Last summer we went to a Bad Religion and Suicidal Tendencies concert in Barcelona. It was an open air venue and, as we knew later, packed with pickpockets. My love had a light rain jacket hung in his jeans' waist, and when the music stopped, he realized it was gone. It was a cheap jacket we bought 15 years ago, but he loved it because it was light and practical, perfect for summer nights. I promised him I'd made an exact replica, and here it is. The only thing, this one is better fitted, even lighter and nicer to wear.
It took a lot of time and research to find the perfect fabric. The obvious solution for a waterproof jacket -polyester- was out of the question. I discovered oilskin, and a good source of it in Merchant and Mills website. Having never seen any in real life, I ordered three different black oilskins. Service was excellent, and when they arrived, I clearly saw the thinnest, softest one was the only possible option for this project. It was called "Soot Soft Oilskin", and I see now it is not longer there. What a pity, it is gorgeous. Light, soft, crisp, and wonderful to work with.
I used a Burdastyle jacket pattern I had used before. Three main modifications:
- I closed the neck opening 2 cm all around, and finally I adjusted the front to my liking.
- I used black organic 1x1 ribbing both for neck and cuffs. The front zip and jersey neck combination was tricky and required some planing and expertise. I finally decided to apply some facing all along the front opening and around the neck. I machine stitched it all around the neck, and then baste it and topstitched along the centre fronts, with the zip between the folded facing and front bodices.
- I made the pocket bags rectangular and stitched them to the front bodice, making them as minimalistic as possible. I closed them with a zip.
The result is just perfect. I cannot be prouder of this jacket. My love wears it everywhere and feels so comfortable, he does not even take it off in a concert. Great!
