Style Arc Violet Knit Jacket

(an oversized vest)

I had scored an interesting piece of cotton knit French terry from a local fabric shop, lucky enough to get the end of the bolt, just over 2 yards of 36 inch-wide fabric. About a week later, Style Arc came out with its Violet Knit Jacket and it was kismet. I love this vest!

Here's the final result. Since my fabric is two-sided, I made a single-layer front instead of the double layer front intended in the design.

Here's the navy muslin I made to test my altered pattern. It's from some repurposed polarfleece in my stash. It also sports a single-layer front.

Pattern:  Style Arc Violet Knit Jacket

Fabric: Cotton Knit French Terry from House of Fabrics in North Asheville, NC.

This jacket has one discrepancy between the line drawing and the actual pattern: there are no princess seams in the front.

Alterations:

The pattern sketch led me to believe that it was not as voluminous as it is IRL.  I love the fact that Style Arc posts photos whenever it can along with its line drawings, because it gives me a heads up on how much ease is truly present. 

Once I saw the photo I knew I had to use the smallest size (Size 4) and take out some of the volume.

I made a Pellon Tru-Grid "muslin" first, just to get an idea of the size, and then used the altered Pellon pieces for my pattern. I took a total of 4 inches out of the circumference of the size 4 pattern. My goal was to have a vest that looked more like the pattern's sketch than the photo of the lovely lady modeling the vest. I wanted there to be plenty of ease, but not as much as shown in the photo.

The Back Length problem: I usually have to shorten the back length by 1 inch or so for all patterns, so I wasn't surprised that when I tried the Pellon piece on after making the vertical alterations, I found that it also was too long in the back. But unlike other patterns I've used, it bunched up right under the collar and formed a serious Hunchback of Notre Dame profile, so I lowered the collar. That worked for some of the fullness, but I still had to shorten the length of the upper back and lower back pieces at their seamline by a total of 2.5 inches (1.25 inches for each piece, tapering to nothing at the side seam. That's a total of 4 inches in back length. (Wait. What?)

I know, right? That's a lot!  These large alterations in back length looked good and fit well on the navy Polarfleece muslin, so I did the same on my grey French terry version. On the grey version, though, I think I took out too much because the back hem scoops up slightly when the vest is closed at center front . Happily, it's not designed to be closed. Worn open,it hangs smoothly and evenly in the back and the Hunchback Effect is gone. My point is that  YMMV (your mileage may vary). If I make this pattern again I will not take the amounts out of the middle seam going across the back until the fitting stage. 

Where does the Hunchback Effect come from? I think it has to do partly with where the arm openings fall on me and partly because I always have to shorten the back of all patterns by an inch or so.

Here images of the alterations I made to the Size 4 pattern (one image without dashed lines indicating where alterations were made, one image with dashed lines): (click to enlarge)

1. Removed 1 inch from the left side of the back
2. Removed 1 inch from the right side of the back
3. Made a 1 inch wide by 7.5 inch long tuck running from the front hem to just under the bust on each side of the front.
4. Lowered the collar 1.5 inches at the center back tapering to nothing 7 inches from the center back.
5. Trimmed 1.25 inches from the lower edge of the upper back piece at the center, tapering to nothing at the side seam.
6. Trimmed 1.25 inches from the upper edge of the lower back piece tapering to nothing at the side seam.
7. To eliminate the excess width of the collar's back from my alterations to the width of the back pieces, I pivoted a 1 inch dart into the center back seam. (2 inch correction in width of the back of the collar to compensate for the 2 inches total taken out of the upper and middle back pieces.
8. Decreased the width (side-seam-to-side-seam distance) of the back hem band by 1 inch on each side of the back piece to compensate for the 2 inches taken out of the back 
9. Decreased the width of the front hem band by 1 inch to compensate for the 1 inch tucks under the bust on each front piece.
10. Widened the collar by 1.25 inches at the center back and continuing around to the lapel area, then tapering to nothing 2 inches above the lower front hem.

I widened the collar and lapel area because I made a single layer front and wanted to turn the edge of the fabric under for the grey French terry version. I just serged the front edges of the navy polarfleece version which is why its collar is deeper and lapels are wider.  

Whew! Sorry this is so long!

One final thing: when my DD visited over the holidays and laid eyes on the navy polarfleece muslin of the Violet, she immediately requested that I send it to her when I had finished my grey French terry version. Her wish is my command, apparently, because I'm mailing it off to her tomorrow. (smile)