Kaffe Fassett: One-of-a-kind Wrap Jacket

Get inspired by Kaffe Fassett's colourful world and use patchwork techniques to create your own unique clothes with any pattern. This tutorial demonstrates how the pattern of a wrap jacket is transformed into an eye-catching masterpiece. This style of jacket is called a Happi Jacket in Japan. It's a great name and fits to this jacket as not only wearing this makes you happy, but also making it is fun.

You can use Kaffe’s beautiful fabric for all sorts of projects, not only quilts. They work beautifully for shirts and dresses. If you want to add a bit more body to the fabric, add a soft iron on non-woven interfacing.

• Cut the pattern out of paper and cut your lining. The lining is used to hide the seams of your patchwork.
• Prepare patchwork blocks and stripes of your choosing.
• Play with the arrangement of the pieces until you can fill your pattern without gaps. The picture shows an arrangement for the size EU 42. For other sizes you will need to add or subtract from the side seams or hem.

• The inspiration on the piecing came from the Kaffe Hat Box Quilt Background, which features an 8 1/2" (21.6 cm) block and 4 1/2" (11.4 cm) strips to create inset corners. It has a set-in seam which is easy to do.
• There are 6 of these blocks in amongst the jacket.
• 8 different fabrics from the Kaffe Fabric Bundle were used for this arrangement.

• Choose a neutral thread and a straight stitch, with stitch length between 2.5 and 3mm, to sew all the pieces together.
• The Patchwork Foot #97D with Dual Feed (B 770 QE PLUS) or Patchwork Foot #37 (B 475 QE) are useful helpers for exact patchwork.

On the top center back square, one of the beautiful Kaffe embroidery designs is added. To mimic the look of hand embroidery, the flower designs are designed with longer stitches and are quite dense. The fabrics must be properly stabilized to prevent puckering. The Kaffe Fassett Embroidery designs have a longer stitch length and are quite dense, which is why we recommend the following:

• First, starch the fabric with spray starch.
• Use one layer of heavy tear away stabilizer underneath.
• For finer fabrics and when a softer look is required, use 2 layers of aqua mesh instead.
• Baste the layers together with a temporary stabilizer spray.

• Avoid using a hoop that is too large. It is best to do smaller hoopings of one flower at a time to prevent additional puckering.
• It is not recommended to do many flowers in a larger hoop and combine the colors – this can cause pulling with the running stitches.
• Decrease top tension as needed for a looser embroidery stitch out.
• Always use a new embroidery needle and change it often!

• For free standing flowers: Organza or nylon tulle works well with two layers of aqua mesh.
• Wash out the aqua mesh after embroidering, trim away the excess fabric or burn away the remnants of the nylon.

The Lining

• Your lining is cut the same as the main pattern.
• The lining could even make the jacket reversible, but once you wear the Kaffe fabrics on the outside, you won't wear it the other way, as you will get so many compliments!
• Sew together side and sleeve seams of the lining and your outer fabric, then attach the lining to the outer fabric at the bottom hem and add the cuffs to the sleeves.

Collar Band

• Use spray starch with a hot iron to stiffen the two collar band pieces before fusing them with a soft iron-on interfacing.
• Sew them together on the narrow side, iron open the seam, then press it together longways.
• Press in ¼” (0.6 cm) on one long side.
• Attach the other edge to the wrong side first.
• Topstitch down on the right side of the garment with a straight stitch.

Decorative Topstitch

• Choose a Kaffe decorative stitch in a contrasting color of Mettler silk finish to make it pop.
• The seam allowance and the interfacing of the collar are strong enough to be a great base for the stitching.
• It’s important to sew at a constant speed, to not pull or push the fabric and to take your time with decorative stitches, because the stitches can start to lose their shape the moment you start to rush.

The Sash

• The finishing touch is a sash. Select the length and the finished width you want, then double it.
• Add ½” (or 1.5 cm) for the seam allowance and cut out the fabric.
• Fold in half lengthways, right sides together.
• Starting in the middle, sew around leaving 2” (5 cm) to turn through.
• Trim the corners, turn through and press, hand stitch the opening closed.