This is definitely a new favorite jacket for the cool months.

The pattern was one of those that sucked me in just cuz it was on sale for 99¢ at Joann’s.  I have quite a collection of those, actually.  🙂

Anyhow, the prudent thing to before making up any pattern (before buying it would be even better, lol) is to look up its reviews on PatternReview.com.  Priceless gems of advice and commentary are available there, I tell you.

One reviewer mentioned that although this pattern recommended making view D out of fleece, she bought wool jersey and felted it in her washer.  This gave the same no-ravel edge, but a much, much nicer feel.  My wool was a woven, but it felted up beautifully.  Wool is a lovely material to sew with and to wear.  It pressed nicely, sewed up like “buttah,” and is utterly comfy and cozy to wear.

Here’s my review of Simplicity 2313:

Pattern Description: Misses’ jackets with detail and collar variations. Suitable for fleece.

Pattern Sizing: 6-14, I made a muslin and made a modified size 14 of view D.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? It was, although I had to look at the pattern envelope to determine if the ruffle pleats were supposed to be on the inside or the outside.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the princess seaming, the small back peplum and the interesting ruffle variation. I also like that there are four such different jackets in one pattern.

Fabric Used: I used a 97% wool, 3% lycra from Joann’s. I tossed it in the washer and dryer twice to felt it before using. (An extra 1/2 yard was plenty to account for the felting.)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I made a muslin out of craft felt. Looking back, I wouldn’t recommend this, as the craft felt ended up being much stiffer than my actual fabric. The stiffness hid a few fit problems.

I skipped facings on this jacket, since my felted fabric doesn’t ravel. I turned under 1/2″ on the outer edges and double top-stitched.

The sleeve on this pattern is poorly drafted. It’s too narrow at the shoulder and too wide at the wrists. I had to completely redo it.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I love my new wool sweater, it breathes and is far more comfortable than the synthetics most sweaters are made of these days. However, I probably only need one sweater in this style.

Conclusion: A nice pattern and a great bargain, but take the time to make a muslin before using a nice fabric.

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