The 30 Minute Jacket to Sew

This is an amazing method to make a high fashion jacket that’s almost more of a shrug. It’s an unlined jacket with lots of draping, so choose fabric that is soft & will drape well. You can make it a lined jacket with 2 different fabrics & you’ll get a reversible jacket! Just attach the lining to the rectangle first & you’re good to go. People say that after you’ve made one of these you can make more in as little as 10 minutes. It just takes a little time to follow the directions the first time. You just sew from B to C and D to E. The sleeves are A & B. This takes only basic stitching, so even if you are new to sewing you can do this.

From the link: “The jacket shown here is unlined, and made from a chunky, colorful, woven silk and viscose fabric. For an easy embellishment, let the selvage become a trim across the back, neck, and shoulder, down the sleeve, and around the wrist. Hem the other three edges of the fabric. You can use appliqué, trapunto, patchwork, photo-transfer, blue printing (I don’t know what this is), painting, stamping, stenciling, embroidery, or any embellishment technique to adorn this jacket.”

Selvage is the edge of the fabric that was not cut at the fabric store. It’s pre-finished by the fabric manufacturer to not ravel. Some selvages would be attractive enough to be the “easy embellishment” mentioned above. Others would not as they sometimes have printing on them.

You’ll need 2 3/4 yards of fabric that you cut down to a rectangle of 2 3/4 yards by 25 inches. Try following the directions first with a piece of paper to “get it.” And mark the selvages on your paper pattern.

This is a one size fits most pattern, so it’s an easy (and quick!) gift project. One person made it sized for a doll to get used to the pattern. You could use an old sheet or other fabric you have to try it out if you want before using a more expensive fabric. Check the remnant table at the fabric store for better prices; they might have pieces big enough for this project.

You can even make this using fleece for a shrug for watching tv. It would definitley keep you warm & not be as cumbersome at those slankets. Could be made in team colors if you like. In some fabrics it could be a nice bed jacket.

Not everyone who made this jacket liked the way it looked. It does put drapey fabric around your middle & some thought it was not flattering. One person made it in black velvet & hated it. I’m thinking it would be gorgeous in black velvet for formal wear. One person was going to use cashmere! This could make nice bridal wear for the bride and/or the bridesmaids. How about in white velvet for a winter wedding?

From the comments: “I have used this method to make a sheer shrug for a too-bare wedding dress, by pleating the short ends down to about twelve inches first, you get a soft drape to your jacket.”

There are really helpful comments in the comments section from “stitchhappy” and “lololala” for more clarification.

Click here for the directions at Threads. My mom gets this sewing magazine and it is one of the best. They always have very creative ideas. This particular tutorial is not as well explained as most of theirs, but I hope you can figure it out.