Horse riding anyone?

If you have read any of my posts you will know I love making shirts and jackets. Tailored jackets give me a lot of satisfaction. I enjoy the amount of work involved including the large amount of hand sewing that is required for a decent tailored jacket. Up until now though, most of the jackets I have made, have (selfishly) been for myself. So it’s time to make a jacket for someone else….that someone being my wife.  Last week we popped to the local fabric shop and yes, you guessed it, autumn is coming! Gone were the lightweight summer fabrics and a new range of lovely autumn fabrics had be stacked all around. 

Now I must stress that, normally, Lu isn’t that keen on following me around the fabric shop; watching me contemplate how I could use any of the huge selection of fabrics on offer: She carries Harry around in her arms, whilst I rummage through the rolls and rolls of material (Harry does quite like the colourful fabric though). Well this visit was different! The autumn collection of fabrics changed everything and I ended up ‘carrying the baby’. Lu was the one rummaging through the new fabric stash. And boy did she rummage! We finally left with at least 8 different fabrics in preparation for me to make her a multitude of clothing. One fabric that caught her eye and mine was a lovely wool, just right for a tailored jacket.

So this brings me on to the title of this post. No I do not ride horses (I’ve tried and didn’t much care for it) and Lu hasn’t ridden for years but this wool will make a beautiful ‘riding’ jacket. I know horse-riding folks wear different types of jackets when riding and I’m thinking the showy type they wear: The tailored jacket with twin vents, cinched waist, high lapel and nice welt pockets type of thing. Something like these.

  

Now I am sure my equine loving friends will be able to tell me exactly what style these jackets are and why you would wear them, when on your steed but suffice to say, this jacket will be made to wear out and about and not whilst galloping across the fields of Devon!

This is the fabric chosen.

It is a medium weight wool so won’t be too heavy but will be warm for the coming autumn/winter months. Now I don’t know about you but I’ve not seen many patterns for this style of jacket so I shall be drafting my own, based, of course, on Lu’s measurements. I am pretty confident in drafting the pattern but will I get it to look like any of the pictures above? I really like the back shown in the 3rd picture with the curved seam either side of the vent going to the arm seam. Is that a real vent or is it a pleat? 

I am really looking forward to this challenge as, unlike a tailored jacket for a man, a jacket for a woman is a different beast: More curves, more shape, less ‘boxy’ and definitely more discreet touches.

Well wish me luck and I will keep you posted as the make progresses.

Until next time……

Happy sewing!