Linen and foxes jacket

Linen and fox jacket Linen and fox jacket Linen and fox jacket

Sidra has been growing up so fast this year, all his pants are now too short, even the ones that I made four months ago! Knee-length pants are good (temporary) solution for this, but I should be making some full length pants for cooler weather soon. He also has two jackets that he’s been wearing a lot, and they’re both too short now. It’s time for a new jacket!

Linen and fox jacket Linen and fox jacket

The pattern is the same as his old jackets, but in one size larger with added lining and all topstitching details omitted. The pattern is from R&D.M.Co-boys & girls, this is one of my favorite pattern book!

The outer fabric is linen tweed from Swany, Kamakura; and the lining fabric is cotton with FLORAfox print by Luzia Pimpinella from Germany. I was browsing etsy when I came upon this fabric in Immertreu etsy shop, and I just had to have it! The package came with this matching ribbon. I noticed the name of the designer on the selvedge, which then I searched on Google. That was how I found her lovely blog and the background story of the lovely print. I love finding the story and the person behind this pretty fabric!

Making the jacket involved a lot of hand-sewing as I don’t want any topstiching details this time. I only bought a half yard of the FLORAfox fabric because I wasn’t sure what I was going to make, so the sleeves of the jacket are not lined. The raw edges are finished with hongkong seams, something that I had really wanted to try. Looks pretty neat, doesn’t it? Incidentally, after I finished this jacket, Kathleen posted this helpful tutorial about hongkong seam on her blog.

Linen and fox jacket Linen and fox jacket Linen and fox jacket Linen and fox jacket

I had a lot of fun constructing this jacket, attaching the pockets, stitching the lining, making the hongkong seams, and handstitching hem and  facings. Making clothes for kids is such a great way of trying out new techniques!

Can’t you see how the same pattern look pretty different as these three jackets?
Three Jackets

Linen and fox jacket

I think sewing for kids is such a luxury. They grow up so fast that the clothes don’t have time to even look worn, and they don’t really care about beautiful clothes.

But there’s something about seeing a well-dressed kid running around happily, oblivious to the beautiful clothes he/she is wearing. While adults tend to behave when they feel that the clothes they’re wearing are too precious, kids just don’t care. They would sit on wet grass in it and smear their little hands on it while eating. Strangely that makes the clothes even more beautiful (Only when I’m feeling poetic, otherwise I will hand him a napkin).

Maybe it’s because we are reminded that the beautiful clothes, just like their young owners, are only temporary things. Sidra that I knew before is no longer here. And Sidra that I know now will soon change and turn into somebody else. All that’s left are just the memories. And a pile of unwearable clothes.

Jacket pattern is from R&D.M.Co-boys & girls

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19 Comments

  1. those are all lovely jackets~ i kinda feel a bit sad reading your post today, those clothes, which are still perfectly in new condition are no longer wearable, and leaving with only memories, i wonder if that’s how my mum feels~ she used to knit a lot for me when i was little! i wish she had kept them, such precious memories, but she gave them to my cousin when i grew out of them and in turns my auntie gave them away to friends T_T but if you are keeping all of those you’ve made for Sidra, one day you will run out of space!! ^^

  2. Nice Jacket. I completely agree with your last 2 paragraphs, kids don’t bother as what they get to wear and outgrow them quite fast, still the joy of them wearing your creation gives immense satisfaction doesn’t it. My DD is a fashionista in her own right and chooses the color combination but does not fuss around when she has to go out and play, all she wants is something to cover her up and that too pretty fast as she has no time to waste and has lots of playing to catch up with … :)

    i normally make 9 new clothes for my DD during Navarathri festival apart from new set of clothes i keep adding to her wardrobe, these 9 new dresses are special because they are made specifically for the festivities .. in case you are interested please visit the following link which hosts my current year as well as previous year’s Navarathri Collection. So far have completed 3, 6 more to go…. Thanks

    http://adithisammasews.blogspot.com/2010/09/navarathri-9-new-dresses-1-down-8-to-go.html

  3. Love the jacket! and your son is such a cute boy!! :D

    Love all your tutorials :) I adapted your reversible bag for one of my models :) hope you don’t mind :)

    Keep going on with your absolutely gorgeous work!

    <3

    Van

  4. Hi, I just passed by to say I love your blog. I love to see you sew for your family and your pieces are so beautiful. Congratulations!

  5. I cannot wait to have my own children and sew pretty things for them too!

    The jacket is very nice, and you can see the nice impact of the finishing touches. The lining is gorgeous. I bet that your son loves it too. I still must try hong kong seams.

    When I was little, all my clothing pieces were made by my grand mother. Some of it was casual “wear every day”. However, sometimes, she made pretty dresses and skirts. And there is nothing I enjoyed better than climbing on the kitchen table so she could mark the length ;)

    1. Awww it is such a precious memory, Laurwyn!
      I wish that someday Sidra will remember these days with great feeling too :)

    1. Thank YOU for making such wonderful design! My son is very happy with it, he intended to wear the jacket inside out (-_-)
      Please please make more, we need more pretty fabrics! (^_^)/

  6. The jacket is great, and it suits him so well! I’ve had my eye on the lining fabric as well, it’s great for a boy. You’re so right about sewing children’s clothes; I also enjoy it much more than sewing for myself (although I like wearing my own creations, so I have to keep sewing them as well!).

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