Yes, I know it’s the time of year for wearing bright colors like yellow and fuchsia and green. But gray? Not so much.
I ask…why not? Gray is a tried and true neutral, darn good company to just about any other color you can name. That’s why I decided to make a casual Spring jacket out of gray – -because it will go with every bright color you can conjure up.
Of course, it is May, an odd time of year to think about jackets and coats at all. Soon, the weather will be so warm, coats will be obsolete. Why by the end of the week, we’re promised eighty degree weather, even in Oregon! Still, promises are made to be broken. I suspect I’ll need to have a coat by my side for quite some time to come.
The pattern I used for this wrap jacket is Vogue 9037, a loose fitting, unlined double-breasted jacket with front and back tucks.
It was the tucks that did it. When I saw them, I fell like a fool for this jacket. Not only that, but the collar on View A, made it a must have too. It’s wide, but not too wide, with an unusual cut. The shaped hemline looked interesting too.
Because the jacket is unlined, I decided to use a double faced fabric, a ponte knit that I’ve had in my stash for so long, I can’t remember where it came from :). You know how it is. Honestly though, I wish I could remember, because this fabric is the perfect weight for Spring and a dream to work with. I’d love to have it in black or navy too.
The pattern looked pretty straightforward, but I was a taken back (freaked!) when I read the warning on the pattern envelope though…No provisions provided for above waist adjustment! Noooooooo. Very bad news for a short-torso person like me!
Of course, I didn’t notice that horrid warning until I’d already cut the fabric….(Hmmmm. Perhaps I should slow down once in awhile and read the pattern instructions carefully before diving right in, maybe even trying it out with muslin?)
Fortunately, there isn’t a tragic end to this story. I lucked out!!! The jacket fit like a dream with no adjustments. The tucks are positioned just right for the likes of me.
The jacket was easy to sew and, since it’s a wrap style, there aren’t any buttonholes to make. Nice, eh? The tucks are easy too, especially if you mark the fabric well. My only regret is that I didn’t have enough fabric to make the tie belt as long as I would have liked.
I’m happy with the result and plan to make this pattern again, probably in the fall. If you need an easy-to-wear, throw on jacket, I highly recommend this one.
What do you think? Am I kidding myself about gray? Should my wrap jacket be shut away until fall?
