Choose Your Style First
Starting with the style makes choosing the fabric and pattern a lot easier. Whenever I’m out and about, I snap pictures of clothing I think is cute and might want to sew. I also save style ideas on Pinterest, Instagram, and Amazon. My “save for later” cart is full of cute clothing ideas. I know I’m making two different shackets for this coming season. One will be for working outside, and the other will be for running errands and that sort of stuff. I know both need to have pockets, and I want at least the one for working outside to have well-fitting sleeves and not be too long. You’ve got to think about safety when it comes to farm life. One way to help narrow down the style you want is to search shacket in your favorite browser and click on images.
How to Choose a Shacket Pattern
Choosing the pattern should be a little easier now that you’ve narrowed down your style. The links below are what I’ve narrowed my choices down to.
Adult Shirt Jacket Pattern from peek-a-boo pattern shop
Lumberjack Hourglass figure from Patterns for Pirates
Tips to Keep in Mind as you Plan your Shacket
Below are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your shacket. It’s often the little things like the lining, pockets and buttons that elevate your projects.
Cut Patch Pockets on the Bias
Plaid seems to be the most common fabric used for shackets, but there’s no rule that says you can’t use something else. A shacket is simply a lined shirt with pockets. If you do use plaid fabric, though, consider cutting the patch pockets on the bias. This is easier to do than matching the stripes in your plaid, and it gives your shacket some nice visual appeal.
It’s easy to cut pockets on the bias. What this means is that you rotate your pattern piece 45 degrees away from the normal grainline before cutting. Many patterns will even have this line marked for you to follow.
Size Up If Your Lining Is Fluffy
I’ve seen shackets lined with all sorts of materials — sherpa, fleece, flannel, etc. If you choose a thick/fluffy lining, you may need to sew a size larger than you normally would. This is just something to consider when choosing your size. The shacket is meant to look oversized, so sizing up would be fine in most cases anyway.
Here are some fabrics we recommend for sewing a shacket:
Matching Plaids
I don’t plan on covering matching plaids during the sew-along since I’m not using a plaid, but I do have a detailed article all about it called: How to Join and Pattern Match Fabric.
Use Chunky Buttons to Complete the Utility Look
The small buttons typically found on woven shirts won’t work well on a shacket. You need something bigger and more durable, especially if you used a thick lining. Chunky utility buttons or snaps would work best.
Buttons are a great way to add some flair to your shacket. It’s those small details that make a big difference. We love shackets because you can wear them with practically anything. Just imagine how it would look paired with a midi dress and boots or even jeans and a t-shirt.
LEARN TO SEW OR IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS
Do you want to start sewing but need a helping hand with the basics? Our Sewing 101 course has everything you need to start sewing confidently and improve your skills. Be sure to join our free private Facebook group. Want more beginner sewing tips like this? Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Sewing Machine Basics, or watch our free video tutorials on YouTube!
