this was one of those “i am going to make this but i don’t actually want to start it” projects – i dragged it out into FOREVER. i bought this fabric in… july? took my sweet time making a muslin, cutting the pieces out, making bound button holes. part of the reason why i dragged my feet so hardcore with this pattern is that i couldn’t decide how i was going to attempt construction. i wanted to fully tailor the whole thing – even bought matching silk thread & drafted a back stay – until i realized that linen doesn’t exactly lend itself well to tailoring. and my muslin was giving me the side eye so i wasn’t feel too confident about the overall fit.
those high-waisted jeans i made last week are basically what pushed me into completing this. and you know what? i ended up not doing a damn bit of tailoring on this jacket (minus the bound button holes). i basically had the whole thing pieced together & ready for slip-stitching in an afternoon. fastest jacket ever. and it feels good. it feels real good.
this is what i used – mccall’s 5936, which is sadly out of print (sorry!). my leopard fabric is a nice sturdy linen. and check out that lining! the woman at the fabric store talked me into it – i started to pick up the red, and she told me i wasn’t boring enough for that. that woman is totally onto me. anyway, i am in LOVE LOVE LOVE with this teal bemberg lining & when said fabric store has it’s biannual 50% everything sale next month (u jealous?), i may end up just buying the entire bolt & wrapping myself in it for the rest of my life. it is that fabulous.
in retrospect, this jacket could have benefited from some light tailoring – the lapels don’t quite lay right, i may need to steam them more. my button holes are not in the right place, sadly, and i can’t do anything about it sooo i decided that i don’t care. also, i need to redo the lining slip-stitching at the waistline, because i definitely pulled it too tight so there are some odd wrinkles on the outside fabric. but i finished it! and it is a jacket and it is leopard and it has a peplum and i am about to eat the lining, seriously.
recognize my jeans? 🙂
as a sidenote – they have stretched quite nicely (thanks to that pure denim – i forgot what jeans were like before the introduction of stretch!) and fit beautifully. i want to wear them forever!
and closer:
this is an unflattering picture, but i love the way the peplum looks from the side
lining! 😀
other than the lining, my favorite part is the tag 🙂 i embroidered this last year for my lady grey but decided to use something else. it is satin stitch with a back stitch outline. lovely!
buttons – vintage!
bound button holes
and just for fun – here’s how i wore it today:
excuse the extra christmas tree in the background lol
so fun! i think everyone needs a leopard print jacket 🙂
also, i think i’m gonna need some red clovers next 😉
LLADYBIRD 
Awesomeness on a grand scale of being awesome. The style is so so cute, I love it! It looks lovely worn with the dark colours ( and yr dark hair) I wish I had room in my life for such a leopard, but I can’t imagine it would look half as good on me. Smart choice on lining too- gorgeous colour.
I love this! I never would have thought to do short sleeves but they are adorable. This looks great on you and the lining is delicious.
i actually wanted to do long sleeves but i didn’t have enough lining! oops! good thing i like them short too 😉
This is too adorable for words. I love it. It’s so sassy and riffing on the ’50s, it’s like a John Waters movie,but tasteful. I love the peplum. I feel like you could also make an amazing Edwardian style “riding coat” if you did the long sleeve version and extended the peplum. Or maybe I’ve just gotten too into Downton Abby. Whatever, this is lovely, and I love the lining.
Oh man, I have such jacket envy right now! Your jacket is so awesome. Love the leopard, love the peplum. Thanks for the last style shot too. I have a black skirt similar to yours that I’ve stuck on the back burner for months. I didn’t think I’d have anything to wear with it, but I’ve totally fallen back in love with it now. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
You know I heartilly approve of all things faux animal,but this in particular! Echoing all other quotes about peplum and frisky retro action….sooo cute!!!
Your jacket is definitely a thing of beauty . I LOVE it !!!
This is FABULOUS! Seriously…you make the most amazing clothes! And I am totally borrowing your idea for the tag–that’s really fun!
Great jacket! I love peplums and I plan on wearing them my entire life – in style or not. The fabric store lady sounds great – could be your fabric store personal shopper.
lol she kind of is. every time i go in there, she talks me into buying all this crazy fabric. i honestly think she enjoys the shopping part as much as i do! haha!
Wow, super cute! it looks great dressed up and down.
I love the leopard print as a jacket! Also, I have worn my red Clovers like 4 times in one week. I don’t know how I or anyone else ever lived without them!
You created this with great style, and wear it with even more style!!! Very impressive work…
Awesome!!
