I have sewn quite a few garments this year that have proved to be a resounding success.  The Flynn jacket, by In The Folds, is one of them.  It’s only the second garment I have sewn from this pattern company, but it definitely won’t be the last.   You can find my blog post on the Rushcutter dress here.

I sewed my jacket from denim that I found at Clear It. I haven’t come across anything similar before – it’s brown on one side and black with a pattern of brown cracks on the other. Does anyone know how they do this?

And there’s a peek of the inside seam binding. I’ll talk more about that later. From the pattern website: The Flynn jacket is a loose-fitting jacket designed for woven fabrics. With two different styles, it is the perfect layering piece for autumn and winter. Flynn features a wrap around collar, a high-low hem and in-seam pockets. All seams are finished with bias binding, for a beautiful and high-end finish. The Flynn jacket can be worn open, or closed discreetly with a hook and eye. View A has a dropped shoulder and sleeve with a hem facing. It also features an inverted box-pleat in the back. The sleeves on View A are designed to be worn either straight or folded back, for a more casual look. View B is sleeveless and features armhole facings and a flat back piece (no pleat). It has been designed to be worn over long sleeve tops and dresses. It works equally well worn over sleeveless tops and t-shirts. View B has a closer fit to View A, due to its sleeveless design and flat back piece. SUGGESTED FABRICS: The Flynn jacket is compatible with bottom-weight fabrics such as: denim, cottons like canvas, duckcloth and drill, and heavyweight linens.

The pattern is available in ten sizes, from an Australian 6 to 24.  The key with this jacket is choosing for the right shoulder fit, and adjusting from there.  As you can see, it’s roomy.  I am having trouble remembering what size I sewed, but I suspect it was size F.  I didn’t make any adjustments for height.

There are so many lovely details in this one garment! The centre back inverted box pleat is really nice. I’ve seen others press this pleat but I decided to leave it unpressed and soft.  I also really love the collar/facing that goes right aroud the garment.

This is not a fast sew. However, the instructions are impeccable, and every single piece fitted together perfectly. Just take your time and enjoy the process.

Obviously it’s an unlined jacket. This actually works really well in our Melbourne climate. I have other heavier weight jackets for those especially bitter winter days, but let’s face it, even night time temperatures rarely get below zero in Melbourne winters. I have found that this jacket is easy to slip on over many outfits and the denim is fairly tightly woven and cuts lots of the wind. It successfully adds just the right extra layer of warmth. It would be a fabulous linen jacket too. Perfect for spring and autumn and even summer when you need to grab a lightweight jacket ‘just in case’ – which is often advisable when you live in Melbourne!

Because it’s unlined, Emily gives comprehensive instructions for finishing the seam allowances with bias binding. I made my own from quilting cotton – atually, past me made loads of bias binding from this print, and current me was very happy to find it in my stash when I started on the jacket. You could just overlock the edges instead but I think that it was worth the extra time taken to use the binding. The hem/collar facing is secured in place by ditch-stitching on the outside. I didn’t manage to perfectly catch it the entire way along the edge of the binding – more pins and some hand-stitching would have been needed for that – but it’s still pretty good.

There are also wonderful pockets set into the curved seam between the body of the jacket and the hem/collar. Once again, just take the time to follow the instructions carefully and you’ll end up with a beautiful result.

The sleeves have deep cuff facings, which can be worn turned back showing a bit of the bias binding edge finish if you wish. I have found that I wear them down at their full length. No particular reason why.

I highly recommend this pattern – it’s a wonderful relaxed jacket with that bit of extra style.  I’ll bring it out again to sew the vest version. That’s if I don’t succumb to the temptation of Emily’s new zip-fronted, hooded jacket/vest pattern.