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| Sonotsewingdiva | |
| Member since 6/24/22 | |
| 14 Reviews (patterns: 14) | |
Type: Coat/Jacket
Fabric: Denim [See other projects in this fabric]
Fit: Boxy or Loose (lots of ease)
Fabric: Denim [See other projects in this fabric]
Fit: Boxy or Loose (lots of ease)
This is my first pattern review submission and I hope that anyone considering sewing the Merchant and Mills Paynter Jacket finds it useful.
I sewed my Paynter jacket in a workshop offered by my local fabric shop, so I had the benefit of an instructor who had already sewn it. I am a confident beginner/intermediate sewist. Even though the pattern recommended a fabric of up to 8oz, I selected a 10oz black denim. I did not use a contrasting top stitching thread as I was not that confident in my top stitching ability. There is a lot of top stitching!
Considering that most people who sew are women, and the pattern is unisex, I was a little disappointed that the pattern is drafted for a male. However, the pattern included recommended adjustments for females and they were easy to follow.
The only amendments that I made to the pattern were:
(1) I scrapped the tabs on the underside of the pocket flaps as I found they made accessing the pockets difficult. It was also very difficult to sew the pocket flaps and tabs onto the jacket as you had to sew through several layers of, in my case, heavy fabric. I wanted an easy to access and functional pocket, so instead I added snaps fasteners to the underside of all pocket flaps and sewed a button on the top side of the pocket flaps. For the remaining tabs (the cuff and waist tabs), I chose to use a lightweight quilting cotton for the underside of the tabs.
(2) I am a 56 female weighing 128 lbs and have narrow shoulders. I sewed the size small. The shoulders were way too big for me. The only way I could address this was by using a 2cm seam when I inserted the sleeves and by adding a 1/2 shoulder pad. Its still roomy in the shoulders, but it looks fine and allows me to wear a heavier layer under the jacket.
The most difficult sections of the pattern were the hip pockets and the button placket. Thankfully, Merchant and Mills has posted a YouTube tutorial on these sections (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sBUoPvbZD4). I could not have completed this jacket on my own without these tutorials. The instructions for the button placket are drafted for a male. No instruction is given in the pattern or the Youtube tutorial if you want to do your buttonholes on the female side. It took some work, but we figured it out in our sewing workshop.
I am a fan of Merchant and Mills patterns as I find the drafting and instructions to be excellent. I found the drafting for the Paynter jacket excellent, but the instructions were disappointing.
To conclude, this is no doubt a challenging pattern, but it is totally do able (tip: a Jean-a-ma-jig tool is essential). I love my jacket! I am also glad that I chose a heavier denim as I now have a good sturdy field jacket that will last for years. Bonus: after finishing this project, all subsequent projects feel easy
I sewed my Paynter jacket in a workshop offered by my local fabric shop, so I had the benefit of an instructor who had already sewn it. I am a confident beginner/intermediate sewist. Even though the pattern recommended a fabric of up to 8oz, I selected a 10oz black denim. I did not use a contrasting top stitching thread as I was not that confident in my top stitching ability. There is a lot of top stitching!
Considering that most people who sew are women, and the pattern is unisex, I was a little disappointed that the pattern is drafted for a male. However, the pattern included recommended adjustments for females and they were easy to follow.
The only amendments that I made to the pattern were:
(1) I scrapped the tabs on the underside of the pocket flaps as I found they made accessing the pockets difficult. It was also very difficult to sew the pocket flaps and tabs onto the jacket as you had to sew through several layers of, in my case, heavy fabric. I wanted an easy to access and functional pocket, so instead I added snaps fasteners to the underside of all pocket flaps and sewed a button on the top side of the pocket flaps. For the remaining tabs (the cuff and waist tabs), I chose to use a lightweight quilting cotton for the underside of the tabs.
(2) I am a 56 female weighing 128 lbs and have narrow shoulders. I sewed the size small. The shoulders were way too big for me. The only way I could address this was by using a 2cm seam when I inserted the sleeves and by adding a 1/2 shoulder pad. Its still roomy in the shoulders, but it looks fine and allows me to wear a heavier layer under the jacket.
The most difficult sections of the pattern were the hip pockets and the button placket. Thankfully, Merchant and Mills has posted a YouTube tutorial on these sections (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sBUoPvbZD4). I could not have completed this jacket on my own without these tutorials. The instructions for the button placket are drafted for a male. No instruction is given in the pattern or the Youtube tutorial if you want to do your buttonholes on the female side. It took some work, but we figured it out in our sewing workshop.
I am a fan of Merchant and Mills patterns as I find the drafting and instructions to be excellent. I found the drafting for the Paynter jacket excellent, but the instructions were disappointing.
To conclude, this is no doubt a challenging pattern, but it is totally do able (tip: a Jean-a-ma-jig tool is essential). I love my jacket! I am also glad that I chose a heavier denim as I now have a good sturdy field jacket that will last for years. Bonus: after finishing this project, all subsequent projects feel easy
Other Projects by Sonotsewingdiva using this Pattern
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Fine Designer Fabrics
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