Better Living Through Literature

Anyone else remember the heyday of the Elizabeth Suzann clothing brand? It had a death grip on my particular internet corner from about 2016 – 2020; pattern designers were releasing dupes (which I sewed in 2018) and I even ordered their Clyde Vest ready made about that time–and returned it, because I didn’t think it was very well-sewn for $200.

You know what’s coming: Elizabeth Suzann has been transitioning from a clothing company to a pattern company since 2020, so I finally made my own version of the Clyde Vest (and made sure it was well-sewn).

This is EXTREMELY Swedish art teacher-coded. It’s giving “Eileen Fisher isn’t cool enough for my collection of handmade beads” vibes. It’s saying, “I take pottery vacations to Taos every winter.” It’s sending a message that you are a certain age and don’t want to get too hot but being dramatically surrounded by fabric is non-negotiable. I like it, in other words.

I used a 7.5 ounce stretch twill from Nick of Time Fabrics, which is fast becoming my JoAnn Fabrics replacement when I need a lot of yardage. The pattern itself is really beginner-friendly, with instructions for clean finishes throughout. I like the deep armholes for layering and the pockets are big enough to hold snacks or a ball of yarn or your plein-air art supplies.

I started working on this right when I lost my job and have been chipping away at it slowly, sewing on patches and making very fancy seam finishes. And now it’s done! Aaaaaaand I can’t even wear it to a Zoom meeting! That’s OK, I will wear it to Trader Joe’s.

This is the Closet Core Fowler Barn Coat in a 10 oz. bull denim I had in the stash (originally from Nick of Time Fabric). I made a Small and it’s plenty oversized; I also had to shorten the sleeves about 1/4″ when I usually have to lengthen them by an inch, so it’s true unisex sizing.

I had 90% of the patches on hand–I would pick them up when I was at a yarn or fabric or record shop and then they’d sit around, sometimes for years, waiting for a project. (I did specifically buy the 4H one [for my state fair win] and the two kittens [for the kitty boys!] for this project.)

I had black-and-orange shirting scraps so I used those for collar and sleeve facings, and then I decided to bias-bind all the seams that I couldn’t flat fell.

I used my rivet press to reinforce the pockets and set the jeans tacks for buttons–that really was a great buy. My favorite feature is the double-entry pockets, complete with anarchist goose and Maud’dib the mouse: