The Sew and Tell Project

I’m really excited to be blogging about the new Softshell Jacket from Gracious Threads today! If you’ve been following Sew and Tell Project for awhile, you might remember that Jessica was the winner of Season 12 of Project Run and Play!  I can’t believe it’s been almost exactly one year since we competed in this awesome sewing competition.

We’ve stayed connected to the other contestants throughout this past year. When Jess needed testers for her new Softshell Jacket though, I noticed that I had some free time in my sewing calendar so I hurried to sign up because the sewing community is cool like that. Bonus: This jacket is exactly what the kids needed for our upcoming trip to the U.K.

I ordered my softshell fabric from Frollein-S. Softshell has a thin layer of fleece fused to a water-resistant layer of fabric. My softshell also has a slight stretch to it. While my daughter measured closer to a size 4, since she was between sizes, and I wanted growing room, I sewed a straight size 5 for her. She will be able to layer this over a sweater and I can uncuff the sleeves as she grows this winter.

I opted to sew the simple version (View B) of the jacket. I just did a complete reorganization of my sewing room and now my piping and zippers are all stored neatly. I have so many notions I wanted to only use from my stash. This separating zip was from a bundle given to me by my mother a few years ago that she picked up at a tag sale. This was also the first time I shortened a separating zipper. One reason I still test patterns occasionally is that it challenges me to try new things and expand my sewing skills.

I have sewn about a half dozen outerwear/jacket patterns for myself and my crew. View B is by far the simplest construction of any jacket pattern I’ve tried and I think the fit is fabulous. If sewing outerwear has been a challenge for you, I recommend you start with this pattern!

Speaking of challenging and testing me, my usually super cooperative 3 year old was NOT super cooperative for pictures. We even went out twice to get some! I do however have a softshell jacket cut out for my middle daughter now that more softshell fabric has arrived! I can’t wait to share more views with a more cooperative model and with enough zippers to make the beautiful View A!

Make sure you grab your softshell jacket pattern now while it is on sale for $6.75 through August 25th!