Making: Unlined Blazer with Notched Collar [+Matching Shorts]

I've made a couple of notched collar jackets before, but this one I'm particularly pleased with, because I messed up in the process but was able to salvage the situation 🙌

Also I think it's safe to say, the time of strict neutrals is a thing of the past, bring on the colour (plus, I think, mixed prints...!)

Tutorials take a lot of time & effort to create, and I choose to make mine available for free. If you enjoy this guide, you can support me with a donation that feels right for you, here.

TOOLS:

Fabric (I used a relatively thick crepe, 3 m of full width for the jacket and shorts which I cut super economically, so about 2 m for the jacket to be safe) | Scissors | Thread | Sewing machine & Serger (the zipper was for the shorts

I. My cut front pieces + lining pieces (they're layered on top if you look closely).

.. And back pieces:

II. Started with the back piece - Sewed the middle seam up until the extensions that make the vent. Then notched the seam allowance, pressed the seam open, and flipped the vent pieces to one side. I finished the upper layer with just a simple single fold and the one underneath I blind stitched..

.. And on the right side, added a diagonal stitch at the top of the vent to secure the two layers in place.

III. Onto the collar. I sewed the shoulder seams of the main jacket pieces, and then used the neckline as the guide to cut the collar piece x2.

Then took one of the collar pieces I just cut, and pinned and sewed it in place, first only along the straight edge:

.. Then notched the coat front pieces at the corner:

Which makes it easier to pivot the collar piece and pin the rest of it in place:

After sewing those seams, the collar starts to look like a collar:

IV. Next up is the lining piece. Repeat the same steps:

And press the seams open:

(At this point I also cut off the excess from the seam allowance)

Also press open the seams on the jacket itself, apart from the seam allowance on the back piece - press that upwards towards the collar.

V. Then it's time to pin the lining to the coat, right sides facing, and sew all around.

🚨This is where I made my mistake, just sewing completely absent-minded. For the collar seam to align with the notch, you need to pivot the stitch exactly at that seam (blue arrow). I for some reason decided to pivot next to it... So had to rip the seam open and redo it, and because I had gone as far as cutting a notch at the corner, I had to compensate and create a bit of a curve on the lower part of the collar 'triangle'.

I didn't mind though, it turned out ok (you can see the slight curve in the next image).

VI. Once that was done, I folded the lining at the edge and pinned it on the reverse (the top of it, which aligns with the shoulder seam, I tucked under the seam allowance there). Hand-sewed the whole thing in place.

VII. At the hem, before hand-sewing the lining all the way, I turned the reverse side out and sewed the lining to the hem of the jacket, clipped the corner, and pushed it out.