The idea of a bomber jacket had been in my head for a while, so now that fall is here, I decided to go for it! As usual, I threw myself into the project and tackled a series of bomber jackets for the whole family! The only one left to make is Dad’s!
I wanted it lined, with zipped pockets and an inner piped pocket for my phone... I could have started from scratch and drawn a new bomber jacket pattern altogether, but I decided to adapt it from my TITUS hoodie pattern. In this article, I’ll show you exactly how I proceeded, step by step and I’ll give you all the necessary tips to adapt it according to your size! I'll even let you in on a little secret: these adaptations are probably valid for many other sweatshirt patterns...
Click on the images to zoom in!
All values are given in centimeters.
Supplies
To make this bomber jacket, you’ll need:
- a main fabric (tissu principal) for the jacket: choose it water-repellent or waterproof it afterwards, stretchy or not, if you opt for a thin fabric, do not hesitate to add interface to it (this step is not discussed in this tutorial),
- a fabric for the lining (doublure): opt for fleece or warm quilted fabric, or a lighter fabric if you are not looking for warmth,
- scraps for pockets (from the main fabric or a contrasting fabric),
- knit ribbing (bord-côte) for the waistband, wristbands and collar, (measure the elasticity of the ribbing, it will be useful!),
- 1 separating zipper for the front opening (minimum length given in following table) and 2 zippers for the pockets.
The fabric and lining can be either stretchy or not. If both fabrics are stretchy, always use a stretch stitch. If one of the fabrics is not stretchy, a stretch stitch is not necessary. Beware, the adjustments shown in this tutorial will not be exactly identical wether you pick out stretchy fabric or not.
Footage table
Pick the right size
The TITUS sweatshirt has an ease of 16cm (20cm for kids’ sizes) at the chest, which is enough for a jacket, without changing the width of the garment, even with a non-stretchy fabric. However, if your measurements are between two sizes, go for the size above instead. Also, if you want to weat your bomber jacket on top of multiple layers of clothes, go for the size above as well.
Adaptation of pattern pieces and fabric cutting
The seam allowances are included and are 6mm, if no further indication is given.
The pattern pieces you’ll be using for this project are: 1-Front, 2-Back, 3-Sleeves and 5-Kangaroo Pocket.
Start by folding a 3cm strip at the bottom of pieces 1-Front and 2-Back (2cm for sizes 2, 3, 4 and 5 years of the Titus sweatshirt for children). The finished length of the bomber jacket will therefore be 3 cm (or 2cm) shorter than the finished sweatshirt. If you’d like your jacket shorter than that, feel free to fold a higher strip (the minimal length for the zipper will be diminished by that much).
Also fold the pocket according to the following sketch.
The other adaptations will be traced directly on the fabrics.
In main fabric:
Position piece 2-Back (folded in the lower part) on the fold, and piece 1-Front (also folded, but not on the fold of the fabric, we will cut 2 Fronts after making some modifications) and 3-Sleeves.
Around piece 1-Front, draw a line 1cm along the front middle (seam allowance for zipper), as well as a rectangle in the lower part, according to the diagram below, referring to the dimensions given for your size. In the rest of this tutorial, I will call this outgrowth the "small square", for lack of a better idea! Also move the armhole 1cm towards the side, and re-trace the side edge, drawing a line from the new armpit to the bottom edge.
On piece 2-Back, move the armhole curve 1 cm to the side, in the same way.
Then draw a rectangular pocket (inner piped pocket) according to the dimensions given in the table, as well as a rectangle for the piping of this pocket.
Also draw the facing: it is the width of the rectangle added in the lower part of front, the same height as front, and it follows the neckline shape of front. For this facing, I suggest cutting your modified front parts, then set them on the uncut fabric to trace the height of the cladding and trace the rounded neckline.
Finally, widen the sleeves on each side by an f value, given in the following table according to your size, at the wrists.
Cut Back (Dos) once on fold, Facing (parementure) twice, modified Front (devant modifié) twice, inside pocket (poche passepoilée) twice, piping (passepoils) twice, side pockets (poches côtés) twice and widened Sleeves (manches) twice.
NB: enlarging the front, back and sleeves at the armpit is only necessary if one at least of your fabrics is non-stretchy. If both the main fabric and the lining are stretchy, do not enlarge the armhole.
In the lining:
Keep the lower fold in pieces 1-Front and 2-Back.
Make another fold on piece 1-Front, along the middle line in front at a distance g, given in the table below depending on your size.
Finally, in the same way you did in main fabric, move the armhole curve 1cm to the side on front and back and widen the sleeves at the wrists.
