Some time ago, the new "Iam Divine" collection by Marie-Emilienne, the creator of the brand Iam Patterns, was released. Her duffle coat, her pretty trousers with a fly front, her dress, and especially her versatile little printed named Hathor, on which I immediately set my heart!

Indeed, I really like the concept of a body warmer and moreover, Hathor allows playing with pockets, with or without a zipper pull, with or without a hood, even making a reversible version... In short, I was charmed when it came out and for good reason... I had finally found the idea to upcycle a pretty vintage embroidered fabric given by my mother-in-law. This fabric is somewhat a little antique brought back over 40 years ago in a suitcase during a trip to Pakistan. It therefore has sentimental and heritage value. I absolutely wanted to do it justice!

For your information, this fabric is Pakistani-made in a very narrow width (+/- 90cm). It is a short-pile velvet and is fully embroidered with flowers, featuring a large central motif. At first, I wanted to make a jacket with sleeves, but it was impossible to fit all the pieces... Hathor was perfect in my pattern library because it allowed me to maximize the use of my coupon!

Come on, I'll take you to discover Hathor and my upcycling adventure!

The Hathor pattern

Hathor is a timeless sleeveless jacket that easily fits into a sustainable wardrobe. This is what I call a body warmer that can be worn over a sweater/undershirt/long-sleeve tee depending on the season or even over a light jacket. You just have to choose the fabrics and ease accordingly; it can be made close-fitting or oversized depending on how you want to wear it.

Hathor comes in 18 versions thanks to:

• 3 neckline options
• 3 pocket options, and
• 2 closure methods.

It closes with snap fasteners, a zipper, or you can also leave it open for a reversible version.

For the neckline, you can choose: a simple neckline with a nice curve, a collar, or a hood.

Finally, the pockets can be patch pockets, piped pockets, or no pockets.

The jacket is fully lined but it is also possible to make it in a single layer by binding the seams (maybe for a future version 😂).

Required sewing skill level to sew Hathor

Beginners, enjoy yourselves! This jacket is ideal for starting garment making. You can choose the simplest version to begin with. Hathor will also be lovely to make for the more experienced in its version with hood and piped pockets.

Available sizes

The printed version covers sizes 36 to 46. You will find it in the shop.

The PDF version, only available on the Iam Patterns website, goes up to size 52.

In the seamstress’s basket

My supplies

For my version, I had my embroidered short-pile velvet for the outside and I decided to line it with white fleece to have a very warm version. I fully embrace the Santa Claus version of my Hathor with red outside and white inside 😂

I chose the version with a hood to use all my embroidered velvet coupon but also because I thought it would strengthen its very quirky look.

I chose not to put pockets so as not to "disturb" the embroidery, for which I took the time to calculate the pieces so that the motifs would be best preserved in the cuts but also so that the motifs would be well aligned once the jacket was sewn. For this work, I used mirrored pieces on the fabric surface (and not on the fold as usual) and I traced the outlines with a water-erasable marker.

I also decided to leave it without a closure. I will see if it bothers me in use. If so, I think I will opt for frogs to keep the stylistic aesthetic of the jacket.

Technical points

I would say the biggest technical point of Hathor (if you are not used to it) is managing the "3D vision" of the lining. Indeed, you have to sew some parts of Hathor inside out (notably the armholes) then turn it right side out (as you do with a pouch or a basket). This can be confusing when it is the first time you tackle a lining; however, if you follow the booklet instructions well, it poses no problem.

Another difficulty can be the fabric thicknesses depending on your choice. Indeed, I chose fleece and thick short-pile velvet. This creates a "good thickness" especially when passing the hood. The workshop machines handle this type of thickness without problem but keep it in mind if you have a machine with a "small" motor that does not like thicknesses much.

For the rest, the technical points will depend on the choice of Hathor options: installing the zipper, snaps, piped pockets... It's up to you to play with them!

Sewing experience

I really enjoyed bringing a coupon of fabric back to life... that's what we call upcycling. Upcycling is recycling but adding value to the recycled object... and I am really proud of myself for using this coupon which otherwise would have ended its life in a cupboard.

I had fun challenging myself with the placement of the pattern pieces. I wanted to preserve the embroidery, think about matching so that the straight lines are aligned on the fronts and the large flower on the back. All while making sure it is visible despite the hood.

Regarding Hathor, I really enjoyed sewing it. It is simple and quick. It pleases me to make such pieces from time to time, before tackling more complex pieces again.

I am sure it is a piece I will make again. Maybe a quilted version? Who knows...

Ready with your needles?