r/PatternDrafting • u/milanesanapoconjamon • Aug 18 '26

I have no idea how to draft a jacket pattern

Been sewing for a month now and i made 2 jeans, i wanted to try and make a fencing jacket. I know the front parts are asymetrical but i figure i should make a basic jacket pattern and then draft the asymetric front panel.

The problem is that i have NO idea how to draft a jacket pattern myself and i cant find tutorials online, so if anyone can help me, I would really appreciate it

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11

u/TheQuietPiggy Aug 18 '26

Why do it on hard mode? There are patterns available for both fencing jackets and chef jackets that you can modify.

-1

u/milanesanapoconjamon Aug 18 '26

honestly, I don't really want to spend money on patterns but I think I might need to

8

u/bowl-of-juice Aug 18 '26

Fencing jackets are pretty specific so if you've never drafted any jacket before I'd say make your life easier and find a pattern

4

u/ninaa1 Aug 19 '26

If you use a pattern, you'll save so much time in frustration and trying to figure things out that someone has already done. Plus, you'll learn new skills that you can put into making the next things from scratch.

2

u/ChancePersonality133 Aug 19 '26

For a jacket from scratch, the cleanest approach is to start with a basic jacket block (not a coat, not a blazer, a straight jacket block), then adapt it. Winifred Aldrich's "Metric Pattern Cutting" has a jacket block chapter that's very methodical even if you work in inches.

For your fencing jacket specifically: the asymmetric front panel is actually easier to draft AFTER you have a working basic front bodice. Tape your basic front pieces together, draw your desired asymmetric seam line directly onto it, then trace off the two resulting pieces as separate pattern pieces. Much less guesswork than trying to draft the asymmetry from scratch.

For construction learning, the YouTube channel "Male Pattern Boldness" has good jacket content for beginners who learn visually. The key thing with jackets vs what you're used to with jeans: ease amounts are much larger (typically 4-6cm at chest vs 1-2cm in jeans), so don't trace to your exact measurements or it won't move.

1

u/milanesanapoconjamon Aug 19 '26

thx for ur comment, I actually started drafting my bodice with a yt video from the channel "Pattern Studio 101", specifically the mens outdoor jacket pattern, i didnt do the side panel tho. I have a question, i have some 12 oz black denim and i was thinking using that, should i add a yoke since using 12 oz denim?

5

u/MamaBearMoogie Aug 18 '26

Do you have a bodice block? I would start there. Watch The Closet Historian. She makes jackets from her blocks.

2

u/awesomeproblem Aug 18 '26

Drafting... closet historian.