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Same Pattern, Different Bodies: Three’s a Charm Jacket

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Back when we polled the CSC** about what you wanted to see on the site, several members suggested a new series: Same Pattern, Different Bodies. As part of this series, multiple sewists with different body shapes sew versions of the same pattern and share their alterations and how the final garment looks on their bodies. We loved this idea and thought that the side-by-side comparisons could be eye-opening. Today’s post is the first in that series! And, lucky for you, we also have a giveaway! Check out the end of the post for details.

Today we’ll be taking a closer look at the Decades of Style Three’s a Charm Jacket as beautifully sewn and modeled by several of our CSC members. The Three’s a Charm jacket is an unlined jacket with a topstitched facing, 3/4 sleeves, a single button closure, angled front darts, and side bust darts.

Same Pattern, Different Bodies

Tanya

Tanya has sewn two Three’s a Charm jackets so far, one in white stretch denim and one in plaid wool suiting. Below are the alterations she made to her Three’s a Charm jackets:

Plaid jacket:

  • Graded up to a 48″ bust
  • Widened the sleeves
  • Added a lining

threes-a-charm-jacket-768x432

Denim jacket:

  • Graded up to a 49″ bust
  • Full bicep adjustment
  • Enlarged the armscyes
  • Bound seams

tanya white jacket front tanya jacket back

For any future Three’s a Charm jackets she makes (because the third one will be the charm, right?), Tanya plans to make a small swayback adjustment.

Elaine

Elaine also made two Three’s a Charm jackets, a mustard version with sashiko stitching (her muslin) and one in rusty red lightweight denim. She describes her fitting changes from the mustard muslin to the red denim version as follows:

  • Added 1″ to the torso length
  • Lowered vertical bust darts by 1″
  • Sewed the waist 3/8″ larger at the side seam
  • Removed 1/4″ from the hips at the side seam
  • Small FBA
  • Forward shoulder adjustment

elaine mustard 3s a charmelaine red jacket

For her next version, she might tweak the shoulder and armscye a bit more to perfect the fit.

Michelle

Michelle’s Three’s a Charm jacket is made from some lovely floral stretch denim. Her fitting changes were as follows:

  • FBA
  • Shoulder dart (rotated from bust dart to keep it from being too large)

3sACharm_michelle frontmichelle jacket back

Andie

Andie chose a woven mid-weight black and pink polka dot fabric for her Three’s a Charm jacket.

  • 1.5″ FBA
  • 1.5″ large bicep adjustment

andie 3s a charmandie 3s a chamr 2

Next time she makes the Three’s a Charm jacket, she will add more width to the sleeves, do a narrow shoulder adjustment, and lengthen the back to accommodate the length caused by adjusting the large dart to make it less pointy.

Meg

For my Three’s a Charm jacket, I used Thai dupioni silk. I sewed the pattern as-is from the envelope with no fitting changes.

meg 3s a charm frontmeg 3s a charm back

Next time I make the jacket, though, I’ll either lengthen the sleeves to full-length or shorten them a bit because they were too long to be true 3/4 sleeves on me. I might also narrow the forearms.

 

GIVEAWAY: Decades of Style has generously offered to give away a copy of the Three’s a Charm jacket pattern to one lucky CSC reader! To enter the random drawing, please leave a comment below by Monday, May 30 and tell us what fabric you would use to make a Three’s a Charm jacket!

UPDATE: Congratulations to giveaway winner Sherrell!!

 

**Slowly but surely we’re covering the suggestions and requests from the poll. We have plans for posts for many of these, but we want to hear from you, too! Do you have great ideas for posts in one of the topic areas identified in the poll? Send them our way!! Do you have ideas for patterns you’d like to see get the Same Pattern, Different Bodies treatment? Do tell! Contact us, we’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.

Comments

  1. I love this pattern and you ladies have made lovely jackets from it. I’ve made mine in a stable, only slightly stretchy grey knit (I’m not sure what it is exactly but it definitely has a bit of spandex in it) with a black flock floral design. I added an inch across the width of the front as I’m a 51″ bust but with a fairly narrow back, and it fits me perfectly.

    I’d just like to add I’m so happy to have found this website and it’s inspired me to sew my own clothes again after many years of not bothering because plus size patterns were so few and far between when I was younger. I can’t tell you what a thrill it is to see all the lovely, and fitted(!) designs are available now – and I don’t even have to wait for them with the pdf versions – what bliss!

