As soon as the new collection was released, I instantly fell in love with the pretty Siloé jacket by Cha Coud. I have to say that after sewing with a velvety quilted fabric and wearing Tina by Dress your Body, I became a fan of quilted jackets! I haven't taken them off since the temperatures cooled down. It's a great transition between a light summer jacket (light bombers, denim jacket...) and a wool winter coat!
So this week, I invite you to discover my new quilted jacket and the adaptations I made for Siloé! 

Let's go!

The model

Siloé is a quilted jacket perfect to wear in mid-season over a sweater or blouse. The cut is slightly over-sized with sleeves long enough to be turned up and create a nice cuff.

The stand-up collar dresses the neckline and the front of the jacket.

Siloé also has pockets inserted into the cut at the waist level; very handy for keeping your hands warm. 

Practical information for sewing Siloé

Siloé is available from size 34 to 52, which means a bust measurement between 82 and 126 cm. 

You can find it in printed and PDF versions on our website and in store.

Seam allowances are included, and assembling the PDF pattern is really easy for those who prefer this option. Siloé has only a few pattern pieces and is a good model for those who want to try making their first jacket. 

Siloé was designed to be made in a quilted material. I recommend choosing a double-sided quilted fabric so that the inside stays neat even though it is not lined.

The other option is to make homemade quilting. 

In the seamstress's basket

Siloé was designed to be made in a quilted material. I made mine in a double-sided quilted double gauze so that the inside stays neat even though it is not lined.
You can buy a "ready-made" quilted fabric or have fun making it yourself. 

To make Siloé, you will need:
- 1.40 meters of fabric with a 1.40 meter width (1.60m for sizes 42 and up) 
- 5.80 meters of bias tape
- matching good quality thread
- matching overlocker cones

If you don’t have an overlocker, you can use a zigzag stitch or better yet, bind the inner seams. If you choose this option, don’t forget to add about 4m of bias tape for the side seams and neckline. 

You will find beautiful quilted double gauzes and stepped fabrics in the shop with stunning colors! 

My supplies and modifications

I chose a quilted double gauze from the shop that had been catching my eye for some time. I must say this lovely khaki perfectly suits my autumnal color palette. 
I chose a printed bias tape to brighten up the solid color of my jacket and give it a little pep. 

I wanted a color that harmonizes well with khaki; I initially thought of cream but found it a bit too prone to staining before finding this beautiful harmony with the yellow sakura bias tape. 

I chose to overlock the side seams by shortening the stitch length on the overlocker. I bound the neckline seam for prettier finishes than a simple overlock (old habits die hard!) and I made a little "my own" finish with bias tape for the cuff.

Finally, I wanted to be able to close my jacket. With its slight Japanese vibe, I thought that adding "haori-style" ties might suit it well. So I added ties made from bias tape in the front center side seam. I think it turned out quite well! 

For the rest, I made no other modifications. 

Difficulty level and technical points

The level indicated by Charlotte is intermediate. I find that quite accurate because the jacket is not lined, but you will have to manage the thicker material. 

The technical stitches are "relatively" simple but the thickness of the fabric presents a new challenge for beginners. Experienced sewers will be delighted to work on the bias finishes, and if you feel like it, it is also possible to add piping between the seams. Consider yourself warned!

The technical points are:
- assembling pieces with a thicker material
- attaching the pockets
- applying bias especially in curves
- inserting the collar into the body

My sewing experience

I sewed size 36 as usual with Cha Coud.

I found the explanatory booklet well suited. What I like about Charlotte is that the steps are well explained and "no frills." She uses the right terms, the step is clear in 2 to 3 lines we know what to do and we don't get lost in "a long explanation."

For sewing time, count on about a good afternoon of work.
- I spent 1h20 gluing my PDF, cutting my pieces from the paper and then from the fabric.
- I spent 30 minutes overlocking the necessary seams.
- I spent about 30 minutes on the pockets with the addition of bias at the top of the pocket
- 1h30 to assemble the body, the collar, and finally decide to bind the collar seam
- 1h30 to bind the jacket, add ties in the seams to be able to close it.
- I also took some time to make a nice finish for the cuff because I didn't want the overlock stitch to show. So I sewed a flat bias strip 13cm long starting from the bottom of the sleeve, which allowed me to hide the overlock. Then I applied the bias all around the sleeves. 

And ta-da, it was finished!

Total: About 5h30 of work for this pretty jacket!

I say it's worth it especially since I really enjoyed sewing this little project and finding tips to personalize it.  

Will I make it again? Yes, but only after I've worn out all my pretty jackets because too much is not good!

So, ready to create some lovely jackets?

If you want to try home quilting, an introduction is offered through the course my quilted travel kit; a great workshop to get started before tackling a bigger piece! 

And for those who don't want to quilt their fabrics themselves, pretty quilted fabrics are available in the shop!

All that's left to do!

Get your needles ready!