It’s been a while since our last style file entry. I made this jacket shortly after we released the Weekend Getaway pattern, but I’ve never really talked about it or told you how I made it. So today’s the day!
A summer coat can replace a cardigan during the warmer months, which is a great way to combat overenthusiastic air conditioning and cooler nights. It’s a lightweight covering for bright sun, too, so if you’re conscientious about protecting your skin from the sun (we all are these days, right?) this is an easy way to stay cool without overexposing yourself to those sharp rays. It also serves to pull together an outfit, especially for evening. I love how it can lengthen your silhouette and make everything look a little more sophisticated. Here are some examples I pulled from our Liesl + Co Weekend Getaway Blouse + Dress Pinterest board. I particularly like it worn in sharp contrast to the color worn underneath, like the natural linen coat worn over black and the black coat worn over all white.
If you’re interested in trying this for colder months, it can absolutely be sewn from heavier/thicker fabrics and worn in winter as well. Here are some more examples.
You can see all these photos on our Liesl + Co Weekend Getaway Dress + Blouse Pinterest board, plus lots more photo inspiration for the pattern as a top and dress.
So how did I alter the basic Weekend Getaway pattern to make my jacket? Easy! I widened the front facing by a little bit so the dress could be worn open. And then, when it came time to sew the center front seam, I skipped that step. I also added side vents to the side seams, which you can do by following our side vent tutorial. (I’ll show you someplace else I used the side vents very soon, too!)
Those are the only changes I made. You can see that Maria, in the pink wool coat above, added a lining and a button to her textured wool coat version, which I got to see in person when we visited her in Seville between Christmas and New Year. That’s only a tiny bit fancier than the unlined version. So however you sew this, it’s an easy and quick project that makes a great wardrobe addition. It’s part of my summer core wardrobe, believe it or not!
You can pick up your own copy of the Weekend Getaway Blouse + Dress pattern right here.