Spring Waver

With this jacket, I’m embracing a couple things: my ultra casual lifestyle and slightly mismatched aesthetic as well as the weather conditions of my newish Northern European home, Berlin. In my mind I’m always aspiring to a more chic, put-together look. Maybe someday I’ll be able to pull that off, but in reality I feel most comfortable and myself in casual styles. As for the weather, I’m used to quick springs and intense hot summers (in New York, and many years before that in North Carolina and Ohio). I’ve never had much of a spring wardrobe. However, here in Berlin spring can last all summer and fall. We do have distinct seasons and occasional hot summer days, sometimes several in a row, but overall lots and lots of mild temperatures in which neither my winter or summer clothes really work. This jacket goes a long way toward filling that gap.

With its light color and happy pops of bright color, this jacket conveys spring and summer to me. The flannel lining keeps me warm, and the loose fit works both on the bike, which I use often for transportation, and with pretty much any outfit. No fuss. I love that. I’m also pleased I could combine these stash fabrics that were never meant to go together. I didn’t plan to match them, but the result does feel planned and, more importantly, feels like me. The crowning achievement is that I finally managed to use the bright pink plastic buttons from my grandmother’s signature raincoat. I have fond memories of my grandmother in her fuschia raincoat and matching shade of lipstick, but when the raincoat came into my hands a few years ago the actual garment made me sad. Somewhat guiltily, I got rid of it and vowed to use the buttons in future garment. I’m so glad it’s this one. I used purple thread for the buttonholes.

As usual with Papercut, thought and care are evident throughout the pattern and instructions. I cut my regular Papercut size, no muslin, since I was pretty confident about how this style would fit me based on other Papercut designs I’ve made. The instructions give a clever way to sew the corners of the front facing and front hem, an area that was tricky for me in the only other jacket I’ve made. Now I know how to do it with a nice clean finish. One thing to watch out for, the sleeve lining hem allowance is really small– I had to hand sew the linings to the sleeves twice because I overlapped them too much the first time. Also, at one point 3/4″ is specified in the pattern when it’s should be 3/8″ (1cm), not an issue if you’re following the metric measurements.

Photos are from about a minute and a half after my daughter’s horseback riding lesson on a typical lovely yet chilly spring day. I’m wearing two other garments from Indie Patterns, a Tilly and the Buttons Coco top and a Seamwork Bristol skirt.

Pattern: newly released Papercut Waver Jacket featuring large front patch pockets, hood, button closure, and full lining. I made the short version with waist tie.

Fabric: railroad stripe medium weight denim (no stretch), purple plaid flannel, and purple Bemberg lining, all stash fabrics purchased a while ago

Notions: cord and toggles, pink plastic buttons from my grandmother’s signature raincoat

Changes: None, really, except that I used two different lining fabrics– slippery Bemberg for the sleeves and plaid flannel for the body and hood lining. The pattern has you use the fashion fabric for the hood lining.