Paola Workwear jacket by FabricStore.com has to be one of my favorite patterns. The first version I made in corduroy and I wrote about it here. I had enough leftover white denim from Persephone pants which ended up being the perfect fit for this jacket. I wear it spring through autumn all the time and it is one of the most worn pieces in my wardrobe for sure.

Pattern Name: Paola Workwear Jacket

Pattern company: FabricStore.com

Size: 0/2

Personal highlights: Free* sewing pattern, Fairly quick make

A close up of a white denim jacket made from a free sewing pattern Paola Workwear jacket. The jacket is buttoned up with three bottom buttons

 

A woman wearing sunglasses, a white buttoned jacket made from a free sewing pattern Paola Workwear Jacket, and light green shorts stands in front of a stone wall, looking to the side.

One thing about this pattern though is that I get gaping at the back. That was somewhat less noticeable with the corduroy version and I was not bothered by it at the time. Over the years I went back and updated that version and I will write a follow up blog post on that soon. With this thicker denim though, the gaping was very noticeable. I started to look for ways of how to fix it so I added 2 back darts. They solve the issue and add some details to the back but are also not as noticeable either so it worked perfectly. Next time, I will try and fix this in the pattern before cutting out. I think this is happening because of my sway back, but even with having to add that minor tweak to the pattern is fine. It is a free* (but brilliant) pattern after all and not everyone would have this issue anyway.

Back view of the free sewing pattern Paola Workwear jacket made in a white denim. A woman wearing it is turned away, standing in fron of a stone wall

I added two patch pockets at the front that are perfect size to fit a phone or keys. The brown big buttons add the perfect contrast to the white denim and make this jacket a bit more interesting. I really like that you can add as many or as little as you want. And each time you would end up with a slightly different jacket. I really love this jacket and wear it all the time. Surprisingly, I manage to go about without getting it dirty which is unbelievable. But even if I do I just throw it into the wash, iron it and we are back out there together. Living the life. I wrote about the Persephone’s I made out of this fabric and about wearing white. But I managed to wear both garments without any major mishaps. So far!

Close up of a patch pocket on a white denim Paola Workwear Jacket, a free sewing pattern

A woman wearing sunglasses, a white buttoned jacket made from free sewing pattern Paola Woarkwear Jacket, and light green shorts stands in front of a stone wall, looking down while buttoning up the jacket.

A woman wearing sunglasses, a white buttoned jacket made from free sewing pattern Paola Workwear jacket, and light green shorts stands in front of a stone wall, looking to the side.

*FabricStore.com used to offer a set of patterns for free. They are no longer free since the promotion period ended. I downloaded it back when it was still available at no cost.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

Ana