The Best Chanel-Style Sewing Patterns

by Marga van der Vet

https://www.sewingchanelstyle.com/

November 6, 2020

Whether you are an absolute beginner, a hobby seamstress with little experience, or an experienced seamstress, the success of a project often depends on choosing a good pattern. Which sewing pattern is the best if you want to create a DIY Chanel jacket?

How to choose YOUR sewing pattern
A great sewing pattern is the most important start if you want to create a Chanel-style jacket. It is not only about WHAT you want to make but also how you will make it. Which fabric do you need? Which size do you have? How much time does it take to finish the project ?  (Last one is important if you are creating some garment for a planned date, party or event...) We will help with a step-by-step guide.

It happens to everyone. Halfway through, you realize the project is not what you had in mind, too little fabrics or lining, wrong size, your expectations were too high, or you just do not have enough sewing skills yet to finish the project. No shame. Just continue with your goal and try to plan and oversee the next project a little better.

Now let's rock and roll:

1. First, think for a moment what you want

Do you want a shaped and formal Chanel-style jacket? Or casual and comfortable? Very important! Take a look at the reviews or the backside of the sewing pattern envelop.  If you look for a tight, shaped and slim jacket, then choose a sewing pattern which is "fitted".

If you want your Chanel-inspired jacket to be more comfortable, maybe with front sides open and with a casual appearance, look for the "semi-fitted" jackets.

Loose fitting is a more comfortable shape which gives belly freedom and does not follow closely the contours of the body.

Fitted jackets: Vogue V7975, Burda 6705, Simplicity 1421, McCalls M7058

Semi-fitted jackets: Vogue V8804, Vogue V8991, Vogue V9095, Butterick B6382, Burda 6465, Burda 8949 and Neue Mode M23079

Loose fitting jacket: Vogue 9250, New Look 6496

2. What about underlining?
The classic French Chanel jacket is famous mostly because of it's quilted lining, which offers an exclusive sense of movement, freedom and luxury. The "invention" of this jacket was innovative in the time that came after the corsets and the tight clothing code. The jacket gave the wearer a sense of freedom and made sure that it was still chic and exclusive enough to continue as a couture. Anyway, if you want to go for the classic and most exclusive version, choose a pattern of Claire Shaeffer which offers the possibility and the instructions to quilt the lining.

Examples: Vogue V8804 and Vogue V8991.

The other Chanel-inspired jackets offer the normal standard way of attaching linings. In advanced options, we will talk about quilting linings in other sewing patterns, but as I said; it is only an extra option. 

If you prefer a jacket which is not underlined at all: New Look 6496, Burda 8949, and Simplicity 1421.

These unlined jackets are great options for hot summers or a way to practice and to get to know your most beloved or desired Chanel-inspired jacket.

3. Your skills or sewing level
Know your skills about sewing techniques.  It might be a challenge to create a perfect, complicated and advanced Chanel jacket, but realize that it is also very, very frustrating if you need to stop your project because of problems or a lack of sewing experience. 
Sewing patterns give codes or names for the desired levels in different languages.  Easy/Beginners/Basic/Facile/Very easy, Average/Mittel/Moins Facile or Advanced/Difficult/Plus Difficile.

But.....
This is based on classical training and is sometimes based on principles that seem logical but are not logical at all.

If you want to be sure; read reviews. 'Average' is sometimes more difficult as it looks and even Easy or Beginners may require sewing techniques that you may not have mastered. The instructions on the Sewing Patterns are sometimes loud and clear.  But sometimes they are not loud and clear at all.

If you want to be sure about your skills, you need to finish the project from the start till the day you will wear it with glory.... have a helping hand nearby or do not start with a sewing pattern which requires too much dedication, knowledge and advanced couture sewing skills.

4. Know your size
Needless to say... But do realize that size DOES matter.  You can try on different sizes if you buy a jacket in a store. They stock more common sizes because of mass-production and non-global standards.

If you start to sew (and cut the fabric)  there is no way back.  So be sure about your size, or even better:  first create a mockup like they do at the big couture houses. Musline fabric is ideal,  or just a cheap fabric you do not use.....

5. The Fabrics  
Read the Sewing Patterns requirements about the fabric and the reviews. The quantity you need is important (do not forget to order or buy some extra fabric to create more pockets or self-made fringes), but also the kind of fabric. How a pattern or final result looks depends largely on the type of fabric used. Some patterns are great for tweeds or bouclé. Others are more suitable for wool or wool-blends.

There is a warning on almost every sewing pattern like: "Unsuitable for obvious diagonals". This means that it will be a hell of a job to work with fabrics with squares, dots, stripes, shapes, patterns, corners, triangles, lines, diagonals on the pattern etc, to make it visually attractive. It might work, but you need a lot of extra fabric and advanced skills to construct the pattern pieces to match the pattern on the fabric. It is really Haute Couture when a checkered or striped jacket looks visually symmetrical and perfect. Unless it is a big challenge, stick to choosing a fabric which will not be a burden.

On Claire Shaeffer's sewing pattern, there is a warning: "Unsuitable for obvious diagonals or uneven plaids. Allow extra fabric to match even plaids or stripes. Use nap yardages/layouts for pile, shaded or one-way design fabrics."

A yardage is a distance or length measured in yards. A fabric with nap is one that usually has a pile and it will have different color shades depending on different angles. Velvet, velours, panne de velours ... Fabrics with one way design will also need cutting layout to allow for nap, so that the pattern on the fabric runs in the same direction on the finished item.

6. Notions
What about buttons, fringes or adding pockets? Do you want a sewing pattern with a lot of pockets, fringes and trims? Or do you want a Chanel-style jacket which is plain...

7. It's the time of the season...
Last but not least: Think about the seasons. Are you going to sew a Chanel-style SUMMER jacket or a warm WINTER jacket?

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