Japanese Pattern Book Project #1 -- The Work Jacket

My next project is going to be the jacket featured on the cover of Men's Clothes For All Seasons, a Japanese pattern book with roughly 22 different men's patterns featured in it.

I hope eventually to try them all.

This style is sometimes called a work jacket or a chore jacket.  It's usually blue cotton denim or blue twill, and often associated with the French, as well as the late New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham.

Here's a fancy version by Junya Watanabe.

From S.E.H. Kelly:

I wasn't sure what fabric I'd make mine out of, but I knew I wanted to use a solid.  I had it down to either a lightweight denim or a cranberry red organic cotton twill.   Unable to decide, I asked on Instagram and the vote was unanimous: the cranberry.  So that's what I chose!

I opted for matching topstitching thread rather than a contrast.

Now, working from a Japanese pattern book takes some patience, especially if, like me, you don't read Japanese.  Fortunately, the diagrams and photos are extremely detailed.  If you've sewn similar garments, you shouldn't have a problem. 

I'm pretty sure this pattern was made by deconstructing vintage workwear.  It has a very 1920's/30's shape.

I've worked with Japanese pattern books before, so I knew what I was getting into.  I found my size (Medium) by comparing my basic measurements (in centimeters) to those provided in the book.  In American patterns, I'm always a Small  (36 chest, 14.5 neck, 30-31 waist).

In this book, you must add the seam allowances; they're not included on the patterns.  It's a bit more work but it also gives you more flexibility.  I used a tracing wheel and yellow carbon paper on plain white craft paper (the kind that comes in a roll).  I added the seam allowances with a ruler in pencil.  I won't pretend it wasn't time consuming -- it was.

Anyone who has ever traced a pattern from Burda or a similar European pattern magazine knows what it's like to find the right pattern in the right size on headache-inducing pattern pages where multiple patterns in multiple sizes and colors are not only nested, but also overlapping.  Luckily, there were only eleven or so pieces, not including interfacing.

I cut my fabric yesterday and started sewing today.  So far, everything's been coming together well.  There were a few times I wished I could read Japanese, but I managed to figure things out.  This is not a complicated pattern but working solely from photos can sometimes be confusing.

And that's it -- I hope to finish tomorrow if all goes well.

In closing, have you ever traced a pattern out of a pattern book or pattern magazine?  Did you use the method where you place transparent tracing paper atop the pattern and trace the lines in pencil (which was my old method) or carbon paper and opaque paper underneath the pattern, which you trace over with a tracing wheel?

Any method other than these two you've tried and recommend?

Have a great day, everybody!