  2. I love this post! Great way to show variations in fit, body shape variation, method of adjusting, different materials, etc!

  4. I have some denim that I think would work well and match most of my dresses that need one of these over them.

  5. I have a piece of fabric I picked up as a remnant – it is a medium weight polyester |(I’m guessing here) with a satin finish and a wild digital print of dandelions, flowers and butterflies in indigos, purples, pink, orange, yellow and white. Sounds hideous, I know, but actually pretty amazing!
    A statement print like this needs a fairly pared back design, and I think this pattern would be perfect. Also, I think the hand and weight of the fabric I have in mind would work too.

  6. I would love to make this in a green velvet that I have hanging in my closet. And line it with some funky graphic print 🙂

  7. I have some lovely bottle green stretch denim that would be great for this. Just like to say what a great idea for an article really enjoyed reading what different people had done.

  15. I live in AZ so this jacket is perfect for a climate where we don’t always need to bundle up! I would make one for cool winter days from gray corduroy.

  18. Oooooh they look great…congeats ladies!!! and this pattern looks like a great wardrobe staple… I have been blessed to have been gifted some African wax prints cottons in fabulous colors and there is one specifically i think would make a great choice for this pattern. I also have a vision of doing a linen version.

  19. It’s past time that I stitched myself a jacket with the popularity of sleeveless garments right now. I want a fabric with a sheen in a neutral black, navy or gray. Perfect my pattern and go wild with red 🙂

  20. It would be colourful to celebrate the arrival of summer – possibly a linen blend.

  21. I have a piece of Pendleton blue plaid wool that would make a cute jacket. However, I would need to line it.

  22. I have a piece of burgundy/white tweedy stuff adopted from my grandmother’s stash. I have loved this pattern since I saw Tanya’s first post

  23. I have always wanted to make something out of Crossroads Denim. I love the drape, the feel and the great colors! The white denim jacket Tanya made looks so great and like she said, it would be a staple garment that could go with so many things.

  24. It would be fabulous in red ponte for business casual. That’s what I’d make.

  26. I think a kitchy print or solid matte velvet. Chantung would also be nice.

  27. I would love to attempt this in a cool linen look. I’m thinking a pastel. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this giveaway!

  28. I have a lovely brown/cream/ black silk tweed I would use–after I tried a muslin in a bright pink poly linen blend

  30. I think this is a great idea for a blog post. I’d love to participate in one of these, if you need a small shouldered, big busted gal.
    I’d make a Three’s a Charm Jacket in silk Twill.

  31. This is a great pattern. Look like all the different versions you’ve already been making. I would love to make a denim version for a casual look and the second one would be in a Chanel style.

  32. I have some gorgeous heavy weight black linen that would make a beautiful jacket to pair with pencil skirts or my sleeveless dresses. Love this series of different sewers using the same pattern.

  33. I would make this in a linen for a summer jacket and a second one in wool to wear as a blazer in the winter.

  34. I would love to make a jacket with this pattern in a blue linen or light weight denim. I live in a warm climate and don’t often need a jacket, but I love the style of this one.

    • I agree with you, and am disappointed that it has not been remarked upon by others. You and I cannot be the only people to have noticed this.
      This is a very pretty jacket, but was originally intended to fit, and thus drafted for, a female population in which even – or perhaps I should say especially! – the plus-size woman had a *very* different overall shape due to several factors which are mostly out of our control.
      Such differences cannot be corrected by performing mere FBAs and other superficial alterations and adjustments. Wearing correct-for-period foundation garments would go some way towards achieving a better fit – but how many of are willing to do that unless we are seriously involved in Living History?

  39. I have a gorgeous black and white tweedy wool that I’ve been thinking of making this jacket out of. Just need a few more tops for work, and then I can start on toppers!

  40. I love this post, it’s so helpful to see this pattern made up by so many different wonderful women! If I won the pattern, I would attempt to make it in a very sturdy knit jacquard with brown and black tiger stripes that I recently added to my stash. Subtle but not boring:)

  41. I had a RTW jacket in a cranberry color that I LOVED but really didn’t fit well. I just loved the color. This jacket would be great to make in that color! How nice would that look on a black shirt and nice jeans…

  42. I think this is a terrific pattern for a sommer jacket, when you happen to work a job that requires formal attire. I would make a summer jacket of a silk tweed.

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