I often go through my pattern collection to see how I can remake my favorite patterns in different seasonal fabrics. And while making fabric substitutions outside of the recommended fabrics on a pattern can sometimes be tricky, they can be very successful as long as you follow a few simple guidelines.
Take the Passport Jacket for example. The recommended fabrics for this versatile spring jacket pattern include light- to medium- weight fabrics such as cottons, linens, poplin, twill, silks, rayons, and sateens. But you could easily turn this into your favorite fall or winter jacket by using heavier fabrics with similar drape. Here are a couple of fabric substitution ideas to give this jacket a winter makeover:
Go casual in denim: Light- to medium-weight denims would be perfect for this jacket. You could get creative with contrast topstitching, metal buttons or hardware, and use a fun print for the front facings.
Get sophisticated with wool: Try a light- to medium-weight wool to make this your favorite go-to jacket for work. Play with wool solids, tweeds, or pinstripes for a smart look.
Add holiday sparkle with silk taffeta or dupioni silk: These dressy fabrics would give you a great jacket cover-up for a holiday dress. Try using an elegant brooch in place of the button closure.
Make it luxurious in Ultrasuede: This jacket would look stunning in faux suede and feel great to the touch. If you have the right tools, sewing with faux suede is easy. A roller, even-feed, or Teflon machine foot will help the fabric feed easily through your machine and super-fine pins, quilting clips, or basting tape will help you avoid unsightly pin marks.
With any fabric substitutions, always make sure you have the right machine needle and thread for your fabric, and always sew a test swatch so you can adjust your stitch length and tension to your fabric.
We would love to know how you would winterize the Passport Jacket. Show us your style in the Lisette Flickr group or tell us your ideas in the comments.
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