I’m so pleased to introduce our second new spring pattern, the Helsinki Jacket: a boxy, unlined jacket with a big, dramatic collar that gives it lots of style! I’ve been looking forward to showing you this new pattern. It’s such a fun and easy style to sew and to wear, and I’ve really been enjoying wearing it myself as I’ve been developing it.
Here are the essentials: This jacket is relaxed and loose-fitting, with dropped shoulders to give it an oversized fit, and with a collar that’s both dramatic and fun to sew. The sleeves are cut from two pieces to make better use of your fabric and to give a natural fit. This style is quite minimalist, with not a lot of seams, but with good details to make it really special. And, as usual, we’ve included two different views in one pattern.
View A is slightly cropped with shaped side-seam pockets. View B is a longer car coat length for those of you who prefer a little more coverage, with patch pockets that have a fun fold-over detail.
Sewing is very straightforward and quick. There are no buttons or closures for this style, which makes it really easy to sew and to wear. The front has enough coverage or overlap that I think you’ll find it stays mostly closed on its own. You can always add buttons if you want, but the jacket is intended to be casual and left unbuttoned to enhance its relaxed minimalist appearance.
I think the beauty of the Helsinki Jacket is its simplicity. I throw it on over jeans and a T-shirt when I’m running out and don’t have time to change. For dressier occasions it looks really great over trousers or a skirt and a simple sweater. I love it accessorized with jewelry and a scarf, but they aren’t necessary, either. Basically, this jacket is the extra layer that finishes an outfit. You can treat it like a blazer or jacket or like a heavier coat, depending on your needs and on the fabric you choose.
Here is that nice two-piece sleeve:
Regarding fabrics, I recommend anything from a light-weight linen or denim to a full-on bulky wool like I used for this style, which is why it’s versatile for lots of seasons. I used a boiled wool for View A and a wool jacquard for View B. For spring and summer, however, consider denim, chambray, or a crisp linen for a light layer at night. For colder weather you can sew it in heavier woolly fabrics like I did for a cozy layer. The length and pocket details views make the two views look quite very different from each other, so you can get a lot of mileage out of one pattern, especially when you use different fabrics. I’ll talk more about fabric suggestions in another post.
Here is the side pocket for View A:
And here is the fold-over detail from the pocket for View B.
My favorite part, of course, is the collar. Isn’t it fun?
This style is really quick to sew, and the details are fun to make without taking very long. You could add more details if you want: buttons and buttonholes, or if you want a lining it would be very easy to add one. But this jacket is intended to be simple to sew and to wear, so I encourage you to enjoy its simplicity!
You can pick up your own copy of the Helsinki Jacket sewing pattern in digital and in paper format. Obviously I love to see what you make from our patterns, so I hope you’ll tag us #lieslandco and #helsinkijacket in your posts.
Happy sewing!
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