Modified Jalie 2679 Softshell

 

This is a modified Jalie 2679 soft-shell jacket made for my wife. I used the original pattern and added a hood, pocket covers, zipper cover, and a full lining. The 2679 is a very practical pattern that works well for fleece, soft-shell and hard-shell materials. To see the original post about making the unaltered pattern, go Here. Otherwise, continue reading to see the modified version.

Adding the Hood:

The hood is a three piece design drafted from Myoungok Kim and Injoo Kim’s book. Using their technique, any hood can be drafted using only measurements from the neck line of the pattern.

Measuring the neck line of this pattern is a little more difficult because there are various components that all fit together, such as the raglan sleeve pictured above.

With the neckline length known, the hood can be drafted. This picture shows a basic 2-piece hood draft, which is the base for a three piece design. I like the three piece hood because it fits better and has more shaping options. This hood is designed to attach to the neckline separate from the original collar. I designed it this way so that the collar would remain a function piece of the jacket with or without wearing the hood.

Drafting takes time and patience, but is very rewarding.

Designing the hood is the most time-consuming part. Drafting the zipper cover is relatively simple. It’s a long rectangle, folded in half, with a rounded edge along the top. I drafted mine at 1.5 inches wide (not including seam allowances) and it is sewn in with the zipper.

Pocket Covers, Lining, and Zipper:

To help simplify the lining, I cut out the main soft-shell fabric first. I then taped corresponding pattern pieces together, along their respective seam lines, to reduce the total number of seams required for the lining. The final cutting resulting in a lining with about 4 seams total. The lining material is a one-way stretch-mesh that is similar to basketball shorts material. The lining is included to help move moisture away from the wearer, and to provide a slick surface so other clothing layers don’t rub and bunch up.

The pocket covers are basted into the seam first, then sewn above and below the opening. For future makes, it would be better to make the pocket flaps 1.5-2 inches longer than the pocket opening.

For more details about making the body of the jacket see the original post here.

The zipper cover is sewn to the left side of the jacket opening before the zipper is attached.

With the zipper cover basted into place, the zipper can be sewn on. I made a mistake here, and did not take into consideration the final hem of the jacket. If the hem will be turned and folded, the zipper needs to end at the corresponding location of the final hemline. I placed my zipper at the bottom of the un-hemmed edge, which required some trickery later.

The lining is placed inside the jacket and basted in with the zipper.

Finishing Touches:

The inner collar is cut from fleece for comfort, and I used this heart stitch on my Janome home machine to give it a custom touch.

Because I failed to account for a hem along the bottom of the coat, I created a bias tape / grosgrain combination hem. The purple fabric is sewn to the outside of the jacket, and the grosgrain acts as a stitching guide along the inside of the jacket. The soft-shell doesn’t press, which is why a stitching guide is needed.

The grosgrain makes for a straight line to follow while stitching, and the whole contraption also creates a tunnel for the shock-cord.

Lastly, I attached white snaps to give the jacket some contrast.

Parting Shots: