This week on the blog we review Barbara, the chic staple blazer pattern from République Du Chiffon, featuring one of our textural Chambray Linens! Barbara is stylish and sophisticated, with a soft unpadded shoulder and loose straight fit that lend well to being made up in linen. Simple blazers like this are a fantastic intro to the wonderful world of jacket-making for an experienced sewist.
Pattern Review
Barbara Jacket - République Du Chiffon
The classic blazer is a hero piece in many a #memade wardrobe and Barbara is no exception! Whether you choose to suit-up with a matching trouser or layer it over jeans, dresses and skirts, a lightly tailored jacket like this one adds a little polish to any outfit. Barbara is fully lined with patch pockets and a notched lapel. We used 1.7m of our Silver Linen Chambray for our jacket as it will soften beautifully with wear, perfect for Barbara's casual silhouette. For the lining, we chose a plain White Cotton Voile and used 1.5m.
It's worth noting that République Du Chiffon patterns are labeled in French but come with a handy chart to translate each pattern piece. This jacket pattern requires you to add seam allowances which we found quite time-consuming. A plus side of doing this though is that it would allow for some customisation of fit if you wish. We chose to make up a size 38 for Lisa and found the fit was great!
The sewing instructions were fairly easy to follow and we would recommend reading them through before you begin. One small step we thought would be good to mention is that the front and back linings have approximately 1cm difference at the shoulder seam, meaning they need to be eased together. This pattern is definitely an advanced level project and some prior knowledge of how a jacket is made up would be super helpful!
Fabric Recommendation
République Du Chiffon suggests a variety of fabrics for Barbara, such as linen, cotton twill and lightweight woollens. We love how this jacket sewed up in Linen Chambray, the perfect balance of structure and softness! We've got a bunch of fresh new linen chambray options in stores and online, plus don't forget our extensive palette of exclusive linen colours and array of short-end prints and stripes.
Check out these options below, from top to bottom is our Heavyweight Linen - Natural, Vintage Stripe Stretch Twill - Umber, Japanese Cotton Chambray - Heathered Blue and Lightweight Linen Two Stripe - Blue
How cute is Barbara?! If you're an advanced sewist looking to add a simple blazer to your wardrobe, we'd recommend giving this a go! Share your creations with us @wearethefabricstore using #thefabricstore