I’m so excited to be here to share my very first Minerva make and, if I’m being honest, one of my favorite makes ever!
Listen, if you follow me you know, color is my religion-but I’ve been dabbling in more and more neutral lately. This Rico Woven Cotton Fabric (sold out) was the perfect marriage between some of my favorite colors; navy blue, neon yellow, mustard, and light pink, all on a neutral base. [More fabric suggestions at the bottom of this post.] Not to mention, the random geometric pattern is exactly what my aesthetic eye loves. I could not wait to cut into it, make it up, and get it into my outfit rotation. I mean, who doesn’t love a clothing addition that will mix and match with everything already in your closet?
Immediately I knew I wanted to make a “shacket,” a shirt style jacket.
Workwear styles seem to be everywhere lately and an overshirt is a great transitional style here in the Florida heat, especially because this fabric’s weight is that holy grail weight-not too light shirting but not too heavy jacketing. You get me? Plus the fabric’s modern print combined with a traditional garment style is the perfect mix of new and old, and totally fits my style.
I chose the Ilford Jacket pattern from Friday Pattern Company. Its apparently simple, nonchalant style was exactly what I was looking for and fits the latest trends. Traditionally I’ve dressed with a more tailored silhouette but the idea of this easy-going style has caught my attention, maybe because I’ve been sitting at home for the past six months working from my couch...who knows, but lately comfort has been key.
So I jumped in, but quickly realized that while I do love the idea of an oversized look, I don’t love the bulkiness that it sometimes comes with. At no fault of the pattern itself but just by effect of the dropped sleeve design, the additional fabric in the underarm wasn’t what I wanted.
I began by choosing a size based on the finished body circumference I wanted and sewing together a fitting muslin. Once on, I began to pinch out the extra fabric in the underarm and around the armhole, making sure the pinched fabric came out of the sleeve and not the jacket body. The extra was pinched out, measured, and marked on the pattern using a french curve to draft the new sleeve cap. This sounds much trickier than it was, but simplified: just pinch out the extra fabric, pin it, mark it, take the sleeve off and connect your points.
Another great characteristic of this pattern are its inter-changeable pockets.
The pattern comes with multiple pocket patterns, sizes, and designs which give the maker so many options. Want to customize your pockets? Do what I did. Start with the shape included in the pattern to get the overall size right, and just change the shape to be what you want. I decided on two large bottom pockets with flaps, and two small upper pockets; and finished everything off with antique brass snaps.
My favorite part about this jacket? Its versatility! I love that I can wear it snapped all the way up like a shirt or unsnapped as a jacket-rolled up sleeves for a warmer day, or even snapped up with khaki pants as a makeshift jumpsuit.
