DCR #5 Jacket Pattern Review

The Short of It:

Pattern: Is on page 92 of Doll Coordinate Recipe #5.

Things to Note: Although the pattern is marked as needing 200% enlargement, I found it is already the correct size as is on the page.

Am I glad I tried this pattern? Yes.

Difficulty. On the high side....primarily because there are tiny pieces that curve in opposite directions that you must sew together. Even the sleeves have this to curve slightly at the elbows.

Would I make this jacket again? Hmmm...not sure about that one.

Fabric I would recommend: Thin fabric like cottons would be good. If you're feeling brave, you can try something else. The author used a velvet-like fabric. It looks very cute...but the end jacket will be a little bulkier and the collar may not sit as flat.

Most difficult part of the pattern: Attaching the sleeves to the body of the jacket. These sleeves have two seams instead of the standard single underarm one. The curved back sleeve seam gives a very gentle shaping to the elbow area. The jacket also has two corresponding seams...I think you are supposed to match the sleeve seams to the body seams. I couldn't get these to match exactly. It was a little frustrating. But if done properly, it is very beautiful.

Changes I made: I would take the back part of the jacket in a little to make it more form-fitting (as in above photo). But then, it would be worn directly on the body...no room for layering other clothes. Also, I did not use the pocket flaps.

Tips: Press press press after every seam. Make sure seam allowances are very accurate.




The Long Story

While I was on vacation in New York, I missed sewing Blythe clothes so much that I decided to sew some new clothes for Penelope. My sewing machine and iron were not with me, so I fingernail-pressed the seams and used good old needle and thread. Sometimes you just have to make do with what you have on hand...suprisingly, the jacket turned out ok!

Luckily, I had brought my DCR mooks along with me. I love reading them! (Well, I guess I am not really "reading" them since I don't know Japanese. I guess I'm just figuring them out with the diagrams.)

The smart thing to do would probably be to find a copy machine and xerox the patterns. Well, I traced this jacket pattern with pencil and tracing paper. I like cutting the pieces out...it reminds of 1st grade:

Sewing this jacket can be a little tricky... I'm not sure I could have machine-sewed this one. There are a lot of quite small pieces that curve in opposite directions that you are supposed to sew together in order to create nice shaping. This is not something you want to do in a hurry. Accurate pattern and fabric cutting are always important, but quite critical in this pattern.

I was also trying to get the gingham fabric I used to match up at the seams...it worked in some places only. Fortunately, Penelope is not a picky girl and loved the jacket anyways.

This jacket is also supposed to be completely lined. I skipped part of the lining for my version (the interior back part which is not visible when worn). Also, I did not add the pocket flaps.