Sewaholic – Minoru Jacket

This was my very first Sewaholic pattern. What’s sad is that I have 5 of their patterns but have only made this one so far. I can’t wait to make the others though!

I wanted to make a jacket for spring and fall. The Minoru Jacket had so many great reviews that I was instantly drawn to it. I love the detail it has, the big collar and large hood. The hardest part about the pattern was figuring out what colors I wanted.

I decided on black. If you haven’t caught on by now I always pick black and white for everything. I think I may have to venture out into other colors as I’m sure it’s getting predictable for you guys! The coat is made from canvas from Hobby Lobby and the lining is snuggle flannel from Jo-Ann. I was dead set on having the lining be flannel. I know most coats are supposed to have a slippery lining so you can get your clothed arms into the sleeves, but I hate how cold that can feel when you’re wearing a t-shirt. So I went with flannel and boy does it feel nice and warm inside!

When I started making this my measurements were 33-28-38 which meant I should be size 6. I looked at the ease of the garment and a few other ladies who have made this and they went down a size for a more fitted jacket. So I did the same and made a size 4. For the future I’ll either make a size 6 or or add width to the back because it’s a little bit snug across my shoulders. Other than the snug part when I put my arms forward, it fits great. I have to say though, it looks perfect on. I LOVE IT!

The collar on this jacket is perfect, I love being able to have the front up over my mouth to block out the cold. On the day we took these pictures it was freezing cold and snowing. My version of the coat is not for this kind of weather, it’s more for 40 degrees to 60 degrees.

Next thing to gush about: The Hood. I have a giraffe neck and large head so a huge hood makes me beyond happy! This thing is a beast and will not disappoint. The design is so smart that you can tuck away the hood into the collar and hide it away when you don’t need it.

The jacket has elastic at the waist and on the sleeves. Don’t be intimidated by this because it’s super simple and the directions are very clear. Overall the instructions for this pattern are great, and even better? Tasia has a Sew-Along to help! I love that she does this because it really helps if you are stuck or just want to verify at any point. It was great, thanks Tasia!

There are two pockets on the inner lining but no pockets on the outside. I did put in side seam pockets without any hassle though. In Tasia’s sew-along she gives a link to how you can do this. While it’s great having the extra pockets I find that they aren’t in the most comfortable spot. Next time I may add some welted pockets an inch or two from the seam.

Since my jacket is black and my thread is black you can’t really see the detail of the top-stitching, but I can tell you it looks great! It really takes things up a notch and makes the jacket look very professional. It wasn’t really hard to do but I would highly recommend to take it slow and steady.

Coats and jackets are always intimidating and this was my second one. The first one I didn’t really understand how Vogue wanted me to tuck in the lining but Sewaholic’s directions and sew-along made everything so much easier. I’m proud of how well constructed and great this coat looks.

The only adjustment I did was adding 1″ to the sleeve length. I have monkey arms, so this is a must on any long sleeve garment I make. Speaking of adjustments, check out what Katy did with her Minoru – Fuzzy Hood!!

I hope I didn’t leave anything out because I really do love this pattern and if the other Sewaholic patterns are this awesome I’ll buy each and every one of them… oh wait, I halfway have… time to get to sewing!

P.S. Thank you to my friend Heather for freezing her butt off taking pictures for me 🙂