Made By A Fabricista: Duchess Jacket

I was absolutely thrilled to be chosen to be a Fabricista for 2025! I have been a customer of Fabric Mart for a while now, and I love the variety of the fabric I find whenever I shop.

When I got the assignment for my first blog post, I searched around the site for a fabric to jump out and inspire me. In my mind, I needed to start off big and make something that I’ve had on my list of things to make, but for whatever reason, I have been putting off. I knew I wanted to make a classy and chic winter jacket, and one that would wear well on the days I have to dress professionally for work. I wear a lot of suits, dresses and skirts to the office, so I figured a dressy winter trench coat would be ideal. I decided on Ellie & Mac’s Duchess Jacket, which has a beautiful hi-lo hem, fitted bodice, statement puff sleeves, and faux double-breasted closure.

Once I decided on the pattern I wanted to use, I set out searching for the perfect winter coat fabric. I found this gorgeous Micro Houndstooth Tweed Flannel Suiting, which has a traditional black and tan color from afar. However, when you get up close, there are fabulous flecks of bright colors intertwined in the houndstooth pattern. I thought it would be fun to draw out the awesome colors, so decided to line the jacket with a solid fabric. I know the pattern calls for a slinky satin lining, but I am not a fan of the chilly feeling a slinky fabric brings as a jacket lining. Instead, I opted to use a 100% Cotton Sateen Shirting in a bright cardinal red for a fun pop of color.

For the faux double-breasted bodice, I was torn between a brown and black horn button, or a solid black wooden button. Since I was going for a dressier jacket, I decided on the black buttons because the horn buttons felt too casual for the look I was hoping to achieve.

The tutorial for the Duchess Jacket is very detailed with instructions for taking proper measurements, grading the pattern if necessary, lengthening or shortening for your personal sizing needs, and photos of the construction for each step. The pattern was well written, and sewists of all skill levels would be able to sew their own jacket following the tutorial step-by-step.

The jacket has a fitted bodice, with bust darts and waist darts in the back. I went by my measured size pursuant to the sizing guidelines, and I was pleasantly surprised with a perfectly fitting bodice without any size adjustments.

The construction of the Duchess was very straight forward, and ended up being a lot easier than I anticipated. For the waist tie, I used my most favorite sewing tool: a hemostat. If you don’t have one in your sewing toolkit, I cannot recommend one enough! The one I use is a 12” hemostat, which is perfect for turning long belts, spaghetti straps, or swimsuit ties with ease.

I absolutely adore how this jacket turned out! I love the little pop of red that peeks at the hemline of the gorgeous hi-lo skirt. Although it has a fitted bodice, I am able to wear a long sleeve blouse or thin sweater underneath, which is perfect for the climate where I live.

If you’re looking to make a winter jacket, I highly recommend the Duchess Jacket. There are so many gorgeous winter fabrics on the website, I may need to make another!

Happy Sewing!

KIM | @JosephineRoseSews

Made By A Fabricista: Falling for Knits

We are now well into Fall, even though the temps are still relatively warm here in Texas. I love the fall season and dressing for Fall. When it comes to the conversation of knits vs. wovens I typically sew mostly wovens. So for this post I decided to sew completely knits! With the holiday season right around the corner I saw these three dress styles as perfect for Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving gatherings. The first look is a tried and true pattern Simplicity S9372. Using this gorgeous burgundy ponte knit , I like how this pattern fits throughout. I chose this color to add to my typically neutral palette in my closet. I also wanted something I could wear to my sorority meetings and found this color perfect. It's an easy sew with back fisheye darts and invisible zipper to add to the tapered style. The neckline and armholes are finished with bias binding giving it a clean finish on the inside. I used a universal needle to sew a...

Made By A Fabricista: The Art of the Slow Make: My La Forme Double-Breasted Jacket

I started this project back in July — one of those mid-summer sewing plans meant to get me ahead for fall. My idea was simple: start my wardrobe a season (or two) early so that when cooler weather came, I’d already have a few handmade pieces ready to wear. That was the plan, anyway. But as sewing often reminds us, plans evolve. This jacket, made using La Forme pattern No. 0303, is a double-breasted design with peak lapels and an exaggerated hip detail that gives it such a striking silhouette. I fell in love with the structure of the pattern right away — it has that timeless, tailored feel I can never resist — but it also asked for patience. I picked it up and put it down several times over the months, letting it rest while I worked on other projects, until finally, the timing felt right to bring it to life. And now, here we are — the leaves are turning, there’s a chill in the air, and some parts of the country are even seeing snow. My summer-started jacket is finally finished, and it c...

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different! I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching. Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces. Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...

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