Hey y’all! I have a lot of things that I’ve made but not shared on my blog. I’ll be going through some of these in the coming months. First up is the Seamwork Rhett. I was really interested in making this pattern when it came out because it felt like a funky (and more approachable) denim jacket. I liked the boxy silhouette and cropped length. It seemed like a lightweight layer that could pair with many of the garments I’ve already made. Thats important to me because a lot of my makes in the past were scattered one-off garments that were super cute but difficult to pair. I didn’t really think about how things would work together in my wardrobe. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good unicorn make! But I also really enjoy making pieces that can be worn in a multitude of ways.
I used a coral cotton twill that I purchased from Harts Fabric a while ago. I love how bright this fabric is. Cotton twill is pretty easy to work with and I didn’t have any issues cutting, pressing, or sewing this fabric. The buttonholes didn’t give me any trouble either, which I always appreciate.
I made this earlier in the summer when I was still experimenting a bit more with what sizes to make for Seamwork. At that time my full bust was a size 26 while my waist and hips were a size 22. I chose to make my Rhett jacket in a 22 with a full bust adjustment (FBA). I needed to add 4 inches total, which meant I added 2 inches to the pattern piece. Now I am not an FBA expert. I like to learn on the fly and just see what happens. That being said, I wanted to see how a large FBA would work so I just went for it. Side note – if you are looking for FBA resources, I highly recommend the Craftsy course taught by Jenny Rushmore of Cashmerette. I reference that class every time I do a full bust adjustment. Okay so remember when I said I like to learn on the fly? Yeah, so I adjusted the bust but sort of skipped a step. I didn’t readjust the armscye after I adjusted the rest of the pattern piece. Did Jenny’s video suggest adjusting the armsyce? Yes. Was I stubborn? Also yes. You live and you learn!
I had a difficult time easing the sleeve into the armsyce. It is a two part sleeve and I didn’t realize how much I distorted the armsyce until I tried to insert the sleeves. This resulted in accidental pleats as I struggled to make the two shapes match up, but I’m okay with that. I am nowhere near a perfectionist and I realized that sewing it again would not make up for me stubbornly missing a step in the FBA process.
I also had a little difficult with the collar. I don’t think it’s the pattern’s fault, it just takes me a few tries to get a clean collar. The more I make a pattern, the smoother it goes. I’m definitely going to make more collars this year because I really want to improve that specific skillset. That being said, I really like the shape of this particular collar. It’s super cute to me. I also like the slanted pockets.
Now that I’ve taken you through my adjustment journey, let me tell you how I feel about the garment. I love it. I know that I made mistakes along the way, but I still really like it. I know what I can improve on in the future and that makes me happy. I love this color and I can wear it with several outfits that are already in my closet. For my next version I think I will either try a size 24 with a (smaller) FBA or a straight size 26. Since it’s supposed to be a boxy silhouette, I don’t know how much grading between sizes or doing the smaller size with FBA will matter. I’ll probably try it both ways and see what I like most. I would like to make a Rhett in a canvas or denim and possibly play around with hand embroidery for a fun detail.
Seams Like Sierra 