Creative articles about sewing

Instructions for men’s jacket “Dogwood

BERNINA Fashion Looks – tutorial for the “Dogwood” men’s jacket

The Fashion Looks collection was created by Swiss designer Irène Münger and is inspired by English textile designer Kaffe Fassett’s fabrics. It is the first fashion collection for you to sew at home. It includes this stylish men’s jacket, which I have sewn for you.

The fashionable patterns are available online in the inspirations shop

BERNINA retailers in Switzerland offer numerous courses on Irène Münger’s patterns. You can find a summary of them here: BERNINA Fashion Looks, sewing courses

Today, you are getting a detailed tutorial from me to make it as easy as possible to sew this men’s jacket. I’m going to show you how to sew your own jacket using a lot of pictures. 

You need the following fabrics for the jacket:

I strongly recommend that before buying/cutting the fabric you prepare the whole pattern and lay it out on the floor to determine exactly how much fabric you need for your size. I also recommend that you measure the cut pieces to determine beforehand whether the sleeve length is suitable for you, for example.

  • Approx. 2.5 m oilskin fabric, 155 cm wide 
  • Approx. 2 m lining fabric, 140 cm wide
  • Approx. 1 m Kaffe fabric, 110 cm wide 
  • Approx. 1 m G710 woven interlining from Vliesline (you can find the care and processing instructions here)
  • 4 buttons

For the embroidery:

  • Embroidery yarn
  • Free BERNINA embroidery file (here)
  • Embroidery backing 

Preparations/Cutting the fabric

This pattern is part of BERNINA Fashion Looks: To the Dogwood jacket pattern

You can find all the cuts in the overview here.

When you print out the pattern, make sure that you do not adjust the size. You can check this using the test square on the pattern.

The pattern already includes all seam and hem allowances.

Cut the following pieces:

  • 2 front pieces (piece 1) – main fabric 
  • 1 concealed button placket (piece 1b) – Kaffe fabric
  • 2 collars (piece 1c) – main fabric
  • 2 pockets (piece 1d) – main fabric
  • 2 breast pockets (piece 1e) – main fabric
  • 1 neck facing on the fold (piece 4b) – main fabric
  • 1 back piece on the fold (piece 2) – main fabric
  • 2 sleeves (this is the longer sleeve of the two) (piece 3) – main fabric
  • 2 sleeves (this is the shorter sleeve of the two) (piece 3) – lining fabric
  • 2 sleeve facings – I chose the Kaffe fabric as an eye-catcher, but the main fabric or lining fabric are just as good 
  • 1 back piece on the fold (piece 4a) – lining fabric
  • 2 front pieces (piece 1a) – lining fabric
  • 2 facings (piece 1b) – Kaffe fabric

Sewing the jacket – let’s get started!

Please read the tutorial carefully before you start sewing. 

Embroidering the star onto the back

You can download the free embroidery file for the star here: To the page with the free “Secret Star” embroidery pattern.

First, clamp the embroidery backing (I used the tear-away variety and doubled it) firmly in the frame. I used the oval embroidery hoop. I fixed the main fabric onto it using spray adhesive.

TIP: I also wanted to use basting within the hoop so the fabric definitely would not slip – that was not a good idea ;-)! 

Now transfer your star file to the machine using the prepared USB stick and select the file.

I printed out the star in real size and fixed it on the fabric. 

Then I used the “Pinpoint Placement” function to set the position for the star.

Once you have inserted the first thread color, you can get started. Work through the color changes that the machine makes step by step.

Once the star has been embroidered, you can carefully remove the embroidery backing.

Attaching the pockets

I sewed my pockets on in the first step, as I prefer to do this step first if possible.

Transfer the markings for the pocket positions onto the front pieces.

Fold all the pockets over to the wrong side on the fold line (note when pressing oilskin – folding is enough!) and then finish them.

Topstitch the fold line and turn the seam allowances over onto the wrong side. 

TIP: Make sure that the pocket corners are the same length.

Then place the pockets on the front pieces and sew them onto the front pieces close to the edge following the markings.

TIP: Make sure that the pockets are sewn on evenly. To do this, I put both front pieces in front of me and pin all the pockets on so I can make sure that everything lines up evenly beforehand.

I also like to use a bar tack stitch on the edges at the top to stabilize the pocket bag.

Preparing the left front piece

If you have not reinforced the concealed button placket with the iron-on interlining yet, you should do this now.

