It’s been a few seasons, so we thought you’d be ready for a new winter jacket! Short jackets are all the rage right now and we have the perfect fabric to go with it! Introducing Louise, a stylish winter jacket featuring a one-piece collar (easier to sew with heavy fabrics), a zipper and a placket.
The back of Louise is designed with a unique and elegant yoke that goes over into the back sleeve, giving the jacket a distinctive, eye-catching look. It also includes two side panels for added structure. The front mirrors this design with its own yoke and side panels, complete with integrated pockets. The sleeves are finished with two small pleats at the hem and a cuff. Fully lined for warmth and comfort, Louise’s hem is finished with an elastic that starts at the front side panels, ensuring a snug and flattering fit.
Louise works beautifully in a wide range of fabrics, from winter woollens to denim or medium-weight cotton, so you can wear her all year round!
Pin the front yoke to the center front piece, right sides together, and stitch. Press the seam allowances upwards.
Topstitch the front yoke 1 cm from the seam, catching the seam allowances underneath.
Pin and stitch the pockets to the center front piece from marking to marking, right sides together.
Press the pocket away from the front and stitch the pocket to the center front seam allowance, just next to the edge.
Pin the side panel front to the center front piece, right sides together, as well as the curved pocket edges. Stitch to the first pocket marking. Continue around the pocket curve to the next marking, then complete the seam. Press the seam allowances towards the center front.
Pin the front sleeve to the front armhole, right sides together. Match the ends and markings. Stitch and press the seam open.
Pin and stitch the center back piece to the side panels back, right sides together. Press the seam allowances towards the side panels.
Topstitch the side panels 1 cm from the seam, catching the seam allowances underneath.
Pin the back sleeve to the armhole of the back, right sides together. Match the ends and markings. Stitch and press the seam open.
Pin the back yoke to the back, right sides together, matching the markings. At each end of the back yoke, align the basting marks on the back yoke and sleeve precisely. Stitch. Press the seam allowances towards the back yoke.
Topstitch the back yoke 1 cm from the seam, catching the seam allowances underneath.
Pin the shoulder seams and long sleeve seams of the front and back, right sides together. Stitch and press open.
Make the pleats at the sleeve hem. Working on the right side, follow the indicated direction and pin the two markings together. Secure the pleats by stitching 1 cm from and parallel to the hem edge.
Pin the front and back side seams and the sleeve underarm seams, right sides together. Stitch and press open. If the fabric pulls at the lower armhole, clip the seam allowance a few times.
Pin and stitch the short ends of each cuff , right sides together.
Press the seam open. Fold the cuff in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Unfold, then pin the cuff to the sleeve hem, right sides together. Stitch and press the seams open.
Pin the short ends and outer edge of the top collar and undercollar, right sides together. The top collar is larger than the undercollar, so distribute the fabric evenly along the full length. Stitch the short ends and outer edge.
Trim the corners and notch the seam allowance along the long curved edge. Press the seam allowances towards the undercollar. Understitch all seam allowances to the undercollar a few millimetres from the seam, along the long edge only.
Pin the collar to the jacket with the undercollar against the right side of the jacket. Position the collar ends 1,5 cm from the center front edges. Stitch and press the seam open.
Fold one zip placket in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Unfold and pin the upper and lower ends right sides together and stitch. Trim the corners, turn right side out and press flat.
Pin this zip placket to the right-hand side of the jacket, right sides together. This is the right-hand side when wearing the jacket. Position the zip placket 1,5 cm from the neckline at the top and 5 cm from the hem at the bottom. Stitch in place.
Open the zipper and pin the right zipper tape to the zip placket, right sides together, with the zipper edge approximately 0,5 cm from the edge. The exact distance depends on the width of the zipper tape. Make sure the zipper teeth are at least 2 cm from the edge. Baste to prevent shifting, then stitch the zipper tape 1,5 cm from the edge.
Cut the other zip placket in half lengthwise.
Pin and stitch the lower ends of this zip placket, right sides together.
Pin the left zipper tape between the two layers of the left zip placket, at the right side of the fabric. Check that everything aligns neatly with the right front of the jacket. Position the zipper the same distance from the edge as on the right side, approximately 0,5 cm. Baste the zipper in place. Pin the upper ends of the left zip placket right sides together and stitch.
Stitch the zipper between the zip placket layers at 1,5 cm seam allowance. Trim the corners, turn the zip placket right side out and press neatly.
Pin the left zip placket to the left front of the jacket, right sides together. Close the zipper to check that the left aligns with the right front.
Open the zipper again and stitch to the jacket. Press the seam allowances towards the front.
Pin the shoulder seams of the front and back facing right sides together and stitch. Press open.
Make the pleat at the center back of the back lining. At the marking, stitch the pleat closed for a few centimetres, parallel to the center back. Press flat.
Pin and stitch the shoulder and side seams of the front and back lining, right sides together. Press open.
Pin and stitch the side seams of the sleeve linings, right sides together. Leave an opening in one of the seams large enough to turn the jacket later. Press the seams open.
Pin the sleeve lining into the armhole, right sides together, matching the markings. The single marking indicates the front and the double marking the back. Distribute the sleeve-cap ease evenly between the markings. Baste to avoid unwanted tucks and stitch in place. Press the seam allowances towards the sleeve.
Pin the lining to the facing, right sides together, matching the markings and shoulder seams. Stitch all around. Press the seam allowances towards the lining.
If necessary, understitch the lining close to the seam, securing the seam allowances to the lining.
Pin the jacket hem to the lining hem, right sides together. Stitch the full length of the hem using a 1,5 cm seam allowance. Press the seam allowances towards the lining.
Pin the rest of the facing with the lining to the jacket, right sides together. The front facing will pull the hem upwards at the lower edge, which is intentional. Stitch all around. At the zipper tapes, stitch in the previous zipper stitching line so all layers are enclosed neatly. To sew accurate corners at the center front and neckline, first mark each pivot point with a basting stitch. At the pivot point, leave the needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot and turn the work before continuing. After stitching, trim the upper and lower center front corners. Clip the seam allowance of the neckline.
Pin and stitch the sleeve lining hems to the cuffs. Lay the jacket with the wrong side of the lining facing up and bring the sleeve lining edge and cuff edge together. Turn the edge of the sleeve lining to the wrong side and slide the sleeve lining into the cuff so the two edges can be pinned right sides together. Make sure the side seams match. Stitch all around at 1,5 cm from the edge. Press the seam allowances towards the sleeve lining.
Turn the jacket right side out through the opening in the sleeve lining. Close the hem allowance by stitching in the seam of the hem and lining. Begin at the seam between the center front piece and side panel front.
Attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic. Feed it through the opening in the sleeve lining and into one open end of the hem casing. Pull the elastic through until the end without the safety pin reaches the seam between the center front piece and side panel front. Stitch the elastic securely in this seam. Continue feeding the elastic through the casing to the corresponding seam on the other side and secure it there. Handstitch or machine-stitch the opening in the sleeve lining closed.
Sew the snap fasteners to the zip placket. The position of the fi rst snap is marked. Divide the remaining snaps evenly along the length of the zip placket.
Handstitch the neckline of the top collar and undercollar together. Secure the sleeve hem with a few hand stitches at the side seam and pleats.
We wish you a lot of fun with your new jacket! Show your creation on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #atelierjupeLouise or share it in our Facebook group ‘Atelier Jupe - Create & Share’.