) for View A. Check the finished garment measurements to ensure it will fit through the waist and hip.

For View B, which is closer fitting, due to its sleeveless nature, you may consider this alteration to achieve a better fit through the shoulders and armhole (and also so you can close it, if you would like to add a hook and eye). For today’s post, I will get you started for doing the adjustment and then will link to a past post that I wrote about full bust adjustments.

WHEN YOU'LL NEED TO DO A FULL BUST ADJUSTMENT 

Most indie pattern companies (including In the Folds) draft for a B cup bust. There are of course exceptions to this rule (such as Cashmerette and Colette Patterns), so make sure you check on your pattern before assuming the bust cup size.

In terms of the Flynn jacket, it is a loose style which means it is a little more forgiving than more fitted patterns (such as the Acton, for example) so in some cases you can probably get away with not making a bust adjustment. For example, if your bust is smaller than a B cup, it is unlikely you need to bother doing a Small Bust Adjustment. I have an A cup bust, but have not made adjustments to any of my Flynn jackets. Also if your bust is just slightly bigger than a B cup, it is also likely you will be okay without the adjustment.

Check the finished garment measurements and go from there. 

WORK OUT YOUR CUP SIZE

Your cup size in sewing patterns may not always correspond to the bra size you wear. To be safe, check your measurements before deciding if you need to make any adjustments to the pattern. 

To do this, measure your high bust measurement (the area above your breasts, under your arms) as well as your full bust  (the fullest part of your chest) and then take note of each measurement, as well as the difference.

If the difference is 2.5cm (1") your bust is an A cup, 5cm (2") it's a B cup, 7.5cm (3") is a C cup and so on. 

CHOOSE YOUR SIZE

Now, go back to your high bust measurement and add 5cm (2"). This is what your bust measurement would be if you were a B cup and therefore the size you should be choosing from the pattern.

For example, let's say your upper bust measures 81cm (32"). Add 5cm (2") to this measurement to find out what size your bust measurement falls into on the In the Folds sizing chart (and what size you would be if you had B cup breasts). 81cm + 5cm = 86cm which corresponds to a size C. Your actual bust measurement is 89cm  though - 3cm (1") larger than the cup size of the pattern. This means you need to do a FBA and add this 3cm (1") to your pattern. 

As the front pieces are cut as a pair, you need to take the measurement you will be adding and divide it by two. For example, this 3cm (just over 1") mentioned in the example, will be split between either side of the front - 1.5cm (1/2") on each side. 

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Step 1

For the sake of the example, I will be making the adjustment to the pieces of View B (as this is the style most likely to require the adjustment), but you can follow this tutorial for View A too.

Take the two pieces that make the front of the Flynn jacket - the FRONT HEM FACING [5] and the FRONT [8]. The first step will be to turn these pieces into one pattern piece (removing the panel line) as this will make the adjustment much easier to manage. At the end, we'll put the panel line back in place, so there won't be any change to the design (except for the addition of the dart - which can be removed later on, if you prefer). 

Step 2

A - Take the SIDE FRONT [8] piece and place it on top of the FRONT HEM FACING [5], lining up the stitch lines (the grey line on the pattern), as if the pieces have been sewn together. If you are struggling to see the lines, it can help to put the pieces up to a window and see through the paper that way (or a lightbox, if you have one). Once the pieces are correctly lined up, use masking tape (or similar) to hold the pieces in place. 

As you can see in the example, you won’t be able to align the stitch line for whole seam, as the lines slightly change directions towards the shoulder (which is what gives you a nice shape in that area). Just focus on lining up the stitch line in the lower section of the pattern (as illustrated).

B - Take a piece of pattern paper and trace the piece - being sure to include all pattern markings (in this case: the grainline and notches). Also trace the panel line.

Make sure you trace both the cutting line and the stitching line - this is really important. In the Folds patterns include the stitching line on each pattern piece so that it is easier for you to make alterations to your pattern. I know we would all love to be able to cut a pattern in a straight size and for it to fit perfectly, but unfortunately that's not the way it is (I even have to make adjustments to In the Folds patterns so they fit my figure properly), so having the stitch lines can help you make adjustments more quickly and easily. When making pattern alterations, I normally suggest removing the seam allowance, but because the stitch line is marked on the pattern, you can leave it on. 

From this point you are ready to make the adjustment. Head over to this tutorial - starting at STEP 3 and work through the tutorial.

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Keep your eyes out for more posts over the coming days!

During this series I will show you how to:

• Shorten the Flynn jacket

• Lengthen the Flynn jacket

• Adjust sleeve length

• Narrow / Broad shoulder adjustment

• Remove the box pleat from the back piece on View A

Flynn jacket : Shortening / Lengthening the sleeves

Today in the Flynn jacket pattern alteration series, I will be showing you how to lengthen or shorten the sleeves.

There are times when you can just add some (or remove) length to the hem of a sleeve (when the underseams of a sleeve are straight), but in the case of the Flynn jacket (and other patterns like it), you need to add/remove the length to the inside of the pattern piece, so that you can keep the shape intact - due to the tapered nature of the sleeve. As well as this, the Flynn jacket sleeve is finished with a hem facing, so by adding / removing length from the inside section of the sleeve, the hem facing will still fit and will not require any changes.

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Lengthening the sleeve

Step 1

Take the SLEEVE [3] pattern piece. You can use the actual pattern piece, or trace a copy if you would prefer to keep the original piece intact.

Step 2

You will need to work out how much length you would like to add to the sleeve. You can do this by looking at your toile / muslin (for more details on making a toile / muslin look at this post from the Rushcutter sew-along), or holding the pattern pieces up to your body and getting an idea of where they will sit on your arm (keep in mind that the jacket has a dropped shoulder and the sleeve cap does not sit at your shoulder point).

A - Cut through the lengthen/shorten line on the SLEEVE [3].

B - Take the upper section of the sleeve, and tape or glue a piece of paper to the lower section - with enough paper extending past the pattern to add your length extension. Leave some paper either side too.

C - Extend the grainline onto the attached paper and then mark a horizontal line on each piece of paper, measuring down from the cut line the distance equal to the amount of length you would like to add. In the example above, you can see the red line is 5cm (2in) below the cut line (which is how much length we will be adding to the sleeve).

Step 3

A - Attach the lower part of the sleeve to the added paper, lining up the cut edge with the line marked in the previous step. Use the grainline to ensure that you line the pieces up correctly.

B - Glue or tape in place.

Step 4

Re-draw the seam lines with a straight line over the adjustment.

You can choose to trace the pattern on to fresh pattern paper or tape on small pieces of paper / masking tape where you need to fill a small gap to complete the seam line.

Cut off any excess paper that is outside of the new lines.

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Shortening the sleeve

Step 1

You will need to work out how much length you would like to remove from the sleeve. You can do this by looking at your toile / muslin (for more details on making a toile / muslin look at this post from the Rushcutter sew-along), or holding the pattern pieces up to your body and getting an idea of where they will sit on your arm (keep in mind that the jacket has a dropped shoulder and the sleeve cap does not sit at your shoulder point).

A - Cut through the lengthen/shorten line on the SLEEVE [3].

B - Measuring up from the cut line, mark a horizontal line on each pattern piece, the distance of the amount of length you would like to remove.

In the example, you can see the red line is 5cm (2in) above the cut line and the shaded section shows the amount of length that will be removed from the sleeve

Step 2

A - Move the lower part of each pattern piece up to the line marked in the previous step. Use the grainline to ensure that you line the pieces up correctly.

B - Glue or tape in place.

Step 3

Re-draw the seam lines with a straight line over the adjustment (you can cut off any excess paper that is now outside the lines).

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Keep your eyes out for more posts over the coming days!

During this series I will show you how to:

• Shorten the Flynn jacket

• Lengthen the Flynn jacket

• Do a Full Bust Adjustment

• Narrow / Broad shoulder adjustment

• Remove the box pleat from the back piece on View A

Flynn jacket : Lengthening the pattern

As I have just released a new pattern (yay for the new Flynn jacket), I thought it would be helpful to post a few tutorials about making alterations to the pattern. Yesterday I showed you how to shorten the pattern, so today I thought I would show you how to lengthen the pattern.

All In the Folds patterns are drafted for a height of 170cm (5'7") , so you might need to shorten or lengthen my patterns if you are taller or shorter than this height (although it does sometimes come down to preference).

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GETTING STARTED

Step 1

The pieces you will need for this adjustment are the FRONT HEM FACING [5], FRONT [1] and BACK [2] (or the corresponding pattern pieces from View B). You can use the actual pattern pieces, or trace a copy if you would prefer to keep the original pieces intact.

