Today we have a guest reviewer Eliza of Eliza Threads. I (Major Moma) saw this jacket on Burdastyle and right away asked Eliza to do a review for us.
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A bit about me
I’m a self
taught sewer and have been sewing since I was a girl. Mostly for me
but now I have girls of my own I love to sew for them too!! I think
this website specifically for tweens is a great idea – it’s a
tricky age. My girls are 9 and 12 and now they are tweenagers
they don’t like the cutesy kids stuff much anymore so its great to
see what others are sewing for their tweens too!
Name of the pattern: Blouson 148
Pattern Source: Burdastyle magazine March 2013
Sizes available: Sizes 134 to 158 which is equivalent to
size 8 to 16 in age I think although that’s not how it worked out
for me.
Special materials required: Zipper foot
Skill level required: Intermediate
How you came to choose the pattern: My daughter had been asking me for a
winter bomber jacket and had picked out some heavy wool coating. I
had been looking for a while for a pattern before I found this
pattern in a Burdastyle mag at my local library.
Did you deviate from the pattern? If
yes, how?
I deviated quite a bit from the
pattern. I added a hood using another pattern and enlarging it a
little around the neck to fit. Seeing it made up now I think it would
have been better to make it a bit bigger still. If I were to make it
again I would enlarge the hood and the neckline. The other thing I
changed was the way it fastens at the front. I decided to put a
zipper in with a cover over the zipper because sometimes if it’s
particularly windy it can be felt through the zip teeth! I also added
some toggle closures because I love any excuse to add some cute
toggles! I lined the jacket in some cotton jersey and included a
secret pocket with a zip for money and phone etc.
The other thing that I changed was the size. My daughter is 12 and is not big for her age but these patterns seem to run a bit small so I traced it out at a 16 and because the wool fabric was so thick and heavy I added 2cm at the side and shoulder seams. It fits really well, as in its big enough to fit a jumper (sweater) under it which was the fit I was hoping for. I only wish I had made the sleeves a little longer though, if she has a growth spurt they are going to be too short. So I would recommend carefully measuring your small persons arm length before you cut!!
Good: I think this is a really great
style – perfect for a boy or a girl. I think this would also be
really cute in a lighter floral or more decorative fabric for
spring/summer.
Bad: Not sure about the sizing of this
pattern – I would definitely recommend making a toile first to
check the size and fit and consider whether you want to be able to
wear a layer or two under it. The pattern pieces need to be traced
and seam allowances added which is a bit time consuming and I
generally find Burda pattern instructions a little hard to
understand. They are all text with no diagrams so it’s a good idea
to have a bit of sewing experience before you tackle one.
Ugly: Not ugly at all!!
Overall pattern rating: 4 bolts
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Thank you Eliza for sharing about this pattern. You did a great job making a jacket I think any tween would love. Everyone, you should go check more details on her blog: Eliza Threads
great job! I love how the jacket turned out. lining with jersey is a great idea. I did that with a sweatshirt and my daughter loves it!
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful jacket and perfect for a tween!
ReplyDelete