Pattern Review: Simplicity 3563

So I have finally finished what I had thought would be a quick easy project that could be whipped up during the holiday craziness.  Hahaha.

Simplicity 3563

Actually, I would have had this project totally finished but for the fact that I forgot to cut out the back neck facing and was 100 miles away from the leftover fabric when I realized this.  Then a broken serger blade slowed me down.  But, at last it is done.  Sad to say, but I am not sure it was worth all the trouble.  I mean, if I really had been able to stitch it up in an afternoon I think I might have been a bit more jazzed, taken a bit more time with the fitting, etc.  But between the long waiting period from start to finish and the fact that this is just a fleece jacket, well, I sort of fell out of love with this project.  But it is finished, and it is warm.  So here are some pictures:

Jacket front

Side with sleeve

Back

Collar

Buttons

Serged set-in sleeve

And here is my official review:

Pattern Description: Unlined jacket and hat patterns with front and sleeve variations and pin tuck design elements.  This pattern is now OOP.

Pattern Sizing: (6-8-10-12-14) and (14-16-18-20-22).  I made a size 14.  This pattern definitely had less ease than I am used to with a Big4 pattern, which was good because normally I would use a size 10 or 12 but I bought this pattern from a local store (they sell OOP patterns for $2) and they only had the larger sizes.  I would say that the fit is good in the shoulders, but definitely a bit large in the waist.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  Yes, very easy.  I actually didn't need to refer to them much, I mostly looked at the pictures.  Everything seemed quite logical and straightforward though.

Did it look like the photo/drawing when you were done with it?  For the most part I would say that it did look very much like the envelope.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  Likes:  I like the fit through the shoulders as it is quite comfy to move in, and I like how the pin tucks add shaping to the front.  I also think the shape of the collar is really great.  Dislikes:  Well, personally I think that having the pin tucks on the sleeves is a bit too much for the design now that I have made it up.  Also, on my version the hem in the back stands a bit away from the body, but that could just be an odd puckering or a quirk of the way I sewed my hem.

Fabric used:  Polyester fleece from Joann's.  Not the most exciting material, but the jacket is very warm.

Pattern alterations or design changes you made:  I added 2" to the length of the torso.  Instead of using cording for the button loops I just used elastic.  I also thought that hand sewing the facings and hem was not worth the effort on a fleece jacket, so I just used the machine topstitching to keep everything in place.  If I were to make this again in the future I would make the back darts a bit deeper, take it in slightly at bit more on the side seams, raise the armscye a bit, and add 1/4-1/2" to the sleeve length.  Actually, I would probably use a different plain sleeve as I think the embellished sleeves make the design a little too over the top.

Would you sew this again?  Would you recommend it to others?  Honestly, I doubt I will be sewing this pattern again.  When I first wanted to make it I thought it would be a cute design,  but now that it is finished I am wondering if it is perhaps a bit too mature or too crafty looking?  I have a lot of other jacket patterns I would like to try, so I don't think I will be re-visiting this pattern any time soon.  My hesitancy is all based on my personal style, so I would recommend this pattern if you really like the way it looks.

Conclusion:  Overall, I would say this is a good pattern, though perhaps not my favorite style of jacket.  I think I will still wear it a bit, though I don't think this is going to be my everyday go-to jacket as I had envisioned.  The pattern itself is fine, but seeing the finished result on me, I have come to realize that this style is not really suited to my personal taste.

So that's my jacket.  Not my favorite sewing project of all time, but it did get a large hunk of fleece out of my stash and I got to test out a pattern I was wavering over on something pretty cheap.  And, now that it is finished I can finally move on to my wardrobe challenge!  Debating which item I want to get to first, but I am leaning towards the pants since I can never have enough pants.