That looks awesome! I want a leopard print jacket now. I actually would like a leopard print cardigan too. I wonder if I could find fabric for that.
OMG, I want this now! I absolutely love it Lauren!
Well done. Love it.
Yay! I made this jacket last year and still love it! Yours looks great and yes the peplum is super fun. LOVE you lining and your leopard. Mine was one of the few times where I wanted it exactly like the envelope so I did the plaid. It is a great jacket, I also love yours with the belt, I will have to do that with mine. Great Great JOB!!!
Fabulousness! Agreed on the lining being super awesome. Love that you wore it with a skinny belt. Super flattering.
Yay for peplums! *ahem* I’m always partial to the look and the fact that you made it in leopard print?!?! Perfect!!! 😀
Just became a follower and love your style. When I began to sew (over 40 years ago) an experience seamstress told me no one should every ask if you made your garment. The quality should always pass for high quality retail. Your stuff would pass with flying colors. It is a pleasure to see a new post from you.
This jacket is absolutely awsome!! Good job 🙂 I wish I had the guts to start working on a jacket, but I think I’ll need more practice first. Always looking forward to your post!
This jacket is just gorgeous and I love the label. You make such GREAT things!
I love it! And red clovers would be a perfect match
The jacket is gorgeous, love the little peplum! The lining is very well done too!
Totally random question(s): who taught you to sew and how long have you been sewing? I LOVE your blog!
aw, thank you!
i taught myself how to sew! i’ve been sewing seriously – like making clothes i would actually wear in public, using patterns, etc – for about 6 years now. although i did a lot of hand-sewing (doll clothes :3) when i was a kid and i would alter my clothes to fit using my mom’s machine when i was a teenager.
I asked because I’m a couple months into teaching myself how to sew. I live in the middle of nowhere, and the nearest class is an hour away. My mom or grandmother could teach me, but they sewed out of necessity and hate it now. Your blog gives me hope that I can figure it out on my own! With the help of youtube, of course 😉
oh, yes, i absolutely believe you can do it! sewing is very intuitive (i think, anyway ;)) once you have a general idea of how stuff works. just be patient and enjoy the learning process! there is such a plethora of great blogs, books, youtube videos, etc if you get stuck… and don’t get too upset if something doesn’t work out – we all end up with wadders. it’s just a fact of life lol.
best of luck! and if you have any burning questions or sewing issues, feel free to hit me up – i loooove to talk sewing shop 🙂
that is one pretty sweet jacket! i loved all the details too like the lining and tag and buttonholes. well done! and it looks great on you!
Love love love love LOVE this – it is so fab! The peplum at the back is so gorgeous – as is the lining, and wow – excellent embroidery on the tag! And that woman in the fabric shop knows her stuff (and her customers!) – the lining is perfect.
So to summarise…I am uber jealous of your make and I WANT THAT JACKET!!!!
Your jacket is definitely a thing of beauty . I LOVE it !!!
Hi
My name is Masera Ahmed and I am currently a senior taking Fashion in high school. I am part of the FCCLA-Fashion. Every year FCCLA has a fashion competition where students have to design, sew, and model something they made. This year I would like to make the mccalls pattern 5936, but it is out of print. I checked amazon, ebay, and called McCalls. I know this is a lot to ask, but would you be willing to send me you copy of the pattern with directions? I would really appreciate it and send the pattern right back to you, once I made the garment. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Masera
Masera-
I would be happy to send the pattern to you, however, my copy has been heavily modified to fit my shape – namely, there’s a large FBA to the front pieces, and (I think) I may have adjusted the waist size as well. So it’s not a straight size like what you would cut out of the envelope. I don’t trace my patterns, so this has all been done to the actual tissue.
If you still want to borrow it, you are welcome to! But I did want to disclose that. Send me an email with your shipping info if you’re game 🙂
Thank you soo much for replying! quick question if you don’t mind me asking what size did you make? and do u still have the pattern pieces for the long sleeves? Thank you once again!!!
I will have to double-check when I get home this evening, but I’m pretty sure it’s cut to a 4 (or maybe a 6; whatever the smallest size was) with the added FBA. I do have all the pieces; I wanted to sew the long sleeves originally but I didn’t buy enough fabric.
Okay, thanks once again! I would like to borrow the pattern, but what’s you email so I can send my address. By the way, I was thinking of making a lace back. Do you think thats possible? Would it look nice?
Hm, depends on how you feel about the lining being there (or if you’re planning to revamp the pattern so it doesn’t need a lining). It might be cute, though 🙂 email is lladybirdlauren at gmail dot com !