Made By A Fabricista: Chanel Inspired Boucle Jacket

I've always admired the iconic look of a Chanel Boucle Suit Jacket. The Chanel Jacket style is versatile and classic. Over its rich 100-year life span, the jacket has appeared with collars, zippers, buttons, pockets, trim, fringe, and many other variations. It is worn by everyone from movie stars, royalty, first ladies, and just everyday women. Why? Because the luxurious silhouette, boucle fabric, and tailored fit look great on everyone!

Having admired the Chanel Boucle Suit Jacket for most of my life, I set out to acquire one. After a few Google searches for Chanel jackets and a glaringly steep $6,000 price tag (believe it or not, that was for pre-owned Chanel.) I knew the only way I'd ever wear a jacket like that is if I made one. Enter in $50 of fabric from Fabric Mart, $30 in notions, a $10 sewing pattern, and my Chanel dreams could become a reality.

I started my Chanel look-a-like jacket by researching sewing patterns that would help me capture that iconic look. I wanted to make a Chanel-inspired jacket that looked similar to a black collarless suit jacket that Jackie Kennedy wore in 1970. When I found the Burda pattern B6465, view A was the exact silhouette I wanted to sew!

Now that I had picked my pattern, I popped over to the Fabric Mart site and found a beautifully stunning light grey, silver, and black boucle fabric! For the lining, I wanted a fun pop of color so I selected a hot pink double-faced satin fabric. I also picked up some raven iron-on woven interfacing and pulled out a pair of shoulder pads from my stash of past Fabric Mart purchases. In addition to my fabric choices, I wanted to add nice details to the jacket, so I picked up some 1/2 inch wide black gimp braid trim and fancy buttons.

When it came time to make the jacket, I followed the pattern closely. I added gimp braid trim on the outside of the pocket for added embellishment. I also decided to add a button to the pocket trim. The pattern recommends creating a fringe for the outside edge of the jacket, but I decided early on that I didn't want a fringed jacket, instead, I wanted a trimmed jacket with the gimp braid.

So, before sewing the lining into the jacket, I topstitched the gimp braid trim about 1 in from the raw edges of the fabric. With a seam allowance of 5/8 inch, I knew that this would leave 3/8 of an inch between the turned edge of the fabric and the trim. This allowed a small amount of the main fabric to show around the outside of the jacket, which is the look that I wanted. I then ignored all of the steps of the pattern regarding creating jacket fringe.

I debated closing my jacket with traditional buttons and buttonholes as I had purchased beautiful silver and black buttons. When I tried on my jacket, I didn't love how it would fit with traditional buttons and buttonholes. After a long debate, I finally settled on closing the jacket secretly with 5 hooks and eyes. This would allow both outside edges of the gimp braid trim to show with the jacket closed, while also maintaining the sleek silhouette I was after.

I'm so glad that I decided to close my jacket with the hooks and eyes! The finished jacket is exactly what I had envisioned for this look-alike Chanel beauty! It's times like these that I'm extra thankful for the gift of sewing and that I can make cool things by hand for less! For only $90 I get to proudly wear a Chanel-inspired jacket that I made by hand using beautiful Fabric Mart Fabrics!

SHAINA | @shaina_sews

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: BOUCLE, COATING, SATIN & INTERFACING.

Made By A Fabricista: Back In The Saddle

If you don’t know in October my beloved Bernina sewing machine blew a fuse and started smoking while I was using it. She went to the shop for repairs, and then I moved. So it’s been a bit since I’ve sewed last and I’ve had trouble getting back into it. I knew I needed a simpler project to get me going again. Julie sewed up a Jarrah sweater recently ( restock coming soon! ) and gushed about how simple and rewarding a project it was. Then we got in this beautiful wool/cashmere sweater knit from England. I was seeing lighthouse keeper, sheep herder in the highlands. I knew it had to be my Jarrah sweater. I did lengthen the bodice by 3 inches. I actually sewed up a mock up with the curved hemline, but decided that wasn’t for me and went with the straight hem. Of course I took zero photos of said mock up. Oops. Otherwise I sewed it up in a size 6 as is. Using the serger this really does sew up quickly. The dropped shoulder creates clean, simple lines that make it easy to sew u...

Made By A Fabricista: From My Imagination to My Closet

One of my favorite parts of sewing is taking an idea that exists only in my head and turning it into something I can actually wear. This project was exactly that—a quick, intuitive exercise in imagination, experimentation, and trusting my process, brought to life with Fabric Mart’s sweatshirt fleece. I started with a loose concept rather than a fixed plan. I knew I wanted something comfortable, but still fashion-forward—elevated loungewear that felt intentional rather than basic. Fabric choice was key, and Fabric Mart’s sweatshirt fleece ended up being the perfect foundation. Working with Fabric Mart Sweatshirt Fleece This fleece was an absolute dream to work with. It has a slight stretch, which made the final outfit incredibly comfortable while still maintaining structure. After pre-washing, the fabric held up beautifully with no pilling or texture issues, which is always a big win. It sewed smoothly and handled like a fabric that wants to be worn, not babied. Safe to say, I’m offici...

Made By A Fabricista: A Wooly Wearable Blanket.

Twirling in a me-made outfit! I live in a small town where the nearest fabric shop is a road trip away, so I almost exclusively shop for fabric online. Having access to an online shop like Fabric Mart with a solid search engine is incredibly helpful. But by far my favorite aspect of Fabric Mart is what I call the “Drape Picture” included in each listing! This picture gives me all the information I need and I find it more helpful than the exact weight per yard/square meter. Seeing how the fabric falls close or away from the body gives me a clear idea of how it will behave and inspires me to make it into something that will highlight the fabric’s nature. When I saw the drape of this “Baked Plum” wool suiting , I immediately wanted to immortalize those beautiful folds into a skirt! I opted for a simple self-drafted pleated skirt with a deep hem. I wear my dresses year-round and rely on wool skirts that I layer under or over my dresses for warmth. I cut two panels for the front ...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog