Welcome back to our series on hacks for the Midway Bomber Jacket!
Don't have your pattern yet? Get it here.
Today, I'm going to show you how to create a fully reversible bomber jacket, complete with pockets on both sides! Because, pockets are life.
Step 1: To start, you'll want to complete your bomber jacket through zipper installation, with one main change- you're going to put welt pockets in your lining fabric as well, exactly as you did for the main fabric. This means you'll end up with twice as many pocket pieces as would be required for a jacket without pockets in the lining. This is optional, but makes for a truly reversible jacket, in my opinion. Note: You will need a reversible separating zipper!
You will want to consider the color of your "lining" here, as well as the thickness of the fabric you're using for pockets. You'll have 4 pocket layers on each side, so you don't want anything too thick or dark, or they will show through a lighter, thinner fabric. I'm using blush Liverpool and rayon spandex french terry, and it works well. Anything heavier like scuba or a heavy ponte, and you would probably have too much bulk. Mesh is another option for the "top pocket" piece, since it would be thinner, and breathable (who likes sweaty hands?)
Step 2: Sew the lining (with pockets!) onto the jacket, around the waistband, zipper and collar. Then, flip your jacket right sides out through the hole in the lining, and get ready to attach the cuffs. Don't close that hole in the lining yet! This is where we will deviate from the instructions, to create cuffs with the seams on the inside.
Step 3: Sew the side seams of your cuff pieces, and attach them to the lining fabric, right sides together, but don't fold them in half, like you would normally do. You should only be attaching two layers here: the single cuff layer and the sleeve layer.
Step 4: Turn your sleeve with the cuff attached inside out, and have your main fabric inside out. You'll be pulling them through the hole in the lining.
Fold the cuff down a bit, exposing the right side.
Place your main fabric sleeve OVER the cuff, so that the right sides are together.
Sew/serge this edge. You should end up with a tube. To avoid twisting, I highly recommend marking the underarm seam of your main and lining sleeves. It can get confusing with the top and bottom seams on the sleeve, and you don't want to end up with a twisty sleeve. It helped me to baste the cuff to the sleeve, and then turn it out and try it on to make sure there's no twisting. Repeat for the second sleeve.
Step 5: Turn the jacket right sides out through the hole in the lining, and close the hole with a slip stitch. Hooray! You now have a lined jacket, with pockets on both sides and no visible seams.
Wear it and share it on our Facebook page!
Other Midway Bomber Jacket Tutorials:
Hood/neck binding (with free hood add-on!)
Shortening a nylon coil zipper (on Sewing with Sarah)
