I was really excited to join this sew-along with Meg Healy to make this awesome Biker Jacket. The regular sized jacket has a really cute peplum but, there were also instructions for the plus sized faux suede jacket. Yay! Time for some selfish sewing.

I purchased this fabric from my local JoAnn Fabric store. I really like the colors and the paisley print. It’s a polyester but, oh well. I also purchased a faux suede for the accent pieces but didn’t get enough. I like that the faux suede was embossed with the paisley.

When I went back to the store, my luck as usual, the fabric was gone. They did have the tan in the same so I got some of it. I played around with the idea of using tan, black and the main fabric but later decided it would be too much going on. I was going to try the black as the inside of the lapel. But, I picked the tan. I like how it turned out using two fabrics instead of three.  I also had not planned on lining the jacket and changed my mind later. Although I had serged and finished all my seams I felt it would look better if I went ahead and put in the lining. I’m glad that I did.

There are so many pieces to this pattern. But, that is the part that I thought was fun. Working out the puzzle. It came together without any troubles. Until the lining….that’s another story.

I am enjoying working with zippers. These were really easy to install. Practice makes perfect, right? I have sewn a welt zipper for pockets before. It was quite easy. What did go wrong was when I was shortening the main zipper, I was already happily plucking off the zipper teeth when I realized that I had removed them from below my mark to shorten to instead of above the mark. “Note to self – double check directions before plucking.”

I probably should have shortened the sleeve zipper too. But, it’s okay. Oh, on the other story of the lining. The lining on the sleeve really through me for a loop. I was challenged to wrap my brain around the sleeve seams on the lining. At first I thought that I had put the sleeves in backwards but, the notches all matched up and the sleeve did not feel weird when I tried it on. But, the seam opening for the zipper wasn’t where it was suppose to be. Turns out I closed the wrong seam at the zipper. It was such a relief to realize that and certainly an easy fix.

I love the way it turned out and I have worn it a few times already as traces of Winter are still trying to hang on here. I guess I should make another with Spring colors rather than Fall. Or not. Oh, also. I decided not to do any of the padded patch stitching on the shoulders or upper arm. I see that in a lot of ready-to-wear and I prefer to be different.

I match my wall! It’s a comfy jacket and was a really fun pattern to challenge myself in sewing it up. I hope some of you are sewing up some jackets for transitional weather.

Happy Sewing!