McCall’s 7913

It’s a chilly day in Yorkshire so I thought I’d talk about my recent quilted jacket. It’s actually my second version of this pattern so we can look at them both!

McCall’s 7913 is an OOP unisex jacket that I picked up in 2023 but is hopefully coming soon as a PDF pattern (or you can find a paper copy on eBay). The pattern sews up very quickly and you could omit the collar to make it even easier. There are optional chest pockets and the choice of making a sleeveless vest too. The instructions are for making a lined jacket but I like it with the bound seams – such a great technique to practice.

It’s a loose fitting jacket that fits over a thick jumper easily. I made the size S but could have downsized to the XS.

My first version was made from a JYSK quilted blanket and I repurposed the existing outer blanket binding into the jacket as I cut it out. I supersized the patch pockets to be pleasingly huge – Perfect for carrying a gin & tonic tin to the park for the local annual parade. Then I added pale blue bobble trim around the upper pocket edge. Lastly I added a pale blue corduroy contrast collar to tie in the with the pops of blue. The inside has red seam binding throughout to encase the raw edges.

For my second version I used a soft quilted jacquard from Fabric Godmother which has 60s style Orla Kiely inspired flowers in purple and cream – fitting then that the fabric was named “Orla“. I agonised over finding the perfect shade of plain cotton for the contrast bias binding and settled on a Hobbycraft purple for the outer binding, then used a cream, also from Hobbycraft for the placket, hem and neckline facings – Both made with my Simplicity Bias Binding Machine. For the seams I used a lightweight vintage seam binding in paler lilac from my stash.

Press stud fasteners were used on both jackets and I must confess I hate adding these. What made it slightly more bearable on the second jacket was borrowing my friend’s special Prym pliers. They help you make the hole for the fastener and then importantly, getting a solid strong clamp on the two parts of the press stud. When I’ve hammered them in the past, you can easily hit it too hard or not hard enough!

Silver seemed like a safe choice for my purple jacket and antique brass for my blue version. I’ve also given up using Hemline snaps as I find they distort during install way too frequently. Prym all the way going forward.

Here’s a closer look at the bobble trim on my blue version which I got many moons ago in a craft kit and tucked away in my stash. And you get a sneak peek at how that G&T fits in the pocket.

The purple jacket is definitely less bulky and therefore less warm than the blue but is more appealing to me because of the fabric print. So far I’ve worn it to the Minerva HUGE warehouse sale where I bought 35m of fabric (for myself and my mum).