Noel Blazer by Vikisews Patterns

I’m so proud of my latest make and so happy I can finally show you some pictures! I think this blazer is the best thing I’ve ever made. I love everything about it! I can’t wait to wear it to work as soon as we’re allowed to go back to the office.

Fabric

The fabric is from Minerva (gifted/Ad). It’s a viscose suiting fabric that has some stretch (48% Polyester, 48% Viscose, 4% Lycra). It was a dream to work with - it’s the perfect fabric for a blazer or some trousers. For the lining I used a 100% viscose lining in a camel shade. I prefer viscose linings over acetate linings because they are more breathable.

Pattern & construction

I used a pattern by Vikisews, called the Noel blazer. I cut a size 34 and had a feeling that it would be too small from the beginning, so I added extra seam allowance (so glad I did because I had to let out 1cm of the side seam to make it fit). The construction was tricky, I won’t sugarcoat it. Especially never having made a blazer before, but I was confident as I’ve made a few coats. The construction of this blazer is different to others I think - the lining is added as you go, instead of in the end when everything is already sewed together. The welt pockets came along quite easily, even though they took a while. The most difficult part for me was adding the collar - it was really tricky to get it right. In the end, I’m super happy with the result! I can’t believe I’ve made this haha! I definitely gained new skills making this blazer, which is always great :) If you want to see the whole process, you can watch my story highlight called "Noel blazer" on my Instagram.

A lot of people messaged me saying they would like to make a pattern by Vikisews too but are scared they won’t be able to follow the Russian instructions. I wrote a blog post about it a few months ago (www.sososewing.com) - it’s really not as hard as you might think! First of all, the instructions of all Russian pattern brands I’ve worked with are very detailed and come with lots of pictures showing every single step. Most steps you will be able to follow just by looking at the pictures (especially if you have made a similar garment before). For more complicated steps in the process, I use the lens function in the Google app to translate the text - it’s an instant camera translator.

Don’t be scared of trying Russian patterns. If you have been following me for a while you will know I’m a big fan of Vikisews patterns - they have a really nice choice and their patterns come in a wide size range. Even the more difficult patterns like blazers and coats won’t be hard to make if you have made a blazer or a coat before. So when you’re trying Russian patterns for the first time and you want to be safe, go for a garment you’ve made before.