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Alexander McQueen Kimono Jacket
I made this Alexander McQueen designed jacket from a free pattern, which you can download here, from Show Studio.
It comes with instructions, although nothing like what you would get from a commercial sewing pattern! So I've put some tips below, after the photos, in case anyone reading this fancies having a go themselves.
This is the jacket from the front:
Here you can see the massive kimono sleeves!
Here's a shot of the back:
And another photo of the back which helps show the crazy pattern:
OK onto the info! I made it from some kind of slightly shiny chino fabric, which is perfect because it's stiff enough for everything to hold it's shape. Also I made it all in 3 evenings, but I worked my ass off to do that, because I needed it for a party!
The instructions give no clue about how much fabric to buy, but I bought 4m of 1.15m wide fabric, and it was far more than I needed, and also you will need something to fasten it with at the front. The pattern also doesn't say how many of each piece to cut out! But you need 2 of everything, except for pieces 2, 6 and 7, where you only need one.
The markings are totally essential, although the instructions don't use all of them, which was a mystery, but then again my jacket isn't exactly like the model one so maybe I went a bit wrong - I reckon it's close enough though!
One instruction I found a bit ambiguous was after you sew on the back facing, 3, it tells you to press flat, and then proceed with a ton of other instructions. I found out later it probably actually wanted you to press flat with the facing turned up on the inside of the back. It was fine, but it would have been easier that way I reckon.
Finally, if you simply follow the instructions, it will NOT look like the photos. You have to press it in place so it does, and then fix it in place at the bottom centre of the back with little hand stitches that no one can see. Mine looks a bit different to the model, because I didn't pull the back in as much as the model before fixing it, because it would have been a little too tight if I'd done that.
It was the best fun sewing I've ever had! It's a unique pattern and so intriguing to make!