Cut the Back once on the fold, the modified Front twice and the sleeves twice.
In the knit ribbing:
Depending on the elasticity (E) of your knit ribbing, and the size (taille) you picked, refer to the table below to determine the height (hauteur) and length (longueur) of the waistband (ceinture), wrists (poignets) and collar (col).
The belt and wrists cut to these dimensions are ready for use. The collar still needs to be adapted. To do this, fold the collar in half, width-wise. Make a mark in the middle of the folded length (A), as well as a middle of the short raw edge (B). Then draw a gentle curve between these points to give its (symmetrical) shape to the collar.
Assembly
Zipped pockets
Pin a pocket on a front, with right sides (RS) together. The pocket should be roughly centered on the width of the front, 2 cm above the bottom edge, with oblique edge oriented to the side.
Draw a rectangle 1 cm wide, parallel to the oblique edge of the pocket and located about 3 cm from the edge. Its length will be at least 3 cm shorter than the finished length of zips for pockets.
Draw a line in the middle of this rectangle and 2 "V" at the ends.
Sew with a straight stitch around the perimeter of the rectangle.
Make a cut in the middle line with the seam ripper.
Open the pocket with scissors along the line.
Cut the ends at an angle, making sure not to cut the stitches.
Turn the pocket to the wrong side of the front and iron.
Pin the zipper on the wrong side (WS) of the front, centered on the slot, making sure to have the pull tab towards the outside of the garment.
Baste around the zipper.
With special zipper presser foot, sew with a straight stitch all around the zipper 2mm from the fold of the slot.
Take the baste stitch apart.
Cut the edges of the zipper that protrude.
Pin the back of the pocket, RS together, on the pocket in place, being careful not to pin the front fabric.
Sew with a straight stitch all around the perimeter of the pocket, and finish edges with a zig zag stitch.
Repeat these operations for the second pocket, on the other front piece.
Inner piped pocket
Pin the facing on one front of the lining, with RS together.
Make sure that the facing protrudes by a distance b from the bottom of the lining.
Sew with a straight stitch 1 cm from raw edge and finish the edge with a zigzag stitch (or sew an overlock stitch 1 cm from raw edge).
On the bottom, stop the seam 1cm from the bottom of the lining.
Do the same for the second facing.
Fold the piping strips in half, length-wise, with WS together and iron.
Unfold the facing. On RS of lining, draw a horizontal line, aligned with the armpit, of the same length as the piping, straddling the 2 fabrics, which ends about 1.5 cm after the middle of the facing.
On RS of lining, pin the folded piping, aligning the raw edges of the piping with the previously drawn line.
Take one of the inner pocket pieces and cut it 3 cm from the top to make 2 pieces.
Pin the smallest piece along the raw edge of the upper piping, with RS together.
Pin the larger piece to the lower piping, with RS together.
Sew with a straight stitch, in the middle of each piping (that is, 0.5 cm from the raw edge for sizes 2 to 10 years, and 1 cm for other sizes), starting and stopping 1.5 cm from the edges of the pocket.
Open the lining in the middle of the 2 piping, along the line, with seam ripper and scissors, ending with an angled cut in the corners, to the first and last stitches.
Turn the two pocket pieces and piping to the WS of lining and iron.
On WS, sew a few stitches on the small triangle that is at the end of the pocket opening, stitching the piping and pocket, and making sure not to stitch the lining.
Pin the other piece of pocket, on the pocket in place, with RS together, being careful not to stitch the lining.
Sew with a straight stitch all around the pocket, and finish edge with zig zag stitch.
Assembly of jacket and lining
Assemble back and fronts of main fabric and lining by sewing the shoulder seams (RS together – straight stitch and zig zag finish or overlock).
Assemble the sleeves of main fabric and lining (RS together – straight stitch and zig zag finish or overlock – for more details, refer to the Titus sweatshirt tutorial). There is no gather in these sleeves.
Close the jacket (main fabric) on BOTH sides by making the seams of the sides and sleeves (with a single seam from wrist to bottom -- see tutorial sweat Titus).
In the same way, close ONLY ONE side of the lining.
At this stage, it is necessary to check if the reversal of the jacket will be possible through the sleeve. For this, try to pass the body of the jacket through the closed sleeve of the lining, also try to pass the lining through the sleeve of the jacket, and then turn the jacket inside out and the lining inside out, passing through the sleeve.
If all these manipulations are possible, close the second side of the lining, including the sleeve.
