A Red Jacket in Tencel Twill

Hi, I'm Lizzy of sewbusylizzy.com and I'm happy to be guest blogging here again about my latest make, a red jacket in Tencel Twill.

This was one of those sewing projects that was a pleasure from beginning to end.

Between Christmas and New Year I indulged myself with some slow, thoughtful sewing. What a joy that was!

MaaiDesign stocks a stunning range of Tencel Twill and in my usual way I managed to procrastinate about which twill to choose, simply because I decided I would not choose blue!

Eventually, I settled on 'red wine' as a timeless colour - great as a seasonal transition jacket and it would also pair beautifully with black, winter, beige and of course... blue and denim of course!

I pre-washed my fabric in cold water, normal cycle in my top-loading machine. I dried in my garage... this is mainly because my whippet used to tear everything off the clothes line and indoor drying became a habit! The fabric dried relatively quickly and creases ironed out easily with some steam.

This twill does have a definite right and wrong side so it's important to be mindful of that when laying out your pattern pieces and also during the sewing process. In lower lights you need to double check before cutting and sewing.

This fabric has a delicious drape but also its weight means that it is easy to sew and handle. It is very easy to work with.

After much indecision, I settled on the Jack Jacket by Ready To Sew.

It is described as "A classic coat crafted with contemporary details, the Jack Trench Coat is an essential layering option that will remain a timeless piece for years to come. It features big curved lapels, a gathered collar and a self-tied waist. Jack has a loose and comfortable fit. It falls beautifully whether the jacket is tied or left casually open." It also has giant patch pockets and is lined.

I love the lining (not available in some other patterns I considered) as I think it helps prevent creases and protects the fabric from body heat and perspiration.

The soft gathers of the collar, waist and cuffs seemed ideal for this twill fabric.

The blend of traditional trench features and contemporary twists makes for a truly unique garment and I'm quite sure I'm not going to run into anyone locally in a jacket quite like mine!

I'm so glad I allowed inspiration to turn my head... as it's been a long time since I enjoyed sewing a garment this much! The fabric is just perfect for this pattern.

Other than lining fabric and some sewing thread, I didn't purchase any notions to finish this jacket.

I made all the cords from self-fabric.

While the wrist and collar cord was made by simply folding strips of the fabric in on itself and topstitching the edges, I decided to make use of the beautifully textured selvedge of the twill for the waist tie.

I deliberately cut out my pattern pieces to preserve approximately 2 inches of along the entire selvedge in case I could find a use for it later on.

For all my cord ends I simply tightly knotted them. I didn't like the thickness of turning under ends. I liked the weight the knots gave the ends and how that helped the cords hang with some weight when I wear the garment.

I'm often seduced by gorgeous prints... but the soft luscious feel of this twill is really something special! The right side has a soft, almost frosted look to it and the wrong side more of a matt finish.

I think this would be perfect for soft jackets, pleated pants, shorts, shirts and so many more garments. It just feels beautiful.

My dress from MaaiDesign Moonstone Blue (viscose fabric by Atelier Brunette) was my favourite dress of 2018 - and also one of my most admired, receiving compliments like... "did you really make that?? It looks like a designer piece".

And my second garment appears destined to be the same. A timeless classic, made with love and care from some simply fabulous fabric!

Pattern: Jack Jacket, Ready to Sew
Fabric: Red wine tencel twill