Princess-line Jacket
Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 6:37AM 
This is the first of the garments I am presenting, a favorite jacket of mine. I reviewed this jacket on PatternReview.com; below are some excerpts from that review.
Butterick: 4028 (Princess-line jacket) (out of print)
Pattern Description: Fitted, lined, hip-length jacket has princess seams, shoulder pads, and long two-piece sleeves.
Pattern Sizing: 6-22, I made a size 10.
This is a finely drafted pattern with very nice lines. I like that there is a center back seam. The upper back seam is quite curved which, for me, is a nice surprise since I usually have to make a small adjustment here and I did not have to on this pattern. In fact, the seam is quite curved so this might be a good pattern for those with a significantly curved upper back. I loved the two-piece sleeve -- one of the best I've ever used and plan to keep it in reserve to use with other patterns. I also found the armhole to have good mobility. I found this pattern to run very small. I usually can wear a size 8 but made this up in a size 10 based on the finished measurements. I could not make the CF meet -- which was fine since I intended this to be a no-closure jacket -- but if I had wanted to put on a closure I would not have been able to.
Fabric Used: Cotton ikat which I purchased from Mekong River Textiles. This site has lovely cotton and silk ikats imported from Thailand by the owner. I am not associated with this business other than as a happy customer. I highly recommend her fabrics. The jacket used three different fabrics. The waterlily design is printed on the fabric. I lined the jacket with bemburg rayon.
I made no alterations to the pattern for fit but made several design changes. I designed a pocket that overlays the side front princess panels and trimmed the top in the red contrast fabric. I also used the red fabric to make bands at the bottom of the sleeves and piping along the front opening and around the neck edge. I reduced the height of the collar somewhat.
Conclusion A nicely fitted jacket with lovely lines and great sleeves. A real "sleeper" in the pattern world.
I hope you enjoyed reading about and seeing pictures of this jacket. I will feature a different garment next week. Enjoy the upcoming weekend.
