Christine Jonson Moto Jacket

The Moto Jacket from Christine Jonson is too cool for school (or for your day job!)

As you probably know, 1990’s fashion is making its comeback, right on schedule. Members of the sewing community have two options when fashion trends resurge. We can either go vintage (which is a great option!), or we can search for current patterns which mix classic designs with a modern flare. Christine Jonson spent many years selling her own label, ready-to-wear designs in a brick and mortar boutique before deciding to sell her paper patterns. Her designs were born in the 90’s, perfected in the present, and are absolutely ideal for this revitalized fashion niche!

Jonson’s deigns are primarily made for knits or cotton/lycra blends with plenty of 4-way stretch which makes this Moto Jacket pattern rather unique. However, Maisie fell in love with the idea of having her very own Moto in our faux  Perfecto Leather in Ivory.  So, Bonnie obliged . However, (predictably) she faced difficulties getting the fabric to cooperate. The pleather – though it has a nice two way stretch – did not maneuver as easily as a knit would have. To counteract the Perfecto’s quirks, Bonnie ran a basting stitch at the sleeve cap to help with ease and to set the sleeve in. She also carefully used our Stitch Witchery which is a Regular Weight and Fusible Bonding Web to help the lapels lay more smoothly. Additionally, to give more structure to this spiffy cropped jacket, she added shoulder pads covered in our Folk Art Quilting Cotton in Light Grey with Birds for a fun and personal touch!

It is no surprise that ironing faux leather is a VERY tricky business. Bonnie put her iron on a low setting and took care to place a cloth between the pleather and the iron. Ideally, with the right pattern, you wouldn’t have to iron this fabric at all. However, sometimes dangerously cool patterns require dangerously cool tactics .  So be careful!

The Moto Jacket Pattern is only available for digital download. The Confident Stitch carries the digital pattern, and, if you purchase from our website, we will send you a code which enables you to very easily download the pattern. Once downloaded, you’ll have the option to either print the pattern directly from your home printer or send it to a copy shop where they can print it on one big sheet! If you are a local Missoulian, we suggest using the very efficient and very affordable Missoula Copy Center. If you live somewhere other than Missoula, try using your local copy shop or the nearest Staples!

The directions for the Moto Jacket are very thorough and include lots of helpful pictures (yay!). However, because of the pictures, the instructions, when opened in a PDF, clock in at a whopping 59 pages .  As such, we suggest that you avoid printing altogether and refer to the instructions via laptop, or, at the very least, that you go the double-sided route when printing.

We love this Moto Jacket Pattern, however, Bonnie concluded that she would not attempt it in the Perfecto Leather again. (Even though Maisie is THRILLED with the outcome!) The many tricky tweaks she was forced to employ are best attempted by an advanced sewer, but, when constructed in a ponte or even a stretch-denim, this pattern becomes exceedingly accessible. We suggest using one of our Marni Bond Scuba Knits, the Super Stretch 8.6 oz. Denim in Indigo, the Designer Heathered Scuba Knit in Grey, or any of our Organic Soy French Terry Knits for top-notch results!

While the Perfecto Leather wasn’t perfect for this pattern, it will pair stupendously with plenty of others! Try it with the new Leisl + Co Extra Sharp Pencil Skirt, or Klum House’s Portsmith Tote!