Sandlewood Jacket

I told you I would post about the Sandlewood Jacket once I had finished mine, did I not?

Well, a couple of weeks ago... I finished it!

Did I mention how much I love this pattern?

Well, I do.

I really can't wait to make more.

Lots and lots more.























I am sorry if these photos don't do the Sandlewood Jacket any justice, but it is hard to photograph yourself after dark and here in Maine it gets dark this time of year at about 3:30.

(I know, yuck.)

I made the jacket with a brown and pink floral for the exterior, and for the interior I used the Sandlewood print by Amy Butler (this is the same print that they used for the coat on the cover of the pattern), which means I did the fancy-schmancy cutting.

Can I just take this moment to explain that fancy-schmancy cutting is not hard?

At all?

You just need to enjoy the process of laying out your pattern pieces is all.

Normally I am not one to enjoy the process of cutting ANYTHING, so if I can find the joy in this then so can you.

I love that the jacket is reversible and I love how flattering it is.

Not sure that a loooong jacket in the Sandlewood print is for you?

The pattern has lots of options for different hem-lengths and sleeve lengths.



Here is my friend Hannah; she was in my recent Sandlewood Jacket class.























(Warning: anyone who takes one of my classes is fair game for modeling their creations on the blog. You wave your right to anonymity as soon as you hit the front steps!)

As you can see, Hannah's Sandlewood Jacket looks completely different from mine, for a bunch of reasons:

• Different hem and sleeve length from mine (Hannah made the short jacket with the long sleeve option).

• Different fabrics from mine (she made this lovely specimen out of an espresso-colored cotton/linen blend and a graphic, flowery Amy Butler print for the lining).

• Different body from mine... (although I am suspicious of how someone who seems to love baked goods as much as I do and has had two children to boot can maintain such an amazing figure).
























Regardless of my suspicions/insecurities, I think Hannah's jacket looks amazing!

Very "Japanese-y" don't you think?

Hannah, you did a great job, girl!

If you would like to make your very own Sandlewood Jacket (it will get a lot of action, I promise you), then here are some tips you should know that might make things a bit easier:

1) Please don't be scared of the fancy-schmancy cutting: the directions for cutting out the Sandlewood print are fabulously, disgustingly detailed and can be applied to cutting out any large scale print.

2) Far be it from me to suggest a change to an Amy Butler pattern (the gal clearly knows what she is talking about), but when it came time to hem this baby at the bottom and the sleeves, I hemmed the bottom the way Amy suggests, and it was hard.

There was a lot of excess fabric to ease in.

I did it, it was do-able, but this ain't my first rodeo.

When I taught the class and when I hemmed my sleeves, I simply folded the raw edges of both the lining and the exterior in towards their respective wrong edges by 1/2", pinned in place and topstitched.

This not only worked great and was a lot easier than Amy's method for hemming (where you turn the exterior and lining 1/4" towards the lining, then to finish the raw edge you fold the entire shebang in towards the lining again by an inch or so, meaning there are four layers of fabrics -not to mention any interfacings- that need to be hemmed-up by hand), it made the hemming much less bulky and meant that I didn't need to do anything by hand.

What's not to love?

(Forgive me, Amy... I'm your biggest fan!)

In summary: Sandlewood Jacket is a winner.

The pattern is quick and easy to follow, the coat is reverisble and the results are fabulous. Plus any pattern that has less than two pages of directions and only four pattern pieces to cut-out is for me, I tell you.

Just right for some holiday parties, I'd say.

Maybe with one of those twinkly, sparkly, feathery headbands.... hmmm...

I'll see you again soon!

XO,

Rhea