A Jersey Shirt Jacket

The trend for shirt-jackets has been growing all autumn and it's the perfect layering garment for January through to March. So when I saw this bonded jersey fabric from Rosenberg's I knew exactly what I was going to make, a relaxed over-shirt style using The Lounge Shirt pattern. This double-layered jersey fabric is fluid and cosy at the same time. The inner grey marl layer is viscose and elastane - smooth to the touch and adding drape. While the outer navy layer is a slightly heavier knit with some wool content. I prewashed my fabric on a 30º wool wash and found that there was no real fraying to the cut edge.

I made a few style changes; first I went for a straight sleeve without a cuff. To achieve this I placed the reversed under sleeve pattern piece over the upper sleeve pattern piece with a 2 cm overlap at the sleeve head, levelling up the bottom of the two pattern pieces and smoothing the line at the sleeve head. Scroll through the images to see the pattern alteration.

I decided on two pairs of pockets, simplifying the shape of the pattern pocket to a simple rectangle, cutting two top pockets 16 cm x 18 cm and two bottom pockets 20 cm x 22 cm. All four pockets have a 3cm turn at the top and 1 cm seam allowance on the other three sides. So the finished pocket sizes are 14 x 14 cm and 18 x 18 cm. I interfaced the pocket flaps along with the collar and front facings.

I started by preparing the pockets as instructed in the pattern but I did not place these on the shirtfronts until the shirt was constructed. I made up the shirt and when it came to finishing the hem and the front facings, I created mitred corners for neatness. Then stitched the facings and hem in place. I positioned the bottom pockets along the hem and facing stitch lines with the top pockets 6 cm above, again inline with the facing stitch line.

The fabric is 140 cm wide and available in alternative colourways on the Rosenberg's website Here. The size 12 required 2 metres. Sizes 14 - 22 would need 2.5 metres. I also used 2 x 12 mm and 6 x 16 mm buttons.