Sewing a Distressed Look Jean Jacket with Vogue 1036

September 27, 2020

Hello Everyone!

A jean jacket has been on my “to sew” list for years and I decided that this was the year I was going to make one. I purchased the Sandra Betzina Vogue 1036 pattern back in 2018 at Destash Baltimore and it was sitting and waiting patiently for me in my pattern drawer. So when I saw that my friend, Nateida of SewNatural Dane on YouTube, shared that she had this 2008 pattern, I reached out to her so we could sew it together and share our makes. You can check out her version of this jacket along with a matching skirt in her video here: Sewing Vogue 1036 and the Cashmerette Ellis Skirt

Pattern Details

This pattern is a semi-fitted jacket pattern with princess seams, optional collar, pockets, curved hem band, and topstitching details. All pattern sizes are available in the pattern envelope and it fits bust sizes of 32″ to 55″ and hip sizes of 34.5″ to 57″. It is designed for midweight fabrics like denim and cotton twill. It has NINETEEN pattern pieces; 19! I cut this pattern straight from the packaging because there was no way I was tracing out that many pattern pieces! The pattern pieces include the front, back, side-front and side-back, separate lining pieces, collar, pocket pieces, and facings. I kept each pattern piece with it’s corresponding fabric to avoid confusion while sewing.

Fabric

I chose Black Antique Denim from Mood Fabrics. It has a distressed and stone-washed look that I love without any rips or tears. It’s not currently available, but Mood has a lot of nice denim on their website.

Instructions

Sandra Betzina of Powersewing.com. is the creator of this amazing pattern. She is well-known for her sewing and fitting expertise from her many sewing books and videos, so I knew the instructions would be on point for this pattern. She gives extensive details on how to choose your size as well as great construction tips on how to achieve sharp crisp collars and neat topstitching. I will definitely sew more of her patterns in the future.

Construction and Alterations

I did a quick tissue fit of this pattern and decide to sew a size C for my 36-inch bust measurement. There is quite a bit of ease in this design, so be sure to check finished garment measurements before you cut out your fabric. First, I shortened the bodice and upper arm pieces by 1.25 inches to adjust for my height. I am 5’1″ for reference. Second, I took in the side front and back shoulder seams by 1/4 inch because it was hanging down a little too low on me. Finally, I lined the garment with a gray poly-rayon from my stash and closed the front with size 24 heavy-duty snaps from Dritz.

A lot of top-stitching was required for this design. I topstitched the shoulder seams, collar, lower sleeve, hem band, princess seam joins, and front opening. I used my presser foot to keep my stitching lines nice and even.

Final Thoughts

This is a great sewing pattern and if you run across it, I highly recommend that you give it a try. Check out my video review of this pattern on my YouTube channel for even more details and fun twirls: Sewing a Jean Jacket with Vouge 1036.

Since this pattern is from 2008 so you may have difficulty getting your hands on it. Great places to look are Etsy, Ebay and Amazon. Here are some great alternatives that I am considering for my next jean jacket make:

Mimi G For Simplicity 8845: I love the unisex appeal of this design