Good morning, everyone! I started this post a couple of weeks ago while I was waiting in the airport, and I’m just now finding time to revisit (naturally, while in the airport AGAIN. Yes, class season is ramping back up woohoo!). My February has been weirdly busy – I worked on two massive photoshoots, and also represented the Craft South booth at Quilt Con here in Nashville! On a more personal note, February was the 2 year anniversary of my dad’s passing, and, as it did last year, shit hit me like a ton of bricks. And finally, I bought a house! I closed last week and have been tackling my to-do list like crazy to get everything ready before I move in.
The bad news is – there has been very little time for sewing (to be honest – I haven’t touched my sewing machine since, well, February!). But the good news is – a new studio is a-coming 😉 I took some photos of a couple of completed projects so I have something to share here, now the challenge is finding the time to sit down and type everything up!
Today’s offering is something that has been finished since January, which means it has gotten a lot of use during recent months. My current house (the rental that I’m fixin to move out of), is a beautiful 1935 stone Tudor. Built before central a/c (which has been retrofitted in this house now, thank god!), and located in a very hot part of the country – this is a house that was designed to stay cool. It’s quite lovely in the summer, but LORD it stays chilly in the winter! And due to the old windows, plaster walls, and overall poor insulation – there’s not really much of a point in trying to keep the place warm, as the (really expensive, I should add) gas heat just slips right out. So I spend most of my winters wrapped in robes, electric blankets, and rolling a space heater around each room. Not gonna lie – as much as I love this house, the chill is one thing I will NOT miss! I’ve been wearing the robe I made when I first moved in, but it’s always made me feel like… well, like I’m wearing pajamas. Don’t get me wrong – it is warm and cozy and certainly serves its purpose, but I don’t even like to answer the door in this thing because I know it straight-up looks like I rolled out of bed when I have it on. I do work from home, but I still put on “real” clothes and style my hair. Wearing PJs makes me feel like I am having a sick day, and that’s exactly the vibes this robe was giving me. I wanted to make something that would serve a purpose of keeping me warm while inside my house, but still look pulled together enough to wear outside the house should I choose to do so.
So, anyway – that was an unnecessarily long intro to tell you that I made a Wiksten Unfolding Jacket, which is sort of like a literal house coat as far as I’m concerned.
This plaid flannel from Mood Fabrics has been rolling around in my stash for about 2 years now. I originally bought it to make an Archer button-up, but upon receiving I realized it was a bit too heavy for a shirt – and also a bit too light to be a proper coat. I’ve hung onto it since, and while some pattern contenders have certainly caught my eye, it has remained uncut this entire time. Once I acknowledged my need for a house coat, I remembered this fabric and decided to give it a go. Being a nice thick wool flannel, it is perfect for this application – it is warm and cozy, but still reasonably lightweight. And the colors just make so me happy (even if they don’t necessarily coordinate well with my all-black-tragic-goth look that I typically wear in the winter). I bought this fabric long ago enough that it is no longer available, but Mood Fabrics has tons of other lovely wool flannels to choose from should you want to make your own!
This jacket is fully lined, and rather than go with a traditional slippery lining, I kept things casual with a matching lightweight cotton voile. This jacket is oversized enough that it’s easy to put on (including the sleeves), and the nature of how this is sewn means that it is completely reversible. Also, cotton voile is incredibly easy to handle, which made the sewing on this jacket a total breeze.
For the pattern, I sewed a size XS based on my measurements, although in retrospect I think the XXS might have been a little better. This is a nice oversized fit that works over multiple layers, but the sleeves are a bit wide and they get in the way when I’m trying to wash the dishes (or even my hands, for that matter). I usually wear them slightly rolled up to bracelet length, so they are out of the way but can easily be rolled down if I need the extra warmth. I waffled on which length to sew (there are 3 lengths included in the pattern) but ultimately decided on the happy medium of the mid-length. I’m pretty satisfied with this decision, and I had just enough fabric to make everything work.
I used the main fabric for the neckband, rather than the lining contrast, as the pattern calls for. I also opted to not interface the neckband pieces, since my wool flannel is so thick and didn’t really need the extra support. This also gives the jacket a bit of a softer structure, which I think is nice for a house robe. For visual interest, I cut the pockets on the bias. Since they are lined with che cotton voile cut on the straight grain, they should stay supported and not stretch out.
So. About this fabric. It was super easy to sew + press (it is, after all, wool flannel), but in retrospect this pattern really isn’t suited for a plaid design. I promise I actually did try to match the plaid lines – which was reasonably successful at the side seams, but failed miserably anywhere the sleeves were involved. OH WELL. I figure – this is a house coat, I don’t give a shit if it’s less than perfect. Even with mismatched plaid lines, it is still lightyears ahead of of the old fuzzy robes I used to wear.
I made this jacket out of a pretty desperate need (it was quickly getting cold and I couldn’t face another winter of wearing my old robe around the house), which means the sewing was a little rushed. The pattern is super easy – it’s just a series of rectangles, for the most part – but I always find rushed sewing to be kind of unpleasant. To be completely honest with y’all, I did not really enjoy sewing this jacket at all specifically for that reason. Plus, when I finished it and put it on for the first time, I was pretty underwhelmed with how it looked on me. It is REALLY oversized and boxy, which isn’t necessarily a look that I tend to gravitate to. It is, however, very comfortable – and very warm – and as far as the type of garment I was aiming to make, it pretty much fit the bill perfectly.
