I don’t know about you, but I’m craving a bit of ‘normal’ right now. So let’s just dive into the details of this new make, a Wiksten Haori jacket.
If you haven’t tried this pattern, you’re missing out on some fun! It’s a chance to use your favorite fabrics in a way that makes them so wearable. This is my third Haori (others posted here and here), and I’m sure there will be more.
This is an unstructured, loose-fitting jacket with three length variations, short, medium and long. I prefer the short, cropped version on me as I really like the proportions, but I’m in love with some of the longer versions I’ve seen in wool, so I might try one of those too.
This jacket looks more complicated than it is. If you can sew a straight seam, you can make this jacket. Yes, it is lined but that’s nothing to worry about because creating the lining is simple. You just sew another jacket from your lining material and attach the two at the bottom seam. The only modification I made to the pattern was to leave the interfacing out of the collar band as my fabric was stiff enough.
The beauty of the Haori is that it really allows the fabric to shine. My fabric is a Kantha cloth. I found a piece at Modern Domestic then found a bit more at Cool Cottons, here in Portland. It’s amazing fabric with beautiful colors and the layers of cloth are stitched together with a long quilting stitch. It makes me happy just looking at it! I’m wearing it with the linen shirt I made from a japanese pattern book (posted here.) I think they work well together.
Sewing is such a stress reliever for me. In these challenging times, I’m grateful that I have a pastime that comforts me, and a community to share it with. Hang in there all, and thanks for stopping by!
