Oh it’s starting to get a bit cold in the mornings so what’s better than sewing a nice denim jacket named Atenas*? This is Itch to Stitch‘s* latest pattern and trust me, it has everything of RTW denim jackets of a well-known brand with the red tag!!! Kennis has wonderful jackets patterns: the Hvar I tested is in permanent rotation throughout fall and the La Paz knit blazer* is the perfect add-on for a more casual look .
Be prepared though for lengthy, but rewarding, hours of sewing. The Atenas* is so worth it. Moreover, with Kennis’ detailed instructions, you will get a proper jacket.
The Atenas jacket pattern
Meant for denim or any other woven with some weight in it, the Atenas* offers breast pocket (functional or not) and welt pockets too. I passed the welt pockets because I had no time to sew them. Kennis has added a very detailed tutorial on her blog to walk you through all the steps and get a nice result.
The princess seams at front and back nicely shape the silhouette.
The topstitching makes the beauty of that jacket. I know it’s time-consuming, but look how nice it is.
My jacket
The peacock green gabardine, buttons, and interfacing come from Ma Petite Mercerie. This cotton gabardine was a dream to sew. I envision lots of gabardine projects in the near future. Gobi culottes* could be one of them, in that wonderful purple grey gabardine.
I made a size 8 bust blended to a size 10 for waist and hips. No other alterations. The shoulders are a bit dropped so it’s great if you want to wear a lighweight sweater underneath.
My advice is to sew a muslin. Mine was spot-on, but I was prepared to alter length and shoulders. No need to that time, which was great! For the fun, the fabric I used for my muslin was bleeding: I’ve had blue fingers for 2 days afterwards!!! Good thing it was just muslining fabric and not the real one otherwise it would have spent a lot of time soaking in vinegar to fix the dye.
The pattern calls for 14 buttons if you have the tabs at the back (which I did).
I couldn’t do the flat-felled seams because my sewing machine hates thick layers. Instead I did faux flat-felled seams and it is visually pleasing.
Behind the scene: a cute photobomber seeking attention!
If I paired my Atenas* with my beloved Bonn shirt, it can also easily be paired with numerous Itch to Stitch * designs .
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