The shifting of seasons is always an inspiring time for sewists. Our minds are brimming with projects, designs, and textures that reflect the temperature changes, sometimes inspiring an ambitious closet update or two. For our first fall project, we wanted to pull out a Sewciety fan favorite to revamp: The Savannah Shacket. With fall tweeds on our minds, we wanted to combine the laid back boxy comfort of the shacket with the iconic glamor of a Chanel tweed jacket. Borrowing Chanel’s notorious eye for detail, we’ve decked this stunner out with a hoodie, eye-catching contrast velvet trim, swoon-worthy cream and gold buttons, and those got-to-have pockets. It’s old-school chic meets today’s cool, and your wardrobe will thank you for the upgrade.

Purchase Materials Used Below:

• 2.5 yards of Newcastle Beige and White Chenille Tweed 
• 5yds of Brown Single Face Velvet Ribbon 2″
• 4pc Metalic Gold and Ivory Plastic Shank Button
• 4yds Brown Rice Cotton Twill Tape 
• MDF280 – The Savannah Shacket Sewing Pattern (free download below!)
• MDF218 – The Boxwood Hoodie Sewing Pattern (free download below!)

Alternative Recommended Fabrics:

• Boiled Wool
• Boucle 

Download the Savannah Shacket Here!

Print pages 4-23, 26-36, and 39-41

Download the Boxwood Hoodie Here!

Print pages 23-25 and 29-31

I made the following adjustments to the pattern:

• Shortened the shacket
• Omitted the collar 
• Tapered the sleeves and omitted the placket & cuffs
• Added pockets
• Replaced the placket with velvet ribbon
• Trimmed all edges with velvet ribbon
• Added twill tape to seams for added stability
• Added a the hood pattern from the Boxwood Hoodie

Working with this particular tweed requires some patience. The seams get very bulky, and the fabric frays easily. I recommend using a walking foot attachment, and finishing the raw edges with a serger or covering with bias or twill tape. The twill tape will help the garment keep its shape. Do not use french seams on this fabric!

Before you get started, determine the size of hoodie you need to cut out. To do this, cut out the shacket collar in the size you’re sewing, and compare it to the bottom edge of the hoodie. Pick the one closest in size.

1 – Mark 2″ up from the side seams on the front and back shacket pieces. Draw a straight line and cut.

2 – With the shacket now cropped, cut along the fold line that runs down the entire length of the front.

3 – On the bottom of each sleeve, mark 1.5″ from the inner sleeve seam, and extend the line up to the armpit. Do not take any width off at the armpit. We are omitting the cuff, so cut off the excess so the outer seam can be sewn entirely to the wrist.

4 – Your sleeve pieces should now look like this!

5 – Draw a 5×6 inch pocket, then cut 4 of your fabric.

6 – If using ribbon as trim, cut 4 strips 6″ long.

7 -Sew the trim to the top of the pockets.

Note: I wanted to both the outer and inner edges to be covered, so I chose a wide ribbon, and I folded it over the raw edge instead of applying it only to the right side. Because I was sewing with velvet, I wanted the front stitches to be completely undetectable. The velvet ribbon had a tiny edge on each side that didn’t contain the nap. I carefully stitched onto that. I left the underside slightly longer than the front, just to make sure it got sewn on both sides, as pictured above.

8 – If sewing with this fabric, sew twill tape or clear elastic into the seam allowance of the shoulders, on the wrong side. This ensures the shoulder seam won’t stretch and grow over time.

8 – If sewing with this fabric, sew twill tape or clear elastic into the seam allowance of the shoulders, on the wrong side. This ensures the shoulder seam won’t stretch and grow over time. Repeat with the armscyes.

9 – Sew the front to the back, along the shoulders and side seams.  Finish the raw edges.

10 – Sew a sleeve to a back sleeve, right sides together. Sew the sleeve into the armscye, finish the raw edges, and repeat on the other side.

11 – As you did with the pocket, trim the cuffs with the ribbon.

12 – Trim the edges of the shacket with the ribbon. I used one continuous piece of ribbon, and finished the top edges (by the neck) by sewing the ends of the ribbon right sides together. At the bottom corners, I simply folded the corners as pictured above.

13 – Sew the hoodie pieces together at the center seam, and trim with the ribbon.

14 – Pin the hoodie to the shacket, right sides together. Before you begin sewing the two together, add the twill tape and catch the edge in the seam allowance. Leave extra length of the twill tape on each end.

15 – Trim the seam allowance. Lay the hood away from the shacket, fold the excess twill tape under, and pin to the shacket. The twill tape should hide the seam allowance. Sew the other side of the twill tape down to the shacket.

16 – Add the buttons and buttonholes.