Otherwise, sew the second sleeve+side seam of the lining, leaving an opening of about 20 cm (sew the sleeve, the armpit, then stop the seam a few centimeters under the armpit, and finish the seam in the lower part, 20cm further).
Assembly of the waistband (beware! this is, in my opinion, the most tricky step!)
Turn the jacket and lining over inside out, and stack one on the other, facing each other.
With RS together, pin the bottom of the facing and front (at the bottom edge of the “small square”).
Sew with a straight stitch and finish the edges with a zig zag stitch (or overlock), 1cm from the bottom edge.
Open your work and lay it flat on the backs, jacket on one side and lining on the other, with RS of facing and the front towards the sky.
Pin the short edge of the waistband, with RS together, along the side of the bottom part of facing and the "small square". Also pin the other end of the belt.
Make sure the waistband protrudes 1.5cm over the bottom of fronts (stretch it slightly straight grain-wise if necessary).
Sew with a straight stitch, starting and stopping the seam 0.7cm before and after the main fabric corners.
Draw a line at an angle from the inner corner to the end of the seam (do this in the 2 corners of the main fabric), then make a notch with scissors, making sure not to cut the stitches.
Turn the waistband to RS, passing it over the lining.
Iron the seams towards the front middle to give the impression that the belt is "coming out" of the "small square" and not the other way around.
Stack the front lining and front jacket with WS together and pin the bottom of the facing with the "small square", to keep them in place.
Turn the lining inside out (leaving the "small square" folded with WS together), and stack it on the jacket, aligning the lower edges.
Pin the jacket and lining along the bottom edge, with RS together, pining the 2 raw edges of the waistband between them, aligning all raw edges.
Be sure to match the back middles of each piece, the side seams, and stretch the belt evenly.
At the junction with the "small square", pass the corners of the waistband through the notches to make it come out on the WS.
Sew with a straight stitch, along the entire length of the belt, making sure to connect the seam with the seam previously made, in the inner corners of the "small square", and stretching.
Finish edges with a zig zag stitch.
Don't forget to remove the pins on the "small squares".
Mounting the separable zipper
Keeping your work inside out, turn the "small squares" inside out as well (they will not hold in place very well, because of the waistband pulling on them, but the important thing is to have the raw edges well aligned in the lower part).
Separate your zipper.
Pin one zipper tape on the front of the jacket, aligning the raw edges and making sure that the pull tab is against the main fabric front.
Overlay the facing and pin it over the zipper, aligning raw edges.
At the bottom, push the zip as close as possible to the lower seam.
At the top, fold the zip 90 ° towards the middle front, 1.5 cm from the edge of the neckline.
With the zipper presser foot, sew a straight stitch along the zipper, making a stop stitch RIGHT AFTER the top fold of the zip, to block it in this position.
Finish the edge zig zag point.
Repeat for the other side of the zipper.
Assembly of collar
Fold the neck in half, lengthwise, with WS together, and iron.
Pin the ends of the collar, at the ends of the neckline, sandwiching the collar between the jacket and lining, and aligning the raw edges of each piece.
Pin at the back middle, then all around the neckline, evenly stretching the collar, and aligning the shoulder seams of lining and jacket.
Sew with a straight stitch, connecting the seam to those of the zipper on each side.
Finish edges with a zig zag stitch.
Cut the zipper that protrudes on both sides.
Turning outside out and finishing
Turn the work outside out by passing it through a sleeve, or through the opening left in the side seam of lining.
If you left an opening in the lining, close it by hand, with an invisible stitch. Here is an effective video tutorial: tuto couture invisible – YouTube
Insert the sleeves of the lining into the sleeves of the jacket, aligning the seams.
Fold the ribbing wrists in half, width-wise, with RS together, and pin in place.
Sew with a stretch stitch.
Fold the wrists in half length-wise, with WS together.
On the outside of the sleeves, pin the wrists, aligning the raw edges of the ribbed wrist, of the sleeve of the jacket and of the sleeve of the lining.
Sew with a straight stitch and finish with a zig zag stitch or overlock (tip: sew or serge from inside of the sleeve).
Repeat with the other wrist.
All that’s left to do is top-stitch the entire perimeter with one seam:
For example, start at the bottom of a zipper, on the "small "square", top stitch with a straight stitch 5 mm from the edge, going towards the waistband, go up along the ribbing, then top stitch above the waistband, the other "small square", the first side of the zipper, the neckline (for the neckline, I prefer to stitch 2mm from the edge), and finally the other side of the zipper.
If you've made it this far, bravo! You're done! It's a bit long, but what a satisfaction! Leave a comment or a question at the bottom of this page!
