ALI’S SIENNA MAKER JACKET

Hey all, Ali here! I am the CCP shipping and customer support coordinator, and not only is this my first Closet Case blog post, but it’s all about my first wearable garment! I am still getting used to the creation of a 3D garment, and the control that this craft gives to its maker, as well as the attention to detail that is required for the basic principles of sewing. Dressing myself has always brought joy and has come naturally as my armor as well as my primary form of self-expression. Sewing is an exciting journey for me because it offers a new form of control. Rather than a formula of mixing and matching and shaping an outfit, I can consider the basic elements of garment construction, as I’d like them to appear. I decided to make the View B of our Sienna Maker Jacket and added the View C sleeve with the hidden pocket; I decided to colour block it to add a little interest.

In case you’re wondering. the fabric is heavy duty canvas Heather found at one of our local fabric stores, and I used a scrap of denim for the sleeve. When I began working on my Sienna, I started at home, using my old Singer Featherweight that I got when I was 16. I faced several bobbin setbacks (rookie move, I know) but finally was able to accomplish the assembly and attachment of the collar and lapel – which was my mountain to summit. I am someone who still gets anxious using my hands, I often feel my creative capacities are located in my head and sometimes put up a mental block for learning hands-on skillsets. Though once the hard part was over, taking every step-by-step with deep breaths helped to make the mountain become a molehill.

On my last day of construction, I had to work through several steps in one day, and found myself so dedicated to the soul of this jacket by the end of my sewing session. I had pricked my finger with pins numerous times, bled onto the hem, and then secured the hem, happily, with my blood sweat and tears.

A huge thanks goes to the team here for their support, I know that not everyone has a fleet of talented sewists around them, but truly, if I can make this jacket, you can make this jacket! Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and a wearable friend will emerge.

HEATHER’S EMBROIDERED SIENNA MAKER JACKET!

In the studio we’ve been laughing about the never-ending Sienna Maker Jacket content… it feels like we’ve discussed and explored this pattern way more than most (just see our Montreal Maker series here for proof) and we’re not quite done yet. Alex shared her glorious upcycled denim version earlier this week, and today I’d like to talk about my latest take on Sienna, one that involved hours upon hours of hand embroidery.

I’ve yet to make myself a cropped Sienna (I’m planning to make a classic denim version with a cozy shearling lining in the spring) but was happy to have a go at the mid-length variation, something I could easily throw on top of sweaters this winter. I was unsure what fabric to go with until I spotted this lovely linen denim at New Craft House in London (thankfully they still have some in stock!) and knew it would give me the chance to explore directional stripes.

Rather than matching stripes on all the pockets, I rotated them to break up the jacket. Sometimes playing with stripe directions can hurt your eyes, but these ones are wide enough that I think it works. I also skipped the belt to create a sort of oversized blazer. I really love the way it feels to wear this, so if you were on the fence about that belt, feel free to skip it (our namesake Sienna did the same with hers!)

The biggest hack I made was to add a back yoke. I had my heart set on doing some hand embroidery (we, in fact, nixed a huge embroidery module for this pattern, but are hoping to do something special for our first pattern of 2020!) and then spotted this gorgeous printed upholstery fabric at one of our wholesalers. It would have been too stiff, and frankly too busy, to use for an entire jacket, but I decided it would make the p

I worked on this on and off for the better part of autumn since embroidery takes forever and I kept ripping out parts I didn’t like. At first, I thought I might embroider that entire center portion but when I actually got started on it I realized the jacket wouldn’t be finished until 2025. Instead I tried to compose some flower groupings, and then linked them together with some tendrils and leaves. I’m still relatively new to embroidery, but adding a relatively easy design like this is a super fun way to give your handmades a little something extra.

To make the yoke, I eliminated the center back seam on the back. This is easy to do on the 0-20 size range since the back seam is straight, but if you’re making 14-30 you’ll have to straighten out the back seam first since it has a bit more shaping. I then traced off a yoke shape, leaving a 1″ seam allowance at the bottom. Once the yoke was done, I stitched it in place along this seam allowance and then basted it in place along the shoulder, armscye and neckline before assembling the whole jacket.

It’s way too cold in Montreal to wear this as outwerwear, so I’m leaving it in the studio for the forseeable future to wear while I’m sewing or when I’m chilly and need the extra layer. I just love having these big pockets to hold all my tools in.

Have you ever tried your hand at embroidering your me-mades? Tell me about it in the comments!

erfect base for some freestyle floral embroidery.