Kimono, Denim or Quilted: 6 Best Jacket Sewing Patterns

A good fall jacket is hard to find: the sleeves are too short, the shoulders too wide, or the color is just not right. A jacket sounds like an advanced project, but a kimono is a manageable start, and sewing your own lets you adjust the sleeve length before cutting. The best jacket sewing patterns give you a clear size range, and the beginner ones walk you through the steps.

The six start with an open-front kimono that comes with an e-book and end with an oversized faux fur coat. In between are a cropped denim jacket, a reversible quilted jacket, a men’s bomber and an A-line coat with buckles. After the cards: interfacing, lining, pockets and thick seams, and how the size ranges split.

Jacket Sewing Pattern Lineup, from Kimono to Faux Fur

Doll and dog jackets did not make it, and neither did a five-piece sport capsule whose listing gives two different size ranges. Two of the remaining patterns are sold three sizes per listing, so check which range you are buying.

TL;DR: Six jackets and coats from light to heavy: an open-front kimono with an e-book, a cropped denim jacket with patch pockets, a reversible quilted jacket, a men's bomber for experienced sewists, an A-line coat with buckles and an oversized faux fur coat.

• Classic Kimono Jacket – Best easy jacket
• Denim Jacket Sewing Pattern Milane XS S – Best denim jacket
• Double Side Jacket – Diana – Best quilted jacket
• Men's Bomber Jacket Pdf Sewing Pattern – Best men's jacket
• Romspattern BuckleCape Coat – Best coat
• Faux Fur Coat Sewing Pattern Oversize – Best winter coat

Quick Comparison

Interfacing: Where a Jacket Gets Its Shape

Interfacing is the extra layer, fusible or sew-in, that keeps a collar standing, a front edge straight and a buttonhole from stretching. Depending on the pattern and the fabric, it often goes into the collar, the front facings, the cuffs and the pocket openings. A small patch behind buckles or snaps may help too, after a test on a scrap, if the fabric needs reinforcing there.

Test a fusible on a scrap of your outer fabric first: it should bond without bubbling or changing the color. Faux fur and other pile fabrics are better served by sew-in interfacing, since a hot iron can flatten the pile. None of the listings here spells out its interfacing, so check the supply list inside the pattern before you shop.

Lined, Reversible or Seams on Show

A slippery lining in the sleeves lets an arm slide in over a sweater. The bomber listing suggests taffeta for its lining, which does that job. Cotton lawn feels soft against the body but grips more than a lining fabric, so if you like it, keep it to the body and use a slippery lining in the sleeves.

A lining also hides the inside seams. In an unlined jacket, finish them neatly, with a serger, bias binding over each raw edge or flat-felled seams on sturdy cotton. The Diana jacket takes a third route: it is reversible, with both faces finished and clean edges at the front, hem and sleeves, so there is no wrong side to hide.

Adding insulation to a pattern drafted without it is a different matter. Check the finished measurements and the intended ease first; a padded layer may need a pattern drafted with more wearing ease.

Patch Pockets, Welt Pockets and Thick Seams

A patch pocket is sewn on top of the jacket front; a welt pocket is cut into it, with a narrow strip framing the opening. Welt pockets take precision, and a patch pocket is the usual easier swap. Here the Milane denim jacket has shaped patch pockets, while the Diana jacket has single welt pockets on the front.

Outerwear also stacks layers: where a collar, facing and front meet you may be sewing through four or more thicknesses. Hand-basting those spots and a slower speed over the bulk both help. For heavy denim a 100/16 denim needle is common, but test the needle size on the actual stack of your fabric. If the pattern permits it, a lighter weight outer fabric can reduce bulk.

Coat and Jacket Questions

How are the size ranges split?

The Milane denim jacket is sold in two listings, XS to M and L to XXL, and the Diana jacket listing here is XS, S and M. The faux fur coat treats XS to M as one size, and the bomber runs S to XL by chest, 34 to 48 inches. Compare your body with the jacket pattern measurements in each chart rather than the letter.

Is there a men’s jacket here?

Yes, the bomber. For more menswear, see the men’s sewing patterns.

How do I cut faux fur?

Lay it pile side down, trace the pieces on the backing and cut only the backing with small snips or a craft knife on a cutting mat, moving the blade away from your body. Cut every piece with the pile running down the body, and trim the pile out of the seam allowances so the seams can close. The faux fur coat comes without seam allowances, so add them on the paper first.

Unlined, Lined or Reversible: Decide That First

Style is the easy part of choosing; construction is what decides how the project goes. The kimono, a casual jacket for layering, and the swing coat, suggested as a wool coat or in heavy cotton, keep the build simple, the bomber asks for a full lining with no instructions, and the Diana jacket replaces the lining with a second finished face.

So pick the kind of inside you are ready to sew, then the look, before printing a jacket sewing pattern. If none of the six matches that, the tops and blouses section has lighter garments for practicing collars and cuffs first.

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