From Pinterest Pin to Patchwork Reality: How I Made My Reversible Autumn Jacket
What happens when you mix a mountain of fabric scraps, a thrifted blanket, and some tea-dyed muslin? Well, you get a gorgeous autumn jacket that I’m honestly obsessed with.
This entire project started with a single photo I found on Pinterest. I fell in love with that boxy silhouette, and I knew I had to sit down and draft a pattern for it. But instead of just running to the fabric store, I wanted to keep things sustainable. I challenged myself to upcycle as much as possible, and while it was definitely a process, it was totally worth it. Now I have a fully reversible jacket that I can style whenever I want!
Let’s dive into how this all came together.
For my
Visual Learners
I am so incredibly excited to show you how I made my very first sweater! If you love seeing things in action as much as I do, you can watch the whole video and my full explanation right here. Just hit play and let’s get started!
Tools & Materials
Phase 1: Prepping the “Fabric”
Precision is key, but don’t let it scare you! To make it easier, I suggest tying a bit of elSince I was using scrap pieces, I started with a lot of muslin. Pro tip: if you’re doing this, please wash your scraps first! We all know muslin loves to shrink in the wash, and you don’t want your hard work ruined later.
To get those rich, earthy tones:
- The Dye Bath: I used a pack of black tea and a big sheet of washed muslin.
- The Wait: I let it sit for about 24 hours.
- The Repeat: I actually dried it and repeated the process to get that really deep, rich color I was after.
For the batting, I headed to my local secondhand store. Batting can get expensive, so I grabbed a pre-loved blanket instead. It’s a great way to save money and keep items out of the landfill.
Phase 2: Nailing the Fit
I used my moulage—which is basically a blueprint of my body—to draft the pattern. If you don’t have one, it makes life so much easier because you hardly have to measure yourself anymore!
My first mock-up was a little… interesting. The sleeves were puffing up in weird places, and the neckline wasn’t quite right. I ended up taking it in slightly to give it a bit more of a “snatched” curve while keeping that comfortable boxy fit. I wanted to make sure I had enough room to wear chunky jumpers underneath without looking too big. After some adjustments, the second mock-up was perfection.
Phase 3: The Quilted Masterpiece
Once the pattern was nailed down, it was time to create the actual fabric. I cut out a 10x10cm
square template and started tracing it onto all my scraps. I honestly lost count of how many I cut—
at one point I actually ran out and had to make more!
Assembly: I stitched the squares together, alternating the colors.
The “Blanket” Layer: I laid my patchwork fabric over the thrifted blanket.
Quilting: To make my life easy, I just lined up my sewing foot with the seam lines. It created a cool “square within a square” look.
For the pockets: I made two rolls of bias tape from my leftover muslin. I stitched the tape to the wrong side first, folded it over for a clean edge, and then attached them to both the quilted and the orange sides.
Phase 4: Bringing it All Together
To finish, I placed the orange jacket inside the quilted jacket, wrong sides facing each other. I used my bias tape to go all the way around the edges. To get that high-end, clean finish, I opted to hand-stitch the bias tape on the edges and sleeves. It takes time, but the look is so worth it.
Finally, the buttons! I used metal snap fasteners so it stays truly reversible.
And Voila!
A custom-made, Quilt Jacket!
I am so happy with how this turned out. It’s the perfect weight for the season, and it feels good knowing I reduced my waste by using scraps and secondhand finds.
What do you guys think? Would you try making a jacket out of your fabric waste? Let me know in the comments, I’m so curious to hear your thoughts!
