Did I intend to have 2 months go by since I posted on the blog? No, I think I've just fallen out of the habit but I really wanted to share this pattern and the jackets I made for my friend Heather. Here is the most recent version, in a summer color and fabric.
This is the Auburn Blazer from Cashmerette Patterns. It's the first pattern I've sewn from this pattern company although I have been looking at them with great interest ever since they started. Below I will discuss some of my thoughts on this pattern.
It has princess seams front and back, plus side seams, 2-piece sleeves and a slanted single welt pocket.
Here's a look at the winter version I made back in the autumn. This is the most gorgeous wool from Britex Fabrics, so soft it feels like cashmere.
Here's a look at the pattern photos and their technical drawing.
I took a picture of the PDF of this pattern as I was really impressed. I think this is one of the best PDF patterns I have worked with.
- every page is numbered and lettered so it is easy to put together
- the printing is bold and clear
- the pattern pieces are labeled distinctly
- the size labeling is easy to find
I did a real combo of sizes and while it is great that the jacket comes in various cup sizes I had to do some reshaping of the bust area. While Cashmerette is marketed to full busted sizes I often notice a few fit issues on both their samples and on garments that people make and show on IG or blog. My impression is that on some their patterns, particularly ones with a distinctive waist, the waist seam is too high, and there is not enough length in the front bodice, even though it fits around the bust area. I just made the Upton dress and came up with the same issue and I think it is due to the center front piece being the same for all cup sizes. So only the side panel changes. That doesn't seem quite right to me and I did change the shape of the princess curve a good bit. But in general I liked the fit of the jacket pattern and chose a starting size based on body measurements with good result. On a tailored jacket I will always make a muslin and fine tune a lot of things before cutting out the wool. I did shorten the longer version with the pockets.
I don't want to go overboard with too many construction photos, I did do an Instagram story "Auburn blazer" which I saved as a Highlight so if you go there you can see some construction details including a lot about making the pocket which because it's slanted is a bit tricky.
This image doesn't have the best lighting but you can see the sleeve has a nice curve. I used the regular fit sleeve which is generous and I didn't need to do any full bicep adjustment. The pattern comes with pattern pieces for a full bicep sleeve which is really nice to include.
You can see this wool has an almost fluffy texture. And it was very tricky to press! this is the type of wool that will get marks easily from the iron and flatten the nap so I was SO careful. It also seems to pick up every little piece of lint.
The navy blue wool jacket fabric and the lining were from Britex in San Francisco.
For this casual version the fabric was from Mood in NY. It's a cotton pique with spandex, so to me it looks sometimes a bit rumpled but also doesn't really need pressing, it behaves like a lightweight stretch denim.
I'm really happy I gave this pattern a try, proportion-wise it's almost perfect for Heather and I think next winter we will do a suit version with trousers. Spoiler alert - I tried the Meriam trousers for her recently and they were great (with some specific adjustments - what pants patterns doesn't need a few adjustments, right?)
So I am on the Cashmerette team for my friend Heather. It's a little ironic or perhaps fated because when I first started making things for Heather I remember showing her a picture of Jenny (owner of Cashmerette) in a black dress that looked fantastic, and I told Heather I could sew something like that for you. And now I have made so many. A truly gratifying partnership.
Up next, I have traced a few items from recent Burda magazines but my sewing motivation is on the wane. A combination of 100ºF plus temps here, and the fact that I sewed so many items during those first 2 years of the pandemic that I am now getting to wear more. Also I'm in the midst of a bathroom remodel which is almost done but kind of hectic when the builders are here. Plus it's swimming season so that's a lot more fun than being in hot sewing studio!
You can see a peek of a silk blouse in the photo above, I copied a top (from Universal Standard) that Heather owned. It was a bit of a pattern puzzle but very rewarding so I want to post about that soon.
Happy Summer Sewing and stay cool 😎
Beth
This time of year merits more than one garden photo. White shooting stary hydrangeas, pink hydrangeas of a similar type, and a pink dahlia that I forgot about but is blooming like wild this year.
