Fleece-lined Blazer, Earmuffs, and Hand Warmer

This project was a lot of fun. I used a cotton khaki for the outer fabric, and pink polyester fleece in a tie-dye print for the lining. It's incredibly soft and warm, and dressy enough to wear to outdoor festivals and Christmas events. I just throw on a dark pair of jeans, a fancy t-shirt, my favorite boots, and I'm good to go!

I made my own coat pattern by tracing a jacket I already had onto a flannel sheet, adding seam allowances, and cutting out my pattern pieces. Then I basted the flannel pieces together for a fitting, and ended up changing the pattern around... a LOT.

When I was happy with the fit, I cut my pattern pieces out of the fashion fabric and the lining. I used a 1/4" seam allowance for the khaki, and 5/8 for the fleece, so that the lining would finish a bit smaller than the shell. I opened the fleece seams flat, zigzagged them so that they would stay flat, and trimmed them close to reduce bulk.

The cuff ruffles were sewn into the seam where the jacket meets the lining. I folded the edge of the collar/lapel ruffle under, and topstitched it down. It goes all the way around the back of the jacket. I decided not to topstitch the rest of the front or the hem, and instead understitched the facing and lining to the seam allowances to keep it from rolling to the right side.

I used some old wooden buttons that I had saved from a worn-out coat. I didn't want them pulling through or distorting the fabric, so I backed them with another button on the other side. The button loops were actually pieces of a shoelace!

The earmuffs were actually the trickiest part. I cut two circles out of each fabric, making the fleece circles smaller than the khaki. Then I sewed the edges, right sides together, all the way around. I had to stretch the fleece a bit to make it fit. Then I cut a slit in the fleece, turned the circle right-side out, and used a hand needle to run elastic thread all around the stitching line, weaving it in and out of my machine stitches. I measured my head and made plain straps out of the khaki fabric, and did not elasticize them, although I could have if I wanted to. They stayed up fine without elastic during the safety-pin fitting, so I left them as they were. Next, I used the slit to flatten out the fleece and sew the straps to the fleece only, so that the stitches which connect the strap to the ear covering are not visible from the outside. Then, I whip-stitched the slit closed, and hand-sewed a second fleece circle to the inside of each earpiece, turning the edges under as I went, to cover up the strap connection and the slit that I used for turning. When I'm wearing them, the lower strap is completely hidden by my hair.

The handwarmer muff was fairly easy, just two rectangles, a thick piece of batting, and two ruffles sewn into the long seams. The hardest part was probably pulling all those gathering threads, since I don't have a ruffler foot for my sewing machine!

Comments

[JudesJewels]

I'm not a pro member so I can't d/l the instructions so I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions instead. In the download, do you include the pattern for the jacket (with size adjustments, of course) or do you just explain what needs to be done?

I've made clothes before from favourite workout garments that I took apart but never from something I don't want to take apart. Did you take your jacket apart to copy the pattern? If not, wasn't it difficult to do with curved seams like here? I really like the look of princess seams as they're very flattering to almost all figure types and the ruffles you added make it look so feminine. Very pretty!

[iamsewcrazy]

Well, first off, I'll give you a pro membership to thank you for everything you have added with your comments. I shall send you a private message when I'm through with my comment.

I actually didn't make a pattern download for this instructable, but I'm currently working on an instructable that details how to trace patterns from existing clothes. I have pictures taken for that one, but I haven't typed the instructions yet. I plan to cover a lot of stuff in that instructable, and hope to clearly illustrate how to copy an entire lined coat. Any other garment after a lined coat should be cake. ;) Unfortunately, my to-do list has grown longer than I'd like, and I have quite a few projects in the air, but I need to actually finish them!

I did not take apart the original jacket, I just traced it while it was whole. The curved seams are not difficult, surprisingly, but the sleeves are the trickiest part because they won't lie flat, and the front and back of the sleeve head are not symmetrical.

I also like to change things around when I copy garments, like giving them ruffles or hoods instead of normal collars. I kind of grew up doing stuff like this, and to this day I've never used a commercial paper pattern to make anything. It might be slower, but this way you can have a starting point with the fit, instead of working from flat pieces and making a muslin to check the fit.

I'm glad you liked it! Here's hoping I get all my ducks in a row and finish the detailed instructions soon!

[iamsewcrazy]

Finished my new, detailed instructable on how to create new garments from existing clothes: https://www.instructables.com/id/Duplicate-your-existing-clothes/

[JudesJewels]

...wornout garments, not workout. I don't always catch the autocorrect on my tablet that puts in wrong words.

[vicvelcro]

I am going to show this to my niece. Maybe I can con her into tag-teaming this with me. It is just exactly the kind of thing I think she will like.

Thank you for posting.

[iamsewcrazy]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I wish you and your niece success with all of your projects.

[Penolopy Bulnick]

Gosh, all of that is just so cute! I just can't believe you made that jacket! It looks so professionally done!

[iamsewcrazy]

Oh, thank you so much! I had a blast. :-)