Sewing: Vogue V9096

I recently found this interesting knit fabric at Fabrix in SF. It has minimal stretch and is composed of two layers. The top layer has these creases formed into it and the bonding to the second layer keeps the creases in place. The last photo shows a bit of the fabric detail. I figured it would work well for some sort of casual jacket with minimal or no tailoring, so I chose Vogue V9096.

My version is a hybrid of views A and B. It's about three inches shorter than the longer view B. I liked the concept of the front overlays, but I didn't want that many of them, and the one in view A was too small, so I combined the first two overlay pieces to make a medium size piece.

I used two different lining materials for my jacket. I used a thin cotton for the pocket and overlay linings and this nice fleece material for the body because I wanted something warm and I figured the pattern has plenty of ease to accommodate a heavy lining.

I do have one sewing tip for this garment. It's one of those patterns where the lining is cut from the same pieces so it reaches the edges of the garment. I always have trouble getting the hem area to drape well with that sort of construction, so I recommend cutting an extra 3/4" or so for the lining at the bottom. You can taper it to fit at the front edges and shorten it if it ends up too much. That extra ease in length will make everything hang better. The front curved section could also use a bit of lining ease. I thought about doing this but didn't and ended up fussing forever with the bottom of the jacket.

This jacket will probably be my favorite overseas trip airplane cover-up. I'm always looking for something comfy for long airplane rides. Woven jackets aren't comfy and sweaters are nice but I'm always afraid of snagging one of my handknits on the various things that poke at me on airplane seats. This jacket feels and wears like a bathrobe, so I think it's a good candidate.