Cocoon Coverup

Time to get started on the next jacket for Nancy using her soft rayon fabric. There will be a lining fabric of Ambiance in dark blue as well. The pattern calls for 4 sections using the main fabric as the lining as well.

Why? Well, as you will be able to see the inside of the jacket at the sleeve hems, maybe you would not want a contrasting fabric there…or maybe you would??? That was my idea for the sample jacket I have tested.

Here are the basic instructions for four sections 45 inches long and 27 inches wide. There is a center back seam which could be cut on the fold if your fabric is wide enough like 54 inches or wider.

I looked up how to make a cocoon jacket on YouTube as well to get the sequence of steps and there are loads of them. This first one uses African waxed cloth and the lower one uses knit/fleece fabric. Some are lined and some are not.

So let’s start with sewing from one large circle to the other:

After that seam, I serged the edge so I could press it flat and topstitch.

I did the same with the lining…wait a minute…are there two fabrics?

Yes, because my fabrics were only one yard long, but 45 inches wide, I turned them sideways to cut them and like the denim outer fabric, I serged the edge and topstitched it flat.

Topstitched denim:

Here is the lining being sewn from large circle to large circle:

Once the sleeve hems have been sewn, as in the directions, you can see the inside:

At this point you are ready to seal up all the edges but what they tell you to do is to fold under all the raw edges, press them and sew them together using an edge stitch….Why? It was just as easy to turn everything to the inside and stitch all the way around RST leaving an opening for turning back to the right side.

Once it is flipped right side out, you can see the shape and opening for the hands. At this point you realize that there is really no top or bottom…the sleeves are exactly in the middle.

So you can choose the neck edge or the hem.

A cocoon jacket does not hang well on a hanger but you can see the horizontal seam at the waist just at the lower pin. Would it have been nice to have both sides of the lining matching? Sure, but now it becomes a conversation piece, no?

Once all the edges are pressed and top stitched, the lining will stay inside.

Maybe using contrasting thread would have been nicer? This plain back could have used some machine embroidery and certainly some for the front sections as well.

So, instead of a drapey soft jacket, the denim has a mind of its own. Could the sleeve hems be smaller around the wrist? Yes, and in some YouTube videos, they show that opening being only 8 inches around.

Here I am trying it on to see the drape.

Could there be piping in the waist seam and on any of the edges? Certainly and I will try to include some with Nancy’s jacket.

Puzzles feature big in my mental health so I have finished a couple recently that one of my daughters sent to me for Mother’s Day. More to work on from my oldest daughter.

Wishing all my followers great success with your sewing projects and a happy Father’s Day weekend! Thank you for your support!