How to Sew a Baseball Jacket
Sewing a baseball jacket can bring back memories of spring nights at the ballpark. However, designing and sewing your own jacket can seem daunting. Manufacturers and designers have incorporated different fabrics such as wool for the classic baseball body silhouette and leather for sleeves. By working with the right pattern, fabric, and novelty trim, your baseball jacket design can look like one of the pros.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Pattern paper
- Tape measure
- Tailor's chalk
- Ruler
- Snaps or buttons
- Novelty trim: applique (optional)
- Yarn-dyed striped rib (optional)
Instructions
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Baseball Jacket Design
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1
Design and sketch your baseball jacket. Keep in mind your fabric and trim selection. Use pencils or markers to color in any contrasting sleeves or panels within your body shape. If your design includes a yarn-dyed stripe baseball collar shaped welt, sleeve cuffs and waistband, it is important to note that striped welts are usually not readily available. Visit your local fabric or trim retail store for availability and existing colors for purchase.
Determine if your jacket design will be a pullover or full front snap closure. Select your pocket shape. For example, classic baseball jackets feature a raglan sleeve and angled welt pockets. However, you also can incorporate a shaped kangaroo pouch pocket with a snap closure or striped welt trim finish.
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Select your fabric and lining. It is important to determine if your jacket will have a traditional quilted lining with padding, or if you will have a contrast lining insert without padding. This will affect your pattern and jacket design. For example, if your design incorporates a satin shell with a 5-1/2-oz. quilt lining, your pattern will require padding. Select a quilt pattern stitch such as a diamond stitch pattern.
You can also opt to design a collegiate-inspired fleece baseball jacket without a padded quilt lining.
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Start you paper pattern with your design sketch as your guide. Your jacket pattern will include a front and back shell pattern, lining, two pockets, two sleeves, collar, waistband and sleeve cuffs. Make the necessary allowance for your baseball rib collar. You can opt to use a 2x2 gauge striped rib knit welt. It is important to remember when selecting your rib that the higher the gauge, the lighter the rib knit weave.
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Select your novelty trims. It is important to note the type of snap selected and the application process. Certain snaps require special machines to lock the snaps in place. Keep in mind any special trim application. For example, if your design includes a team-inspired sport applique, it is best to attach your applique prior to constructing your jacket. Add an applique backing or fusion prior to stitching your applique.
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Pin your pockets to your front body shell to ensure that each front pocket is even. It is best to try on your pinned jacket and make sure your pocket entry fits to your form. Sew your front pockets.
Baseball Jacket: Construction
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Pin and fit your jacket body shell on your dress form prior to attaching your lining shell. Make any necessary fit alterations. For quilted linings, it is best to sew the padding to the lining fabric. Sew your quilted stitch pattern on each individual lining pattern piece prior to attaching your lining sleeves to your lining body.
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Construct your body shell separately from your lining shell. Attach sleeves separately to each shell. Pin both shells and carefully try on. Fit your jacket on your form prior to sewing. Attach and sew your body shell to your lining shell.
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Pin your collar prior to attaching your sleeve cuffs and waistband. Try on and fit your pinned collar jacket on your form. Make any necessary fit adjustments and sew your collar. Attach the sleeve cuffs and waistband.
You can opt to select a decorative topstitch to finish your baseball jacket, such as a double-needle topstitch or a zigzag stitch.
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