I will say – despite my initial reaction after finishing, this jacket has really grown on me! Like I said, it is warm and comfortable – like being wrapped in a cozy blanket. The pockets are absolutely enormous, too – like, big enough to hide a kitten in (I think. Does anyone have a kitten I can borrow to test this theory?). I’ve taken to wearing this when I need to pop out to the grocery store or to check the mail, and the pockets are really useful for replacing my need to carry a purse. So, this is basically a blanket with storage. Like, what more do you need in life?
** Note: The fabrics used in this post were provided to me by Mood Fabrics, in exchange for my participation in the Mood Sewing Network. All opinions are my own!
LLADYBIRD 
Perhaps I missed it, but where can I obtain the Haori pattern you review here?
Click on the link in her text (it’s in red, Wiksten Haori).
Hi! It should be linked in the blog post:) You can also Google Wiksten Haori if the link isn’t working.
Super cute. You could belt it for a more structured look. It’s not black goth. It’s flannel grunge. Thank you for showing the lining !
Yeah it’s definitely not black goth haha. Thank you!
I made one in the longest view with some bull denim. I think of it as a barn coat. I think I had a RTW one like it in the late 80s that I wore to death. I have to say, I LOVE the pockets. I teach and they are so helpful that it is making me think I need to make a work apron with giant pockets. Yes they are big enough to carry a kitten. Or my reading glasses, phone, pens, paperwork…etc. I really like this pattern. I might want to try the medium length now. I’m leaning towards a linen for spring. Happy sewing and congratulations on your house!
Yeah the giant pockets are surprisingly awesome! I normally don’t give a shit one way or the other about pockets, but these are so good and BIG! A barn coat is a great way to describe this type of jacket. Oh, and thank you!! Really excited for my new house! 😀
You’re House Jacket 🤔, reminds me of pictures I’ve seen of 1940s gals in Outdoor Wear. I mean that in a super good way. Looks great on you! I can just picture walking to the corner store in it. Speaking of which; are you still going to have wonderful walk abilities in your, Yes, YOUR! NEW HOUSE!? 🎉🎇 🤩😍
I can’t believe you dropped the house news without a word about it.🤣 I know you’ll be busy but I’ll be waiting by my mailbox for more!
Haha I know! I started looking at the end of December, but I didn’t want to say anything publicly until it was a for sure done deal because I was scared something would fall through! The whole process (other than looking, which was v depressing given my tight budget lol) was surprisingly easy and smooth, though! My new hood is definitely more neighborhood than shopping/eating district, but it’s only about a mile from the main road so it is somewhat walkable. I am so excited!!
Congratulations on your new house!! That’s awesome!! (So grown up!) Your dad would be proud. 🙂 Great coat!
Thank you! I agree, he would have loved the house 🙂 It’s so cute!!
Haha! I totally agree. I went to the grocery store the other day and used the pockets instead of using a bag. They will hold 3 avocados and 3 pears.
I love your plaid version, I may need to make another now. Thanks for sharing
Oh that is good to know! I can also confidently say that the jacket easily holds a standard sized paperback book 😉 yay for pockets!!
I love this coat/ blanket on you, and the cheery colors on you! I immediately visualized a leather or pleather wrap belt. Not so different than the kimono look which is not now! CONGRATS on the house! I’m sure your dad is guiding and applauding you! 😘
Kimono is HOT 🔥 I meant to say.
A blanket with storage — how perfect is that! At first I was thinking…WOOL flannel? Don’t think I’ve ever heard of that. And then I thought of the film “The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit.” Must’ve been referring to wool flannel, yes? Can’t quite feature Gregory Peck running around in a suit made from pajama flannel 🙂 . Someone mentioned a 40’s vibe on this one. Absolutely. And in a most cool way that snugs right up to Goth. I’ve got to check out this pattern — and some wool flannel! BTW, congratulations on your new house! That is just so exciting and I’m truly happy for you!
Thank you so much! I am very excited for what I hope will be my last move for a long, long time. And being able to make my house into the weird and colorful home of my dreams, ha! 🙂
I don’t see much wool flannel floating around, but it is pretty awesome! Definitely a step above the stuff you see for PJs. Now I want me a grey flannel suit haha…
I keep coming back to this post! Sadly, because I hate to put on ‘Street Clothes’. My son once said “If I was retired I’d never get dressed”, so don’t blame me for lurking your Wiksten! Now all I need is a pair of fake jean/pajamas bottoms…
How many yards of the wool did you need to the XS at medium length? Wondering how much I should order…
What lining method is used? Also, how is the bottom finished? The pattern is init for sale, so I’m just blog hopping trying to figure out how to make this on my own.
I am in the same boat, interested in sewing this pattern although it’s been discontinued.
I was able to locate an early version of the pattern files on the Making Magazine downloads; Issue 4 has the Oversized Kimono Jacket by Jenny Gordy https://makingzine.com/pages/downloads
No instructions are included (they were in the magazine which is also no longer available) but I have seen a few YouTube videos doing a sew along which should help. Look for video on either the Unfolding Jacket or Haroi.