I decided to try plaid matching using Butterick 4463.
The Pattern
Butterick 4463 is an older pattern that’s out of print (OOP). It’s from 2005 but I think that these days, it would be called a shacket. I have made this multiple times before and it is one of my favorites. I believe it’s available on Ebay and Etsy.
The jacket is unlined. It features two inseam pockets, front and back yokes and collar. There are a couple of lengths and a belt pattern included.
My Jacket: Plaid Matching Using Butterick 4463
I used this fabric I was gifted from Minerva for this project. It is the perfect weight fabric for something like this. It’s medium to heavy weight suiting and is terrific for an unlined jacket.
Since this jacket doesn’t have a center back seam or gathers in the back, it was a bit easier to figure out how to match this plaid. I laid out the back piece first with the fabric folded and pinned so it wouldn’t shift or move around. Then I matched up the back yoke with fabric right-side up. After that, I used the notches in the pattern pieces to do the best I could to match up everything else. Luckily, that worked out.
It’s always nice when all the effort works out and things match the way you want. But I have also learned not to stress too much about it. Nothing is going to be perfect. I would proudly wear this jacket regardless.
Because I wanted the buttons to blend in, I made covered buttons using the dark part of the plaid fabric.
Doing the buttons this way also meant that I didn’t have to worry about matching the plaid on the covered buttons.
Conclusion
Overall, this is an easy pattern and fairly quick to put together. Of course, if you choose to use a plaid fabric, the layout and cutting phase will take a bit more time and patience.
As far as this Minerva polyester viscose suiting is concerned, it is fantastic to sew. As I stated, it is the perfect weight for an unlined Fall season jacket. Here is the post I wrote for Minerva featuring this project.
