I made myself a cozy Brightside Fabric Flora Jacket after seeing so many beautiful versions from local makers like Anemone. I love how it turned out!
The Flora Jacket is a boxy, slightly oversized jacket designed for quilted or thicker fabrics. It has 3 pocket styles, 2 different lengths and 2 hem styles to choose from, and a lovely stand-up collar. It's finished with bias binding on the edges. There is also a vest version of the Flora Pattern.
The pattern goes up to a size 5X, a 58" bust.
I found my bust measurement was between sizes on the chart. Given that the pattern is a bit oversized, I ended up cutting the smaller of the sizes, a size XXL, which worked out well. Still pleasantly oversized.
I chose the shorter length/cropped jacket with the curved hem, and pocket style 1, which has an angled opening and rounded edges that mirror the hem of the jacket.
The fabric I used for my Flora Jacket is a lovely multi-colored striped wool that I dug out of the blanket bin at a local vintage store, Barge Canal Market. It wasn't a blanket, it was just fabric yardage, and it looked like it might have been slightly felted by the previous owner.
I only had a small amount (perhaps 1.5 yards by 58 inches?) but I was able to squeeze the Flora Jacket out of it!
I supplemented the wool with some linen scraps from my stash that mirrored some of the more vibrant shades in the wool- magenta and olive-y green. I used these for the placket, collar lining and bias binding. I used heavy duty snaps for closures.
I didn't love the pattern's instructions for the jacket, to be honest. They use photos rather than illustrations, and some of the construction methods were not my favorite. I took the construction in my own direction...
The pattern calls for serging the raw edges of the pattern pieces and pressing the seam allowances open, which seemed messy to me. Instead I did a sort of flat-felled/bias tape finish on the seams,
using this tutorial (although I had to do some grading of seam allowances with this thick fabric!). The insides look so neat and the seam bulk lays flat. Love a clean finish!
Rather than binding the edges of the pocket pieces in two separate pieces, I used one strip of bias tape and
turned the right corner using this tutorial. I also bound the edges of the sleeves after sewing the sleeve seam rather than before, for a neater look.
I'm pretty smitten with my
Flora Jacket! I love the shape of the jacket, the curve of the hem, the collar that keeps my neck warm, my fabric choices and finishes. Very happy with it!
