Curtain Wrap Jacket

(excuse the wrinkles. I saw a chance for some photos and did not have the time to iron out the wrinkles! beggars cant be choosers!)

I am in LOVE with this jacket!! When I saw Crab & Bee’s Vogue 8926 I was quite green with envy. The next time Hancock had a Vogue Pattern sale, I snatched up the pattern and stored it away.

I was in a particular weird mood with summer sewing. I felt that I dont have any appropriate summer dresses, for any occasion. every dress I had bored me. Anything I could sew bored me. So I picked up this pattern and decided I should make this. But nothing in my enormous stash (I dont think I’ve shown you guys my stash yet. should i? its embarrassingly large) seemed appropriate. Then I started rummaging through my home-deco stash. That had some Ikea curtains that we used to use around the house.

Funny detour – we used to hang white curtains in every room around the house. We wanted all the rooms to be bright and cheery and happy. After children, every bedroom’s curtain eventually got switched out to the darkest curtains we could find at ikea. Keeping the children asleep past day light became much more important than good taste in home decor!

Anyways, I digress. I got some nice cotton (? or maybe this is linen) curtains, that has some very nice texture on there. Its got a good weight and a good drape. and you know, I happen to lack good summer jackets! It seemed like the stars (or rather, fabric+pattern) aligned and I whipped up this jacket in a week (which is quite a record for this year).

I just LOVE this jacket. My husband thought its a robe, my mother thought i should sew one for little K when she takes taekwondo class, and a french coworker asked if this is an ethic garb when I wore it to work. But I think I just look so darn good in them! It actually feels like a summer version of my blue coat, but with a even better relaxed shape and a cuter collar.

My measurements indicate i should make a S. But given the relaxed fit, and that my shoulder are generally more narrow than most with the same chest measurement, I decided to go for an XS. BINGO! The fit on my shoulder is spot on! I added two in-seam pocket that is generously big. Also did french seam on the collar and back seam (yes, around the pivoting points as well!). Also, I cut off about an inch and half from the bottom.

So here it is! I really love this curtain fabric. If I remember right – this was actually quite cheap at ikea and this jacket only took up a single panel. I’ve already wasted some curtains on coat muslins but perhaps more curtain sewing for actual garment in my future! *Cues sound of music soundtrack*

Lastly – a picture with the last white curtains left in the house: