The Minoru Sew-Along is on! I look forward to leading you all through the making of the Minoru Jacket in the New Year.
The official Sew-Along start date is going to be Monday, January 16th, 2012.
Doesn’t that seem ridiculously far away? I swear, we’ll be there before you know it! It’s going to be a lot of fun, and it will help the adventurous beginners sew this intermediate-level jacket with a little extra guidance. If we start mid-January, we’ll be finishing up our jackets in early February. This jacket isn’t as hard as it looks, but there are a few tricky parts that might be fun to work through together.
We’ve already had the promised guest post on sewing for the rain - I’m glad you guys enjoyed it! I’ll also share some thoughts on choosing fabric and other Minoru-related posts to help you get all lined up to start sewing in January.
Like the Lonsdale Sew-Along, I’ll put together a complete Sew-Along schedule so you can plan when to go out, and when to stay in and sew. Although it’s January, so I think we’ve timed it perfectly right. What would you rather do besides make a cup of tea, put on the fire and stay in and sew? Sounds like a perfect way to beat the January blues!
Yes, we have a Sew-Along badge! You can put it up on your site as soon as you like.
Right-click the image to save it to your computer. If you’d like to add a link to your badge, use this one to find all of the Minoru Sew-Along posts quickly and easily!
http://sewaholic.net/tag/minoru-sew-along
And a couple of you have asked to ‘borrow’ photos of the Minoru Jacket for your own blog posts. Feel free to use any of the Minoru Jacket images if you like! Please link back to Sewaholic if you do.
Who’s in for the Minoru Sew-Along? Leave us a comment if you are! I’m excited to sew another pattern along with you guys!
I’ve put my badge up with pride already! Can’t wait for January :)
Tasia, I am so excited about this. Waiting for mid Januray is perfect timing for me (and hopefully a lot of others as well). If there was one thing that gave me the extra push to buy the Minoru, it was that I wanted to participate in the sew along. Your sew alongs so educational and well thought out. As someone who is self taught, I’ve learned almost everything I know from sew alongs – and yours are the most comprehensive. Thanks for your hard work, I can’t wait for January 16th!
I would like to join the sew along. I signed up for e-mails. Is it to late to get on the pre-order list or will patterns be available in January?
I’m in! Looking forward to the sew-along!
I am going to try and actually do the sew along in “real time” this time! Hoping my schedule in january will permit. Also hoping I can decide on my fabric before then!!!
I’m looking forward to the sew-along in January, my first ever coat! I’ll also grab a button. I haven’t seen much in the way of suitable fabric for this coat yet so I look forward to your further post on this.
I’m in! I love sew-alongs because of the communal feel of it, and getting to share the final result at the end. Let’s hope I can actually wait until January… once I get my pattern in the mail it’s going to be tough to resist jumping right into it!
I would like to join in the sew-along too! The Minoru is so cute.
I’m so excited! January is perfect timing since I’ll be finished with holiday sewing by then. Will you be including making a muslin into the sew along schedule? If not, no worries–I can plan on making my muslin before the sew along starts.
My busiest time of the year is the first quarter, but I’m going to try to participate in this sew-along. I’m a little worried that this is over my head, but I so love your pattern that I’m giving it a try.
I’m in :) Looking forward to it already….I always learn so much from the sewalongs. I would class myself as an improving beginner but your patterns are always so easy to follow and with the added bonus of a sewalong I’m sure it will all become clear!
I’m looking forward to making a flannel lined version!!
I’d love to join the sew-along! When will the pattern be available?
I would love to join your sew along! How can I get a pattern?
I’m in, if I can get a pattern before then…I totally failed on the pre-order. Will it still be possible to sew along if we didn’t get on the pre-order list?
I’m definitely joining in – I ordered the pattern and will order the fabric with Christmas money. I can’t wait :) It will also give me a chance to jump start my blog again.
I’m with Amelia – I missed the pre-order, and I don’t see it yet on the pattern order page. How can I go about getting one, too. This will be my first sew along. Thanks for any info!!
I’d love to, please add me to the sew along! Like Amelia I don’t think that I was on the pre-order list, I tried to add myself over the weekend but fear that it won’t now be retrospective.
I’m in! I already have the outer fabric, and have pre-ordered the pattern, but do you plan to do a post on interlining for warmth? I’m not sure whether I need to, and I have no idea what to use for interlining if I wanted to. Would it be too bulky for the gathered waist?
Hi, everyone! I’m pumped to see so many people already interested in the sew-along, yay!
Let me jump in here and answer your questions:
Missed the pre-sale? Patterns will be available in the shop this week. (Way sooner than January!) If you signed up to the mailing list, you’ll get a quick e-mail letting you know when the Minoru Patterns are in stock. Or, stay tuned to the blog as I’ll post about it here too.
It’s OK if you can’t sew along in ‘real time’ – if your January is too busy, that’s all right! The sew-along post will be up whenever you’re ready. (And you can still put up the sew-along button on your site even if you didn’t sew along at the exact same day!)
What kind of fabric is suitable? Light to medium weight woven fabrics is a general guideline. I’ll cover more on fabric between now and January!
Interlining for warmth? You can add interlining if you’d like! I’ll cover this in more detail later but one thing to consider is the added bulk. If you’re adding a thicker lining, using a thicker fabric or adding an extra layer of interlining, consider how much bulk you’ll be adding to the finished garment (especially in the sleeves – you want to be able to bend your arms) and add extra ease or go up a size. It may be a little bulky for the gathered waist – layer all of these fabrics on top of each other and gather them up in your hand. How does it feel? Is it really stiff? Does it gather smoothly? Testing it out will be a good indicator of whether it’ll work. It may sort of work, but you might hate how it looks. Or you might not mind the bunchiness! It’s all a matter of personal preference.
I’d love to join in! I’m working on a tailored coat (potential coat-making overload!), but I’d like to make a raincoat with the Minoru pattern and have been eyeing the perfect fabric for it. I’m on the hunt for a fun lining print! Also, I go up to New York often enough that I was thinking of making the coat knee length with one of those really long zippers that are sold in the Garment District!
I am so in! I’ve already purchased my fabric and can’t wait for the pattern to arrive!
Already pre-ordered the pattern and hoping to join the sew along. Need to start thinking of fabric now (how exciting).
I’m in! I’ll be working on getting my fabrics together over Christmas, and then ready as a button come mid-January! Can’t wait!
I am in. My first ever sew along and first ever jacket. Can’t wait.
I’ve requested the pattern for Christmas so I am really glad you are having a mid-January sewalong. Perfect timing, cannot wait!
I am so excited for this sewalong. The pattern testers’ Minoru’s I’ve seen so far are absolutely fabulous.
I’m in for the sewalong – a little nervous as it’s more advanced than anything I’ve sewn before BUT definitely excited, and after following the Crescent Sewalong I know how much amazing support was available here.
I’m really excited about this because it will be my first ever sewalong and my first try at a jacket!
Really glad you’re doing this – I won’t be joining (it’ll be mid-summer and the thought of sewing a jacket then and handling all that flannel etc is just so unappealing!) but it’ll be great for when I do make it :-)
I’m in! Now I just have to get my sewing skills up to snuff before January.
I’m in too! I may start early as I travel in the winter and we oftentimes are off the grid. So, I plan my non-machine sewing for those times. I’ll know more as December arrives. I am excited to make a coat that is sporty, colorful and warm. I’d like to add a double zipper so I can open the bottom also for when riding horses. But my most pressing decision…what color?
I’m there! Can’t wait!
Yep, count me in! Just gotta find some of those fantastic metal teeth zippers in yellow or red! Any suggestions? Please email me xx
I’m in! Just waiting for my pattern to come to go and catch the perfect fabric… ;-)
I’m in! I am really looking forward to receive my pre-ordered pattern and I guess I will have to restrain myself not to open it before january. But your sewalongs are always so helpfull and I learned almost everything thanks to them (so thanks to you!).
Now, I have to go fabric hunting…
I’m in! So many firsts for me with this sew-along but I’m really excited!
I’m looking forward to your post about choosing fabrics for this jacket!
Having some trouble ordering the Minoru jacket. I cant select UK shipping and when I try to check out I get a message saying there’s nothing in my cart. Can you help please? Great pattern btw, looking forward to the sew along
Definitely in. This will be the first jacket (and first Sewaholic pattern) I’ve ever made, and I will need as much help as I can get!
I have some very tightly woven and slippery supplex along with a matching mesh lining, but should probably make my first Minoru from an easier to handle fabric.
The badge is up on my blog, and I’m really excited to join along. It already looks like there’s going to be a large group of seamsters sewing together in January! Hooray!
Yippee…so excited. Relatively new to sewing, first sew along and first jacket. Can’t wait to see all the projects.
I’m in for a sew-a-long! Now to finish everythig else by January…I can do it!
I’m in!!! What a great pattern!
