Hey everyone! I’ve mentioned before that I have been wanting to make the Hampton Jean Jacket by Alina Design Co. for quite some time. So when Alina asked me to join a blog tour for this pattern, I just couldn’t say no! I had already purchased the kit that Threadbare Fabrics offered for this pattern as well as jeans buttons and topstitching thread. I am currently 20 weeks pregnant with our 5th little one, so I had originally planned to wait until spring for this project. Thankfully it fits me just fine even now. I’ve included a video at the end, so be sure to scroll all the way down!

Pattern: Hampton Jean Jacket

Size: 0

Fabric: Cone Mills (non-stretch) White Oak Denim in Indigo

Alterations: None

My wardrobe already contains a dark denim jacket, so I wanted my Hampton Jean Jacket to be a light wash. I rounded up a bunch of inspiration photos on Pinterest, and got to work bleaching my fabric. I really hate the smell of bleach, but it was definitely worth it in the end. Eventually, I plan to do a touch more distressing, but here’s the general look I was going for:

My fabric bleached a bit faster than my initial swatch test, so it turned out a little bit lighter than I’d planned. However, I love the finished result just the same. My other denim jacket is very fitted and a bit cropped, so I’m excited to have a more classic version now.

The pattern itself was very straightforward to put together and to sew. The most time consuming part was the constant switching between regular thread and the topstitching thread. I eventually stopped switching between my Jeans Needle and my Topstitching Needle as it was taking FOREVER! My solution was to leave the topstitching needle in, and it worked perfectly.

I’m not exactly sure why I look so angry in this photo, haha. Maybe because of the 90 degree weather in October?

Sizing

My typical measurements put me in the size 0. They are QUITE A BIT different right now. However, because there is so much ease in the finished garment, I decided to stick with that size. I’m so happy that I did, because I think it will fit nicely over a knitted sweater when I’ve managed to lose the baby weight.

My size calls for 2 1/4 yards of fabric. The kit I had purchased included 2 1/2 yards. After cutting everything out, I still have well over a yard left! I’m hoping to be able to squeeze another Seamwork Leonora Skirt out of the leftovers. I just wish I’d known how little I’d use, because wrangling all 2 1/2 yards during the bleaching session was no picnic.

Back when I was sourcing all the materials for this jacket, I spent literally days deciding on my thread colors. I ended up buying an assortment of Wawak‘s #80 Top Stitching Thread with quite a few different projects in mind. Their thread is extremely affordable with a much higher yardage than any other Top Stitching threads I came across. The color I used for this jacket was called Velvet Fog, and I admittedly bought it because of the name, haha.

The buttons I used were also from Wawak. I used their Ancient Copper Jean Tack Buttons. These are also incredibly affordable compared to other options. Not only that, but they worked far better than more expensive Jeans Buttons I’ve used. These beautiful copper buttons I used for my Seamwork Leonora Skirt repeatedly popped off and bent/warped. I eventually had to super glue the tacks before hammering them back into the buttons, and I’m still not super confident in their ability to keep my skirt closed. The ones from Wawak are extremely heavy duty and didn’t warp at all. I’ve used excessive force to test them, and they’ve held up great.

I ended up using a contrasting fabric for the welt pocket bag, and I love the fun little pop you can see every once in a while. I have to say that I absolutely LOVE sewing a welt pocket. I’ve always loved it. A proper welt pocket is just one of the most satisfying things to me. (yes, I’m a super-nerd, lol) I love that every detail of this jacket is authentic. It looks exactly like any jean jacket you’d purchase in a store. I also love that there is some subtle waist shaping because I tend to look terrible in super boxy garments.

I seriously can’t recommend the Hampton Jean Jacket pattern enough! Alina’s instructions take you step-by-step through the entire process, so you never feel overwhelmed. For the difficulty rating, she states that she believes “that if you set your mind to something, you can accomplish it.” I totally agree with this statement. Don’t be afraid to try that pattern that you think you could never sew! Nearly all of the indie-pattern designers have incredibly detailed instructions (not to mention sewalongs), and there are so many tutorials on blogs/pinterest, that you can learn anything.

Alina was so sweet to offer a 15% discount code if you purchase the Hampton Jean Jacket Pattern this week! The code is HAMPTONSFORALL, and I really hope you’ll take advantage of it! I’m so grateful that she included me on this blog tour; I had a blast sewing my jacket!

Make sure to check out the other super talented ladies on the tour: