sew a little denim jacket

Sweet Pea Jacket / / 7 http://21centurydressmakers.blogspot.com http://jeanrepair.blogspot.com “Denim Revolution

Sweet Pea Denim Jacket Sewing Project

by Nancy Minsky

www.21centurydressmakers.com

This baby or toddler jacket, in soft blue denim with pretty pink velvet and crème

lace accents is made from a pair of cast-offs jeans. Worn denim has a wonderful soft

hand-feel and texture that can be re-made into “new” clothes for little ones, giving

the clothes a romantic, charming and very hip look with a tiny budget. I made this

as a baby gift and it was inspired by photographs of antique doll’s clothing and my

interest to re-cycle and make by hand.

I hope you will be inspired to sew a sweet little jacket out of denim!

http://www.21centurydressmakers.com/


Materials:

Cast-off jeans

4 1/2 yards x 1 3/8” crème cotton lace

1 1/2 yards x ½” wide pink crushed velvet ribbon

Thread to match the denim, the lace and also a shade deeper than the

denim (I used black thread but ochre is another option)

The front, back and front side panel pattern pieces (pages 5-7)

Your sewing machine and sewing basket

Pattern:

The pattern is a size 92cm, and is sewn with ½” seam allowances.

The pattern pieces have been reduced to fit on one page. So before you cut your

denim, you need to check and adjust the size as necessary.

Print a set of patterns. Then grade them larger as needed, pinning on some

newsprint and cutting a set. Check that the front and back shoulder seams and

side seams lengths match, and that the notches align.

When you are content with the final pattern, cut two of each pattern piece and

identify and mark “right side.”

Cut the denim:

Wash your jeans. Cut the jean legs off and along the inseam. Press them open and

lay them flat on the table. Place your six pattern pieces on them to decide the best

placements, turning it this way and that way, until you are happy with the denim

texture and shading. The different denim shades are interesting and make sewing

with denim unique and creative, so have fun with it! When you are happy with the

placement, pin and cut out your pieces.

--Note: I cut the right side pieces from one leg and the left side pieces from the other


leg, and in this way I balanced the worn denim texture.

Soak the denim pieces and tumble dry to get the softly frayed edges. Press.

Sew the jacket:

Sew the front side panel to the front piece.

Ease the side panel excess into two tucks. Sew dart.

Sew the center back seams.

Press seams open.

Sew the overarm seam and press.

Sew the underarm seam, clip and press.

Sew on the lace:

Cut off a 12” strip of lace and reserve for the back bow detail.

Starting at the bottom side seam, pin the lace all around the outer edge of the jacket

with ¼” tucks about ¾”.

--Note: Narrow the amount the lace extends beyond the denim edge to ½” around

the neck to the waist point.

Baste in place, remove pins and sew with a zigzag stitch, ¼” from the denim edge

with the denim thread in the needle and the crème thread in the bobbin. Repeat

around the cuffs. Remove basting.


Finish with a row of hand running stitches, using the contrasting thread, ½” from

the denim edge.

Sew on the Ribbon:

Cut two strips of velvet, 12” long. Attach each strip, with a ½” fold back, to one end

of the front darts. Sew securely with hand stitches using the crème thread. Cut the

loose velvet ends on a diagonal.

Make a back velvet bow, with a 2 ½” spread. Tack at the center back waist with a

12” strip of lace folded in half, underneath. Cut velvet and lace ends on a diagonal.

Finishing:

Trim any really gangly denim thread ends. Knot securely all threads.

The jacket is adorable layered over a pretty dress, or knit t-shirt and leggings with

pretty boots.


Sweet Pea Jacket Patterns

sew a little denim jacket

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