Sewing: Jacket With Contrast Facing Bands

The project started when my mother showed me an interesting jacket in a catalogue, one with a contrasting band around the neckline and down the front. I agreed that it looked really neat.

The next thing I knew, she had made me one of them.

To make one of these, start with a basic collarless jacket pattern. I would copy the pattern onto new pattern tissue, so that the original doesn't get destroyed.

Draw a line along the front and back neck edges a constant distance from the edges - something between 2 and 3 inches seems appropriate.

Cut along this line. Add 5/8" or 1.5 cm seam allowances to all of these cut edges.

• From the main fashion fabric, cut out the jacket, using the altered front and back pattern pieces.
• From the contrasting fabric, cut out four of the front bands, and 2 of the back neck bands. The band pieces will function both as the public side of the garment and the facings.
• From lining fabric, cut out the jacket lining, using the altered front and back pattern pieces.

Before sewing the jacket together following the pattern instructions, sew a front band piece to each of the jacket fronts and lining fronts. Sew a back neck band piece to each of the jacket back and lining back.

Before sewing the front band to the lining fronts, I usually pre-hem the lining to hang 1/2" or so above the final hem of the outside of the jacket - it makes life so much easier later on.

Sew the jacket and the jacket lining as if they were just single-layer jackets. Then sew the jacket to the jacket lining along the front and neck edges. Clip the neckline curves. Grade where appropriate. Understitch the lining side.

Finish the sleeve hems. And you're done.

This is very subtle form of wearable art, and I had no problem wearing it to the office.