rain rain, go away.

Come again another day!

But if it is going to stay … which it tends to do here in rainy Vancouver … then I may as well have a super cute jacket, yes?

It came together beautifully – I couldn’t be happier. The Minoru Jacket was definitely challenging but I enjoyed every minute. Although there was re-sewing in a few instances, it was definitely not outside my skill set … which is pretty limited when it comes to sewing.

I think what I am happiest about is that not only does it fit me … it fits me perfectly … ZIPPED UP!

I cut out the size 12. Reveal time! I am a 42” hip and 36” bust so I was nervous that the jacket would be too big in the yoke and too small in the hips – my complaint about every single jacket I have ever owned.

BUT! (no pun intended) this was not the case with this pattern! It fits in both areas perfectly. Win!

The only two modifications I made to this (I was not about to start mucking around with this pattern) was:

• Lined the hood, and
• Lifted the elastic line about 2” to hit my waist. I have a long torso and after doing my muslin, I knew I would probably have to raise it. My waist is 28” so I did have to cut off 5” of the elastic after I thread it through the casing – there was not enough shaping in the waist otherwise.

I found a water and wind resistant outdoors 100% synthetic at a local fabric wholesaler. It is quite stiff so yes, working the gathers was a little difficult. I had second thoughts about my fabric choice at that point but I’m really glad I persevered. This feels and looks like a real rain jacket – it is definitely outdoor wear. And the gathers actually turned out quite nicely considering it is stiff fabric:

I didn’t interface anything. As you can see, there was no need! If I had interfaced the front plackets, I think it would have made the jacket so stiff that it would have been lifeless. Instead, there is some movement but keeps its structure.

The pockets. I wasn’t sure what to do about pockets. I wanted them … but I didn’t. If I didn’t put pockets on, the utility of this jacket would have decreased a huge amount – I need somewhere to put the truck keys when I’m managing Tiny Tuna! So … I made simple simple simple pockets with buttons from my stash:

They are 5” wide, 6” deep at the long side and 4” deep at the short. I’m really glad I added these and I think for what I was looking for in the jacket, they finish it nicely.

While I was sewing, I decided to do a little math once I finished to explore the ‘cost’ of making pieces of clothing like this in comparison to buying them. If I had bought this jacket, it would have saved me time but would it have saved me money? value? What was the true sewing value of this item?

As soon as I finished, I decided to calculate my estimated cost, price and value of my Minoru. This is how it all broke down in the end:

Cost: $79.39 (after tax, CAD)

Price: $145 (after tax, CAD) (this is the cost of the same jacket that I originally wanted from Mountain Equipment Co-op)

Value: $261.91 (after tax, CAD)

So, ideally cost will be lower than price will be lower than value. That is certainly the case here. My jacket, to me, is worth a lot more than it would have cost me to buy it outright … that’s pretty cool in my humble opinion :)

All-in-all, regardless of the numbers, math and money, this was an awesome project. Thank you Tasia, for a wonderful pattern for the pear-shaped ladies out there!

What have you made that fits you perfectly? or a winning pattern you’d make again? I’d love to hear about it!

ps. Yes, we took these photos in the rain for authenticity! M kept reminding me that the camera is not waterproof. Who knew? hehe