BERNINA Corporate Blog -Nothing beats the comfort of polar fleece when you’re chasing warmth on windy northern days – whether you are on a boat in the summer or working in your garden on a chilly evening. This project walks you through how to sew a fleece jacket that’s practical and stylish.
Materials Needed:
- BERNINA BERNINA 590 Sewing Machine
- Sewing machine foot: 1D with dual feed
- Zipper Foot #4
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Greenstyle Discovery Jacket PDF Pattern (affiliate link: Curvy Discovery Jacket Pattern)
- * Receive 10% off on all pdf pattern orders $30 USD and over – use coupon code 10off30 at checkout.
- Fabric: Polar Fleece
- Pocket Lining Mesh Fabric
- Collar and accent fabric: woven or knit in coordinating colours – ½ yard
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Zippers
- 7″ (18cm) closed-ended zippers x 3
- #5 separating zipper x 25-30” (66-74cm)
- Foldover elastic (FOE) or knit binding for binding bodice hem and sleeve hems
- Medium weight woven interfacing – 1/2 yard (0.5 metres)
- Thread
- Wonder Tape
- Pins or clips
- Rotary cutter and cutting mat
Preparing your Pattern and Fabric
This PDF pattern comes in A4, Letter, A0 and projector formats. If you are printing, make sure the “page scaling” is set to “none” or “actual size”.
Using projector files allows you to cast directly onto your fabric and cut out your pattern pieces.
Cutting your Fabric
This pattern is great for colour-blocking and mixing and matching fabrics.
I used Polartec 200 weight fleece for the following pieces: main bodice, back, sleeves, side panels and inner collar. In order to cut down on bulk, I used lining mesh for both the inner pocket and pocket lining pieces. For the chest pocket (a pattern hack by me, not part of the original pattern), outer collar and zipper guard, I used a water-repellant outerwear fabric from my stash. Due to how firm this fabric is, I chose not to use interfacing. However, the pattern instructions will explain where to interface if your fabrics require it.
Sew the Fleece Jacket
Sew the Hip Pockets
Place the pocket lining on the right side of the main body front pieces and stitch along the pocket markings.
Cut into each corner and fold pockets back to the wrong side.
Place pocket pieces onto the right side of the jacket’s bodice front panels.
Snip into the seam allowance diagonally, then turn wrong sides together and press.
Understitch close to the seam using a straight stitch on your sewing machine. Repeat for the other side.
Place the zipper in the pocket opening and topstitch in place, aligning the edge of the zipper with the edge of the main body piece.
Attach the zipper under the pocket opening.
*Tip: Use a washaway double-sided tape on the zipper to hold it in place easily.
Place the remaining pocket lining on top of the pocket pieces and pin them together. Serge or stitch together with a zig-zag.
Fold the front main back and down so you can stitch across the top of the pocket/pocket lining. Use a straight stitch and neaten the top of the pocket (only the two layers) with a serger stitch or binding. I used a stretchy knit binding along the top of the pocket for reinforcement.
Reinforced top edge of the hip pocket bag on the inside of the fleece jacket.
Repeat for the other side.
Baste the remaining pocket edges to the main fabric panel.
Sew the Fleece Jacket Bodice
Place each side panel right sides together with the jacket fronts. Stitch with a straight stitch and the BERNINA 1D foot with dual feed. This will help the fleece feed evenly.
Attach the back panel, and stitch side seams together. Serge edges if desired and topstitch all side seams with a straight stitch. I used a 3.3 stitch length and moved the needle over to catch the serged seam allowance in the stitching for a flat, finished seam.
Stitch the shoulder seams together and topstitch.
Zippered hip pockets on completed jacket.
Zipper Chest Pocket Hack
Cut a main pocket piece from a contrast or main fabric and a lining fabric. Each pocket piece will be 6′ x 10′ (or you can choose your own dimensions). I always make sure to make the pocket large enough that it willfit my phone.
On the wrong side of the lining fabric, draw a rectangle 7′ x 0.5’ and center it, measuring in 1.5” from the long edge.
Place the two chest pocket fabrics right sides together and stitch around the outside edge of the rectangle.
Draw the markings as shown in the photo and cut carefully with scissors.
After the rectangle is stitched, draw the markings inside the rectangle and cut open.
Flip the lining through the opening to the wrong side of the main pocket fabric. Press 3/8″ seam allowances along each edge of the pocket.
Using washaway tape, attach the zipper to the underside of the opening and topstitch it in place. You can also fold a small piece of fabric and baste it over the end of the zipper to create a zipper garage.
Washaway tape will hold the zipper securely in place under the pocket opening while you topstitch it into place.
Press seam allowances around the outer pocket edges to the wrong side. Pin or washaway tape to the jacket front and topstitch into place.
Topstitch to attach the chest pocket to the jacket bodice.
Binding the Bodice Hem
Take your knit binding or foldover elastic and stitch around the bottom hem of the jacket, pulling slightly to put tension on it as you sew. Use a wide zigzag stitch (about 3.0 long and 4.5 to 5 wide) or a straight or stretch stitch.
Sewing knit binding on the bodice hem.
Sewing the Fleece Jacket Zipper Guard
If your fabric requires added stiffness, fuse interfacing to your zipper guard.
Fold in half, right sides together and stitch the curved edge.
Turn right sides out and neaten raw edges with zig-zag or serger
Topstitch channels along the length of the zipper guard if desired.
Sew the Separating Zipper and Collar
Measure the zipper and the jacket, and shorten as needed. I keep metal zipper tops on hand to shorten zippers, but you can also create a stopper by stitching one with thread.
Baste the zipper to the zipper guard.
The top of the zipper guard is folded over the top of the zipper to create a zipper garage.
I used a waterproof woven with limited drape for the outer collar, and fleece for the inner collar.
Pin or clip the outer collar to the neckline of the jacket body. Stitch with a straight stitch.
Attach the zipper to the jacket fronts by placing the zipper and guard on the center front edge of the jacket center front, right sides together. Stitch on one side using a straight stitch and zipper foot. Then, pin the other side in place, ensuring that you line up each side of the zipper correctly with the neck seam and top of collar. Stitch in place.
*Tip: Insert a small hanging loop, if you wish, in the center back of the neck seam. I fold a piece of foldover elastic in half and stitch, then insert it as a loop.
Hanging loop
Attach the inner collar by sewing, right sides together, to the attached outer collar. Sew along the long top edge and the two short edges. Turn to the inside and baste the inner collar to cover the neckline seam. With a straight stitch, topstitch the center front of the fleece jacket (both sides of the zipper) and the collar edges.
Sew the Fleece Jacket Sleeves
Apply FOE to the lower edge of the sleeve, the same as you did for the hem of the jacket. Repeat for the remaining sleeve.
(Alternatively, you can wait until sleeves are sewn together and insert FOE in the round.)
Knit binding on the sleeve hems.
Fold sleeves in half, right sides together and stitch seams.
Slip the sleeve inside the armscye openings. Line up the notches and pin or clip into place. Stitch with a straight stitch, and finish the seam with a serger or zigzag stitch. Repeat for the other sleeve.
Please note: Greenstyle Patterns has a helpful video tutorial if you are looking for further instructions.
Whether you’re sewing your first jacket or your fiftieth, fleece is such a rewarding fabric—it’s forgiving, functional, and ultra-cozy. With these steps, you’ll sew a fleece jacket that rivals any ready-to-wear piece.
I can’t wait to see what you make with this pattern! Tag me @ManitoulinThreads.
Happy stitching!
Heather @ManitoulinThreads🧵✂
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