This was a labour of love if I may say so myself. I found this gorgeous designer upholstery linen at one of the Stitchfabrics pop-up show in Lincoln. It is a heavy weight fabric with luxurious texture, and it was so easy to work with. I fell in love with this quirky print straight away and I knew it would make a great jacket!

I bought 2.5 meters which was a perfect amount of fabric even taking pattern matching in consideration. I chose the Loren jacket pattern by Style Arc which is simple but very versatile and depending on your fabric choice it can make a fabulous everyday staple or a stunning jacket to go out to a fancy restaurant.

I steamed the fabric to allow it to shrink before cutting out. This linen is very ‘obedient’ and super easy to work with and press. Because the weave is so loose you would need to handle fabric as little as possible and overlock or bind the seams after cutting as soon as you can.

I decided to make this jacket unlined and use the bias binding around hem and facing

I overlocked the sleeve seams to minimise the bulk, and for the side seams I opted for the flat felled seams which you would normally use for a shirt.

To give shoulder seams a crispy sharp look, I pressed them open and bias bound the raw edges.

Style Arc Loren jacket is a great pattern even for a beginner, but I decided to modify it a little bit. I shortened the sleeves and made 3’’ turn ups. Instead of patch pockets as per pattern instructions, I added ‘built-in’ pockets. I slashed the front bodice into two and integrated pocket pieces.

Pattern matching on the pockets took a bit of time, but I really wanted front of the jacket to look perfect.

I like using bias binding for the seams, and this time I had a remnant of a lovely green Makeover quilting cotton, so I made my own 5’’ double fold bias binding. It is complimenting the main fabric really well.

Interfacing: for this particular fabric I chose medium weight woven fusible brushed interfacing which is soft but stable enough to give the shawl collar nice shape. I buy my interfacing from williamgee.co.uk or fabricland.co.uk

Hem: I went for a faced hem which gave the jacket a nicely finished look.

I am not a big fan of the shoulder pads, and I wanted to keep the silhouette relaxed and a bit slouchy, so I omitted them this time.

Overall, Loren Jacket pattern is great! If you love wearing jackets and wanted a relatively quick and easy pattern – this is the one to try. I am very happy with my result and can’t wait to wear this jacket again!