Sew the button placket into the left front piece. Place it on the front edge of the left front piece with the right sides together and sew it on.

The panel is also sewn onto the button placket with the right sides together.

The attaching seam from the button placket to the main fabric (right seam in the picture) is folded to the left onto the panel’s attaching seam to the button placket (left seam in the picture).

The resulting edge on the Kaffe fabric is pressed so it lies nice and flat.

This is what the whole thing looks like from the right side.

The two strips are now folded onto the wrong side of the fabric at the fold line to the main fabric. You should now only see the panel from the left. 

The button placket disappears “folded in” underneath.

I then topstitched both long edges (wonder clips in the picture) (independently of each other) close to the edge. I used the edgestitch foot #10 for this.

Finally, sew the button holes into the button placket lengthwise (!). I used the buttonhole foot with slide # 3A for this.

TIP: Make sure you sew the button holes in the right way round… 😉

Preparing the right front piece

Sew the panel with the ironed-on interlining onto the long edge of the right front piece with the right sides together.

Then fold the panel over to the wrong side of the fabric. Now topstitch this edge close to the edge.

Transfer the positions for the buttons to the fabric and sew them on. Fold the panel to the side so that the buttons are sewn on “invisibly” and neatly.

Once the buttons have been sewn onto the right front piece, both front pieces are prepared for the next steps.

Finishing the outer jacket

Place the two front pieces on the back piece with the right sides together and close the shoulder seams (the facing is not included) and the side seams.

Also close the two collar pieces with the right sides together. Only leave the edge to be sewn directly onto the neckline open. I left a 1 cm seam allowance open on both short sides (see marking in the picture).

One edge of the collar is sewn onto the neckline with the right sides together. Starting from the back center, I pin the two front edges round to the front right up to the notch. 

Sewing the sleeves

Close the sleeves made out of the outer fabric with the right sides together.

Then insert them into the jacket with the right sides together. I used the sewing machine’s free arm for this.

Sew the neck facing onto both sides of the facings (Kaffe fabric) with the right sides together.

Now sew the facings onto the open collar edge with the right sides together.

Sewing the jacket lining

Sew the sleeve facings onto the sleeve linings with the right sides together.


Now you can also close the sleeve linings with the right sides together.

Sew the lining’s back pleat for easier movement up approx. 5 cm from the seam at the top and bottom. 

Sew the lining front pieces onto the side pieces with the right sides together. Leave a sufficiently large turning opening. 

Now you can also sew the sleeves in with the right sides together.

Joining the jackets together

Join the jacket lining to the jacket on the three open sides with the right sides together. So on facing 1b over the neck facing on the other facing 1b.

When it’s done, it looks like this:

Sewing the hems

To close the sleeve hems, insert the sleeves into each other and fold the seam allowances at the sleeve hems over onto the wrong side. The outer fabric and lining are then lying “nicely” against each other. Pin this point well and make sure that nothing is twisted.

Now reach through the turning opening at exactly this point, hold it firmly and pull the sleeves through the turning opening to the outside. Then you open the folded seam allowances at exactly the marked point and fix the sleeve seams to each other with the right sides together and then sew them up.

If you want, you can topstitch the sleeves close to the edge from the outside.

To keep the button placket “open” from the bottom right, you have to handle the button placket “separately” when sewing the hem.

Mark the middle of the button placket and sew a seam from the left to the middle of the button placket and a second seam from the middle to the right side of the button placket.

One seam for the black pin, a second seam for the blue pin.

Then you can close the hem “normally”. Since the facings include a 4 cm seam allowance, but the lining (back piece) only 1 cm, I start to sew the facing on the front at 4 cm high and let it run out diagonally to the back piece at 1 cm. Make sure that you don’t accidentally start on the button placket and sew it up again. The seam starts where the seam on the button placket ends.

The best way to draw the slanted line is to draw it before the seam is straight. Sew up to the other side and then diagonally up again to the facing at 4 cm.

Your jacket is finished!

I hope that my tutorial on this jacket will help you and that you have lots of fun making it!

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  • Raj Khoja EditEditing comments on the BERNINA blog is only possible after logging in with a blog user account. Sign up now or create a user account if you do not have one yet.

    Hi so beautiful jacket. Nice tutorial. Beautiful design. Very helpful information sharing you. I like. Good job work. Very nice your  hobby. Well do you doing. I can read your biography. God blessing 🙏

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