Well, well, well, here she is! The Jasika Blazer was quite a big project, but so worth the effort. One of the best parts about sewing is that I can make myself the types of wardrobe staples that are so hard to find in the sizes and styles that I love. When I wore this blazer for the first time, I felt amazing. Sophisticated. Stylish. Like a woman that has her shit together!
Clothing is funny like that, isn’t it? It matters how our clothes make us feel. It goes beyond labels and superficial, materialistic meaning. Wearing something that fits, that’s made from quality materials, and looks nice can completely change the way we show up in the world.
Sewing things like this makes me more confident. I’ve always loved clothing, but would get frustrated when a style in the store looked better on the hanger than it did on my body. And I kinda felt like maybe my body was changing in a negative way as I got older. That my body wasn’t as good as it used to be (when I was in my 20s. I mean c’mon!!). Through this new-found obsession with wardrobe sewing, I’ve learned that my body is good…and most ready-to-wear clothing is not. Or rather, commercial clothing is made for 20-year-old bodies that are deemed commercially “acceptable” and most everything else that isn’t made for these body types is made to fit a multitude of silhouettes with bag-like garment shapes. Because fitting every shape is a challenge that just can’t be solved by fast fashion.
This blazer hit so many high points for me when it comes to custom-made garments. I’ll be wearing this for a long time…maybe it will be handed down at some point to a younger family member? And it will have a story attached to it. A legacy. Because that’s what a sewing project like this is: a meaningful object embedded with a history, and the love and care of the hands that made it.
Damn. I’m so happy I made this jacket!
TOTAL PROJECT COST BREAKDOWN:
Wool Shell Fabric (2 yards): $59.98
Rayon Bemberg Lining (2 yards): ~$14.00 (on sale at JoAnn)
Interfacing, Shoulder Pads, Hair Canvas, Twill Stay Tape: ~$28.00
Thread: ~$6.00
Button: Free (already had in my stash)
Jasika PDF Pattern: $16.00
Pattern Printing: ~$9.00
TOTAL: ~$133.00
Check out the rest of the posts in this series: Getting Started, Making a Muslin, and Fabric Prep and Construction.
