Esthers New Look 6035 Blazer

I love that this month’s box has both pink and plain fabric. I’m enjoying all the Barbie pinks of late so glad to have an excuse to make a pink garment.

I am always drawn to printed fabrics. I find that it’s easier for me to envision a garment in a printed fabric than in a plain one, so my wardrobe is full of printed garments making it difficult to coordinate my wardrobe. As soon as I saw the fabric, I knew that I wanted to make a blazer.

I’ve made a few outerwear pieces in the past but none have been blazers. I love blazers and I have a few ready to wear formal blazers. I really wanted to see if I could make a casual blazer, something that would be great for the unseasonably cold summer we are having this year.

While I considered what pattern I wanted to make, I really wanted to find an Indie pattern. I don’t have much of a problem with making big 4 patterns but I was craving better instructions for my first attempt at blazer making. I considered the Heather Blazer by Friday Pattern Co but I felt that it was a little too boxy for my taste and I didn’t want to have to make lots of adjustments. I also looked at The Blazer by Avid Seamstress but I wasn’t certain about it.

So I went back to the Big 4 and found the New Look 6035 I like most of the features of this pattern for a casual blazer. The main thing I didn’t like were the style of the pockets. The pattern has patch pockets which are of course very easy to apply but my preferred pocket style is a welt pocket. However, I haven’t made one before so I don’t know how to make it and I don’t know how to adjust the pattern to add one. More importantly, I didn’t want to have to adjust the pattern to add the welt pocket.

I made the pattern in size 12 and removed 1 inch from the body of the blazer. As I feared, the instructions were sparse and lacked attention to detail but I have been sewing for a few years so I got the hang of it until I got to the collar. The instructions were quite unclear and I just couldn’t make out what to do. 

I went to YouTube with the hope that I might find a sewalong. Thankfully, I found one by Rochelle.Handmade.Designs. I don’t know what I’d have done without that video.

The collar was the most difficult part of the construction and it could be better but it could be worse. The blazer was quite an easy sew, it’s unlined so it makes it a quick sew as well. In the future, I’ll draft a lining. The blazer requires the addition of one button but I skipped that step because I wear my blazers open. But I think I’ll go back to add it in, I think the button and buttonhole will give some visual appeal.

I enjoyed making this blazer and I look forward to styling it with my other makes. The fabric was a beauty to work with. It pressed nicely and took to interfacing very well.