Finished: Bomber Jacket of Leather and Metallic Brocade

This Isabel Marant jacket was the inspiration starting point for my third and final bomber jacket.

Readers, I think I got a little bit carried away with the whole bomber jacket trend. First I made this bomber, then this one, and now here’s my third–AND LAST!–bomber jacket. I really enjoyed sewing the first two versions, but this one I just wanted to be over with. I’m very happy with the results, mind you, but this pattern is being officially retired.

Finished! My third and final bomber jacket, a combination of silver metallic brocade and taupe leather.

It’s hard to photograph some metallic fabrics. I took these photos here, but even our in-house professional photographer sometimes struggles with how to successfully capture metallics.

Here’s a quick recap of the sewing details:
– Light taupe leather for the sleeves and neck binding from Mood NYC’s leather department
– Silver metallic brocade, also from Mood NYC, but no longer available because a buyer for Club Monaco bought the rest of the bolt. (Here’s a brocade from MoodFabrics.com that I think would work well.)
– Flatlined instead of lined using an off-white silk crepe de chine
– Hong Kong seams and seam binding using a lightweight silk brocade I had in my stash
– BurdaStyle pattern 7210
– Lampo zipper stitched on the outside as a design element
– Welt leather pockets

Here you can see the silk crepe de chine lining and the Hong Kong seams. If you’re planning on wearing a jacket unzipped, like I do with this jacket, it’s important the interior looks as great as the exterior.

I did have one dramatic incident when I was working on the the welt pockets. Somehow I managed to slit my fingertip open and it bled all over the silk crepe de chine pocket. I was able to remove the blood stains (blotting with a damp towel while cursing up a storm), but I ended up getting water stains on one of the leather sleeves and on one of the welt pockets. Of course they’re only removable by taking the jacket to a professional leather cleaner. Waah.

Bottom line: I feel very chic in this jacket! Employees and customers alike told me how much they liked it when I wore it last week. The leather sleeves are very soft and comfortable to wear, even in the warmer weather. It looks great with the sleeves worn pushed up and paired with jeans or pants.

What I’m working on now: I’m finishing up a new tote for spring and summer made of coated linen and leather, then I start sewing a shirt that combines two Thakoon silk prints: item numbers 303199 and 303197. It’s so nice to have runway shots like these to study how the designer placed the motifs, because print placement can be very tricky. What are YOU working on now?