Table Cloth to Lightweight Jacket - Ilford Jacket Pattern Review
This pattern… Oh this pattern. I Don’t recall when I learned about Friday Pattern Company but I discovered them through this jacket and now I want to make their whole collection of clothes. People were making this jacket out of upcycled quilts a few years back and now its on my list to do… It’s taking a few years to get done but… life, ya know? Anyway, I finally picked up the pattern at The French Seam a few weeks ago and had to have some things to mock up with.
In my stash of fabrics I had this little table cloth that needed a project. It was supposed to be some curtains but they ended up not being big enough and I needed to open up some space on my shelf. The Ilford and the table cloth needed each other!
Per usual, I traced the pattern on some trace paper to allow myself to use it again. This pattern is really universal and customizable so I wanted to be able to make adjustments in the future. The only parts of the pattern that I didn’t trace were the pockets. Their pockets are universal and actually available online. If you need some good packets for anything, these are really fun and easy.
Friday Pattern company also did a sew along which was really helpful in learning some tips and tricks for the pattern. While their instructions are really clear and easy to follow, the sew along was good to understand some adjustments that can be done. Watching someone else make the pattern was reassuring and I learned a few things along the way!
I’d never constructed a jacket like they had for this. For the core construction, It had the front and back panels sewn together at the shoulders then add the sleeves on the top. Then, the sides were sewn together from the bottom of the jacket all the way up and around the the cuff of the sleeve. It was really handy and a good opportunity to learn! I did not use the sleeve pattern that had the sleeve plackets but the YouTube tutorial was helpful and I really want to do it again on the next go around.
Final Verdict
I am going to rate this pattern an 8/10. Easy to put together and easily customizable. I agree with the pattern level being for a confident beginner because of the plackets, collar, and the button holes. It is a great skill building pattern for a confident beginner and I have recommended it to a number of people. The booklet guide is incredibly helpful. I think overall the pattern could have had more structure and given some more direction in some of the construction techniques such as finishing the seams and adding a lining. While it is very versatile, it makes it seem as if it is a choose your own adventure pattern - fun but sometimes leaves something to be desired.
I’ll sew this pattern again and again continuing to make it my own and using it as a base to craft my own variations. It’s a solid skill builder and a base for pattern adaptations.