Ginger Made: By Hand London Victoria Blazer

August 6, 2013 By in Uncategorized Tags: , 175 Comments

Hi, guys!  Hope you’re all well and enjoying the end of the season!  I’m lamenting summer’s end (well, not really, because I’m still in denial about it! There’s so much summer fun that I haven’t had yet, and so many glorious summer garments that I couldn’t find the time to make!), but my newest garment is taking the edge off of fall’s approach  just a bit.  In fact, this guy is jumping right to the top of my greatest hits list!

This is, of course, By Hand London‘s Victoria Blazer pattern, and I’m completely thrilled with it.  It’s a peach of a pattern– easy to make, really wearable, and suuuuuuper cool.

I used this soft, medium-weight twill from Gorgeous Fabrics, and a contrasting cotton sateen with a nice sheen from Mood Fabrics.  I fully lined it with silk charmeuse, also from Mood.  It’s very easy to swap out the partial lining for a full– just cut a pair of sleeves from your lining fabric and insert them into the lining, then assemble your shell, and insert its sleeves.  Attach the lining to the jacket, right sides together, following the pattern directions and leaving the bottom hem on the back unsewn.  After you’ve turned it right-side out, push the lining sleeves into the shell sleeves, wrong sides together, and baste them together around the wrist opening before stitching your cuffs on.  Then you can finish the pattern as directed.  This makes for super clean, sleek insides!

This would be a great first jacket– it’s really straightforward, and the most confusing step, creating the darts and attaching the neckline all at once, is given the photo tutorial treatment in this sewalong post.  How fab is that?!  It’s almost too easy!  The only issue I had was that the front neckline was 1/2″ longer than the back, but that was easily fixed and I suspect that I made a mistake when I traced my pattern.

Can we go back to talking about how much I love this?  I’ve never really worn blazers to work, but I wore this yesterday and felt like the top of the pops!  I got five or six unsolicited compliments, which warmed the very cockles ‘o’ me heart!  I love everything about it– the slouchy but not shapeless fit, the sleeve length, the cuff and collar details.  I was a little worried as I was making this that it would be too boxy and rectangular for me, but I made sure to choose a fabric with some drape to keep it from looking stiff and angular.

Someone who shall remain nameless, but lives with me, asked if Wham! was looking for a third member when he saw me in this for the first time, but I think we all know that’s jealousy talking, yeah?  (He then backpedaled by saying, “Well, Wham! would still be on the top of the charts if it weren’t for the unfortunate bathroom incident”.)  I don’t mind looking slightly New Wave, so here’s me playing a little air keytar:

Except that apparently I’m strumming my air keytar?

Anyway, if you haven’t tried this pattern, hop to it!  It’s a perfect piece for the transition from summer to fall, and it only inflames my love for By Hand London.  I’m super excited to try out their new Anna dress pattern next!

What about you guys?  What are you working on?

175 responses

  4. Wham! would be lucky to have you. And they would be lucky to be looking for a third member. Burn! Wham!

    But seriously, that is an awesome blazer! I love your fabric choice.

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  8. I love this!! The drape-ier fabric makes it oh so cool and slouchy! I also always try to make my sartorial choices based on the question WWWD? What Would Wham! Do? So for me you freaking nailed it! Now you’re warming the cockles ‘o MY heart!

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  14. This is soo cool. Loving all your July makes, I haven’t been able to comment due to some technical issues on my end. Summer is far from over, we still have a good month and a half! That said I’m also working on a jackety thing… 🙂

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    • Alright, that makes me feel a little bit better. Summer always feels like the shortest season to me, though. I’m excited to see your jacket! As much as I hate cooler weather, I do love a good jacket!

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  15. Fantastic!! I love this so much! The pattern on the jacket is great and it looks like it could go casual or dressy. You’re such a cutie in the pics.

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  19. I think we’re all in Victoria land at the mo’ because I just knocked a cropped version together. This looks absolutely rad on- loving the contrast cuffs and collars.

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  20. I really like your version! Thanks for describing how to attach the sleeve lining, I messed up a bit with attachig my lining to the suede, so next time I’ll use your desription fo sure! I also have so many summer sewing projects that i didn’t even find time to start.. 😦 ahh well! My next make will also be an Anna dress, in silk I dyed! Can’t wait to see your version!

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  24. That’s one snazzy blazer!
    So I’m very honored to say that someone at the meet up mistook me for you! I was bummed that I had to leave pretty much right when you got there.

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  28. I swear I’m getting this pattern one of these days. I’m just gonna have to dump all my money at those ladies and get all the pretty patterns. Love your blazer! I’m surprised how much I’m liking this straight unshaped blazer. I made one from a big 4 pattern and it actually looks cool.

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