Thimble and Twig: The Utility Jacket

Nothing completes an outfit or makes a statement like the perfect jacket. Toss that puppy over your dress or jeans and you suddenly appear polished, chic, and edgy. The greatness of jackets lies in contrast, the ability to pair a masculine piece with a flirty feminine one. And no one thing rises to this occasion like the utility jacket.

Holy smokes, I am in love. The weather is deliciously cool for September in Louisville and as I sit here writing this I am thinking about what I am going to wear under my jacket today. The deep olive green is a lovely neutral, pairing perfectly with floral sundresses, gauzy white tops, and tanned ankle booties. This jacket is a winner.

The clean lines, the myriad of pockets, the zips and fasteners, the hood: I love every part of this jacket. The fabric is a deep olive green sportswear cotton twill. It is dense but soft. I lined the jacket in the same material as the exterior, and took my high tech distressing tool (my ancient cheese grater) to make it look worn and weathered.

The pattern is a Simplicty pattern that I heavily modified. Lately whenever I buy a pattern it is because I see the potential for all the different mods I can make. This jacket called for a drawstring waistline but I couldn't find matching cording for the fabric and decided on a belt instead.

This jacket was a long time coming for me. With each project I undertake I feel like my sewing skill grows a tad bit more, but I was't sure if I could make something like this. Finally, I decided I wouldn't know if I didn't try. Now I can't wait to make another one.