Yay, I’m excited to try to make this the first sewalong I’ve done in real time, as opposed to using it as a reference when making the item later. I think January will be a good time for me, and also great because our rainy season starts in February! I just got the shipping notification for my patterns – I got one for myself and one for my mom, I’ll try to convince her to do the sewalong too :)
I’m IN! Can’t wait.
Me, me, me. I’m in! Can’t wait to get my pattern in the mail.
I’m in! It will be the middle of summer here in Australia but that won’t deter me!!
Tasia, I cannot wait! I’ve already purchased two cotton twills for my jacket(s) – and can’t wait to start! Mine will be made more for mild weather rather than the super-cold. Here in South Texas we don’t have much of a winter, but the coat will be perfect for traveling and for the windy springs we have!
I agree with Annabelle – I’ve learned SO MUCH from your sew-alongs! I’m just finishing with my first Lonsdale this weekend.. it’s the practice run before I stitch together the dress for our office Christmas party. And I must say, also as a self-taught beginner, I probably would not have had the confidence to complete it without your posts showing us how to handle each step. I also like the bite-size steps you give us. With a full-time (some weeks, overly-full time) job, I can usually only squeeze 30 min – 1 hour of sewing in a day, and your posts really help accommodate that sort of schedule!
So thanks again for everything – and I’m counting down the days until January!
Looking forward to it! I just received my pattern in the mail the other day!
This is so exciting! My parents live in New West but my sister and I moved to SoCal a few years ago and got rid of all our jackets. Would be great to have a jacket for when we visit VanCity every year. Also, great blog! :)
Sounds great! I love sew alongs, it keeps me motivated. I just found your site from another favourite blogger, she linked right to the Minoru jacket. I love it. I’ve been searching for something that’s casual but has a chic look too, and this fits the bill. Really looking forward to the start. (And I just ordered the pattern, it’s a present to myself!)
Hi again!
I just got my pattern, and couldn’t wait till january to try a muslin, so I sewed one up yesterday. So far, I’m loving it! :)
But, one question about the collar and hood. I’m probably missing something in the instructions, but are you supposed to see the lining on the inside of the collar? From the pattern pieces I think I need to cut two outer pieces and one lining piece. Is the one outer piece supposed to go together with the lining piece, with the zipper? And should this then be sewn right sides together with the secound outer piece, with the hood inside? Am I making sense at all?
The pattern is great, I really like how it fits. :)
Kjersti
Hi Kjersti! I’m thrilled to hear you just couldn’t wait to get started on the jacket!
Ok, for the lining and the collar – the lining is just there to make the opening. Both the outside and the inside of the collar are made with self fabric. The lining is there to sew the zipper opening, then turn to the inside of the collar and is only visible through the zipper opening.
I think you’ve got it right as you explained it above. Two outer pieces, one lining piece, and the lining piece is sewn to one of the outer pieces with the zipper.
I’m glad you like the pattern – let me know if this explanation makes sense!
Tasia
Count me in ! It will be my first sew along. Can’t wait !
I’m so in! I’m so excited!
Is it too late to join in? My patterns should arrive any day here in Australia and I am planning on using ripstop (semi waterproof but soft) fabric for my Minoru Jacket.
I’m excited to join in! What will the pace be like? Will you be working through a muslin first or diving right in?
I’m in! I’ve got my pattern, fabrics and notions and am ready to start on January 16th.
I’ve never done a sew along before, so I am totally in!
I’m going to sew along, but the first coat will be for my mom. I won’t be able to fit a coat for myself as I am pregnant, but I will make another for myself before next fall. I can’t wait!
I woukd like to join sew-along too. I realy like The Minoru.
I’m in! Off to Tokyo for Minoru fabric shopping in a week :)
Just ordered the pattern! This is my first sew-a-along and I am super excited. Can’t wait to go shopping for fabric….thinking of taupe with pink lining for spring!
I’m in :) Just ordered the pattern, and I am super excited!!
i’m in
I’m in and I’ll make the jacket up as soon as my pattern arrives. Until then I’ll learn from yaw’ll.
Very excited to start on January 16th. I have my pattern, fabric and notions ready to go. Thanks for providing the sew-along.
I’m in!
Looking forward to getting started – I bought the fabric yesterday. Missing, however zippers – does anyone know where I can buy them in neon colors? I think it would be so nice!
My fabric is black, water-and windproof and the driver is a nice warm off-white (teddy bear fabric).
I am in. Pattern I have already, now I have to find the right fabric. Can’t wait to start.
I’m in too! Fabric is selected and ordered, the pattern was a present for my recent birthday from my lovely husband. He knows me well :-)
Can’t wait to see it come together. This will be my first real time sewalong so looking forward to the fun.