Chevron, Flounces and Ties | DIY Blazer with Vogue 9338

I’m not sure who designed this fabric, but it was absolutely destined to be made into this blazer – Vogue V9338! The hand drawn look of the chevron pattern is created with very fine black threads woven through the tighter cream. Both sides of the jacquard are beautiful, but the primarily black side is quite fragile. As an unlined jacket I get to see the reverse side of the fabric without worrying about damage. And the lovely drape of the suiting is just right for the flounces and ties of the sleeve.

I’m getting closer to my goal to sew garments with beautiful insides. To tell the truth – I’m still completely mystified by seam finishes. Most patterns and video sewing tutorials completely omit instructions for finishing the raw edges of fabrics. As a self-taught sewist, it can be difficult to know what finish to use and when in the sewing process to apply it. I had planned to do Hong Kong seam binding for this jacket, but I got too far along with the instructions to turn back and apply that finish in the sleeves. Instead, I clipped the seam allowances a bit at each end and serged the seams together. For the center back seam, I took a cue from another unlined blazer in my closet and serged each side of the seam separately then folded it back and stitched it down flat. Overall, the shoulder finishes aren’t quite as clean as I would like, but I’m happy I’ve made some durable insides.

This pattern is pretty underrated and at the time I’m posting this only about 4 makers have tagged #V9338 on Instagram. Unsurprisingly, everyone has chosen the pretty sleeves of views C and D. The shell is a simple work wardrobe staple, but the sleeves add just the right amount of drama. I can wear this and be chic, elegant and dramatic all at the same time! I look forward to styling in this blazer in every season.

Pattern

• Vogue V9338, View C
• Sewing Difficulty – 2/5
  • All collars and facings deserve an extra difficulty point, but this wasn’t too bad.
• Fit Difficulty – 1/5

Fabric

• Tan and charcoal designer chevron pattern suiting from Cali Fabrics, bought in 2016

Fit & Modifications

• I cut a size 16 based on my measurements.
• Added 1″ to the upper sleeve to lengthen for #sewingtall.
• Added 1 1/2″ to the length of the jacket to hit at mid hip.
• Next time, if I have more fabric, I’ll make the longer version of this jacket. 

Tips

• My center back seam has a clean finish that I’ll use again in place of Hong Kong finishes for lightweight fabrics:
  • Serge each side of the seam separately
  • Fold back along the serging line and press
  • Stitch the fold down within the seam allowance
• I hemmed the bottom by tucking in the raw edge under by 1/4″ and slipstitching it in place by hand. That saved me from sewing 2 rows of basting stitches that I would later remove from the delicate fabric. It also saved my design from any visible horizontal lines along the bottom to distract from the chevron.

Tutorials That Were Helpful

• No tutorials were directly used to help construct this blazer. However, this Bluprint class by Jhoan Sebastian Grey taught me how to slipstitch much better.