Open Front Jacket with Bell Sleeves
Introducing a women's sewing pattern for a chic, cropped jacket featuring a distinctive yoke, a collarless edge-to-edge front, and wide bell sleeves.
When To Wear
This jacket is a versatile layering piece, designed for contemporary styling and perfect for:
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Elevated Everyday: Pair with casual trousers or jeans for a sophisticated, put-together look.
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Transitional Seasons: An ideal outer layer for cooler weather, offering warmth without bulk.
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Fashion-Forward Ensembles: The striking bell sleeves make it a statement piece for unique styling.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Cropped and relaxed, creating a comfortable yet structured shape.
Neckline: Collarless, with a clean round neckline.
Closure: No fasteners: the front edges meet edge to edge. A decorative hanging loop can be added if desired.
Sleeves: Wide two-piece bell sleeves of three-quarter length, creating a dramatic flared silhouette at the hem.
Yoke: Features a one-piece yoke across the upper back and front shoulders for structural detail.
Length: Cropped, finishing above the hip.
Lining: Fully lined (including the sleeves), with topstitching along the front edges, neckline and sleeve hems.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. Requires skills in lining construction, attaching facings, and setting two-piece sleeves.
Fabric Recommendations
To achieve the structured yet soft drape seen, consider substantial materials that hold shape, along with appropriate lining:
- Wool fabric
- Lining fabric
Additional Supplies
Cutter's Must
If the patterns have a double contour, they include seam allowances. If the contour is single, the patterns do not include seam allowances. Seam allowances: Hem allowance for the bottom of the garment and sleeve hem – 4.5 cm, other seams – 1 cm. Attention! First, print out the paper patterns and lay them out on the fabric width (fabric width can be from 90 cm to 150 cm) to determine how much material you will need (do not forget to account for paired and symmetrical pieces). When stitching pieces, pay attention to the notches - they must match!
- From main fabric:
- Back - 1 piece
- Front - 2 pieces
- Yoke — 1 piece
- Back Sleeve — 2 pieces
- Front Sleeve — 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- From lining fabric:
- Back - 1 piece
- Front - 2 pieces
- Yoke — 1 piece
- Back Sleeve — 2 pieces
- Front Sleeve — 2 pieces
- From fusible interfacing:
- Center Front Facing – 2 pieces
- Back Neckline Facing – 1 piece
- Strips for the sleeve hem allowance and the garment hem allowance
Attention: the Front and Back lining pieces are cut minus the width of the Center Front Facings and the Back Neckline Facing respectively.
Sewing Instructions
- Fuse interfacing to the Center Front Facings, the Back Neckline Facing and the sleeve and garment hem allowances.
- Stitch the darts on the Fronts. Press the darts upwards. Stitch the Yoke to the Back and the Fronts. Press the seams towards the Yoke.
- Stitch the Back Sleeve to the Front Sleeve along the upper (overarm) seam. Press the seam open.
- Set the sleeve into the open armhole. Press the seam open. Stitch the underarm sleeve seam and the side seam in one pass. Press seams open.
- Stitch the Center Front Facings to the Back Neckline Facing at the shoulder seams and press open.
- Place the joined facings on the right side of the jacket, right sides together, pin and stitch along the front edges and neckline, sewing with the jacket side up. Understitch the front edge seam allowance to the facing 0.2 cm from the seam. Stitch the lower edges of the Center Front Facings to the Fronts exactly along the marked hemline. Trim seams at corners. Turn the facings to the inside, roll the seams to the edge and press.
- Stitch the lining pieces similarly to the main fabric pieces, leaving an unstitched section in the lower left sleeve seam for subsequent turning. Stitch the lining to the inner edges of the Center Front Facings and the Back Neckline Facing.
- Attach the lining to the bottom of the garment and the bottom of the sleeve. Turn the jacket right side out through the opening. Stitch the opening closed.
- Topstitch 1 cm from the edge along the front edge and neckline. Topstitch 3.5 cm from the bottom of the sleeve. Note: the jacket has no closure; the front edges meet edge to edge. If desired, a decorative hanging loop can be added.
