Old Jeans Wiksten Haori upcycle

I made a Wiksten Haori!! It seems to be all in the rage on Instagram, and honestly seeing so many beautiful versions can be quite tempting… I finally decided to de-stash my “upcycle” pile and make Wiksten Haori from it.

The pattern itself is very easy, I cut a Xs, and took 2 inches off from the mid-length. Next time i need to take 2 inches off the sleeves too – its a bit long.

I made the whole thing “wish-washy” – the patch work is all made up as I went without much pre-meditated plans. I tried to keep one side light and one side dark – so its not too chaotic. I made sure nothing is really quite straight or parallel or symmetrical so that its easier to just sew without pressure to do any measurements. I added in some fabric from a dress mid-way because it was looking a little dull. I thought the color choice for lining was quite brilliant, though i almost ripped it out for something softer. The lining fabric added some stiffness to this jacket, which desperately need more drape. But i think it turned out alright, and i hope it will soften with wash.

Oh i ran out of fabric at the end! This pattern uses more fabric than i imagined, also i had to cut around hubby’s knee bags on his jeans. So at the end I ended up cutting through actual purchased fabric for the outer collar. I didnt mind it so mind – its kind of nice to have a clean upper collar with a patched under collar.

All in all, a very organic patch working sewing process, which i really enjoyed. I had been trying to go away from the oversized look the past few years, so i hesitated with sewing this for a while. But the jacket turned out pretty cool –  i reach out for it more often than i thought i would. I think it will be great for camping, as its so sturdy and wind resistant. Hooray more casual outerwear!