Step 2

You will need to work out how much length you would like to add to the pattern. You can do this by looking at your toile / muslin (for more details on making a toile / muslin look at this post from the Rushcutter sew-along), or holding the pattern pieces up to your body and getting an idea of where they will sit on your body.

If you would like to add any more than 7.5cm (3in), I’d suggest adding 5cm - 7.5cm (2in - 3in) to the mid-section of the pattern (where the LENGTHEN / SHORTEN lines are) and then adding the remainder to the hem facing (more on this in STEPS 5 + 6).

Also keep in mind that by lengthening the pattern, you will be moving the placement of the pockets down. If you are lengthening the pattern to change the jacket into a longer style, I would recommend adding more length (or all length) to the hem facing (rather than the mid-section), or moving the pocket placement so they don’t become too low.

A - Take the upper part of each pattern piece, and tape or glue a piece of paper to the lower section - with enough paper extending past the pattern to add your length extension. Leave some paper either side too.

B - Extend the grainline onto the attached paper and then mark a horizontal line on each piece of paper, measuring down from the cut line the distance equal to the amount of length you would like to add. In the example above, you can see the red line is 5cm (2in) below the cut line (and 5cm length will be added to the pattern in the example).

Step 3

A - Attach the lower part of each pattern piece to the added paper, lining up the cut edge with the line marked in the previous step. Use the grainline to ensure that you line the pieces up correctly.

B - Glue or tape in place.

Step 4

Re-draw the seam lines with smooth lines over the adjustment. You will notice that in some cases you will be adding a little bit on to create the line of best fit, while in other cases you will need to shave a bit off. This will even out as you go around the pattern.

When marking a line over the area that has been altered, there might be a large gap between the two sides of the line. In this case - split the difference by marking a point in the centre of the area and drawing the line across this point.

You can choose to trace the pattern on to fresh pattern paper or tape on small pieces of paper / masking tape where you need to fill a small gap to complete the seam line.

Cut off any excess paper that is outside of the new lines.

Check all seams are the correct length by "walking" the pattern pieces, as if you were sewing them together. For more details on how to do this, check out this tutorial.

Transfer / re-draw any notches that have been misplaced. Due to the shape of the pieces, some notches may not line up due to the different points the alteration was made. After checking that the seam is the correct length, transfer one notch to the other piece (and cross out the notch that is no longer in the correct position).

If you need to add more than 7.5cm (3in) and have opted to add some length to both the mid-section of the pattern and the hem facing, continue to STEP 5. Otherwise, you are ready to cut your fabric with your new altered pattern pieces!

Step 5

A - To add more length to the jacket, mark a horizontal line through the bottom section of the FRONT HEM FACING [5] and the BACK FACING [6]. Make sure the lines are perpendicular to the grainline. When making alterations like this, I try to stay away from notches when possible, so advise that you draw you horizontal line slightly above, or slightly below, the notches on the side of each piece.

B - Check the position of the grainline in relation to the horizontal line you just marked. If the grainline does not cut through the horizontal line, extend the grainline (as I have done on the FRONT [5] in the example). This will help you keep things straight when making the adjustment.

Cut through the horizontal line and stick a piece of scrap paper to the lower section of each pattern piece.

Step 6

A - Again, attach the lower part of each pattern piece to the added paper, lining up the cut edge with the line marked in the previous step. Use the grainline to ensure that you line the pieces up correctly.

B - Glue or tape in place.

C - Re-draw the sides that have been impacted and check that the notches still line up correctly.

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And that’s it! You’re done!

During this series I will show you how to:

• Shorten the Flynn jacket

• Shorten / lengthen the sleeve

• Do a Full Bust Adjustment

• Narrow / Broad shoulder adjustment

• Remove the box pleat from the back piece on View A

Flynn jacket : Shortening the pattern

As I have just released a new pattern (yay for the new Flynn jacket), I though it would be helpful to post a few tutorials about making alterations to the pattern.

If you’re shorter than 170cm (5'7") this tutorial might be a good one for you! All In the Folds patterns are drafted for this height, so you might need to shorten or lengthen my patterns if you are taller or shorter than this height (although it does sometimes come down to preference).

There are a couple of other reasons why you might also want to do this adjustment to the Flynn jacket:

• You might be 170cm (5'7") but have a shorter torso and longer legs than the pattern was designed for

• You would prefer more of a cropped style than the original design

The Flynn jacket is designed to finish at the top of the thighs (and just below your bum at the back). Due to the design of the hem band and curved front panel, you can’t just simply cut length off the bottom of the jacket pattern as it will change the proportions of the jacket. Instead, you need to take length out from the middle of the pattern pieces, so that the proportions remain intact, and today that is what I am going to show you how to do!

As is becoming quite common with my patterns, the Flynn jacket has some very unique panel lines. This means that making alterations to the pattern is slightly different to what you would need to do with a straight cut jacket. It’s not difficult at all, and the principle is the same, there is just a few extra steps you have to do!

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GETTING STARTED

Step 1

The pieces you will need for this adjustment are the FRONT HEM FACING [5], FRONT [1] and BACK [2] (or the co-ordinating pattern pieces for View B). You can use the actual pattern pieces, or trace a copy if you would prefer to keep the original pieces intact.

Step 2

You will need to work out how much length you would like to remove from the pattern. You can do this by looking at your toile / muslin (for more details on making a toile / muslin look at this post from the Rushcutter sew-along), or holding the pattern pieces up to your body and getting an idea of where they will sit on your body.

If you would like to remove any more than 7.5cm (3in), I’d suggest taking 5cm - 7.5cm (2in - 3in) from the mid-section of the pattern (where the LENGTHEN / SHORTEN lines are) and then removing the remainder from the hem band (more on this in STEPS 5 + 6).

A - Cut through the 'LENGTHEN / SHORTEN' line on the FRONT HEM FACING [5], FRONT [1] and BACK [2].

B - Measuring up from the cut line, mark a horizontal line on each pattern piece, the distance of the amount of length you would like to remove. In the example, you can see the red line is 5cm (2in) above the cut line and the shaded section shows the amount of length that will be removed from the pattern piece.

Step 3

A - Move the lower part of each pattern piece up to the line marked in the previous step. Use the grainline to ensure that you line the pieces up correctly.

B - Glue or tape in place.

Step 4

Re-draw the seam lines with smooth lines over the adjustment. You will notice that in some cases you will be needing to add a little bit on to create the line of best fit, while in other cases you will need to shave a bit off. This will even out as you go around the pattern.

When marking a line over the area that has been altered, there might be a large gap between the two sides of the line. In this case - split the difference by marking a point in the centre of the area and drawing the line across this point. You can choose to trace the pattern on to fresh pattern paper or tape on small pieces of paper / masking tape where you need to fill a small gap to complete the seam line.

Cut off any excess paper that is outside of the new lines.

Check all seams are the correct length by "walking" the pattern pieces, as if you were sewing them together. For more details on how to do this, check out this tutorial.

Transfer / re-draw any notches that have been misplaced. Due to the shape of the pieces, some notches may not line up due to the different points the alteration was made. After checking that the seam is the correct length, transfer one notch to the other piece (and cross out the notch that is no longer in the correct position).

If you need to remove more than 7.5cm (3in) and have opted to remove some length from both the mid-section of the pattern and the hem band, continue to STEP 5. Otherwise, you are ready to cut your fabric with your new altered pattern pieces!

Step 5

A - To remove more length from the jacket, mark a horizontal line through the bottom section of the FRONT HEM FACING [5] and the BACK FACING [6]. Make sure the lines are perpendicular to the grainline. When making alterations like this, I try to stay away from notches when possible, so advise that you draw the horizontal line slightly above, or slightly below, the notches on the side of each piece.

B - Check the position of the grainline in relation to the horizontal line you just marked. If the grainline does not cut through the horizontal line, extend the grainline (as I have done on the FRONT [5] in the example). This will help you keep things straight when making the adjustment.

Cut through the horizontal line in the same way you did in STEP 2.

Step 6

A - Again, measuring up from the cut line, mark a horizontal line on each pattern piece, the distance of the amount of length you would like to remove.

B - Move the lower part of each pattern piece up to the line marked. Use the grainline to ensure that you line the pieces up correctly.

C - Re-draw the sides that have been impacted and check that the notches still line up correctly.

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And that’s it! Not too tricky, right?

In the following days I will show you how to:

• Lengthen the Flynn jacket

• Shorten / lengthen the sleeve

• Do a Full Bust Adjustment

• Narrow / Broad shoulder adjustment

• Remove the box pleat from the back piece on View A