When I first started blogging about my clothes (in 2013!), I’d try to get a post up pretty soon after I snipped the last thread. That often meant snapping ill-lit photos in a dirty mirror, using my phone’s timer to take poorly composed photos inside my apartment, or nicely asking Marc to snap a couple pics on the way to dinner. (The latter always yielded the best results.)

The point? I cared less about quality and more about showing my makes to the world as soon as humanly possible. Nowadays, I’m lucky if I blog about a sewing project within a month or two of finishing. Sure, I give sneak peeks on Instagram, but something (freezing Chicago weather, work, social life, laziness) usually gets in the way.

Case in point: I made this Tamarack in November—riiiiiight as it got too cold for a mid-weight jacket. It’s clear that I need to work on my seasonal timing!

It’s not quite springtime in Chicago (it JUST SNOWED, wtf), but it was “warm” enough this past weekend to get some passable photos of my Grainline Studio Tamarack Jacket. (That striped shirt is yet another Mandy Boat Tee that I’ll probably never blog about since I’ve made so many!)

Tamarack Jacket – Details

• Size: 8
• Alterations: Added 1″ to the body and 1″ to the sleeves
• Main fabric: Art Gallery “Morse Dot” from the Imprint collection from Oak Fabrics (different colorway)
• Lining: Art Gallery “Trinket” from the IndieFolk collection from Oak Fabrics; I also used a slippery lining from my stash for the top half of the sleeve lining
• Batting: Quilter’s Dream Cotton Batting (Amazon link, bought from Oak Fabrics)
• Snaps: Dritz Western Heavy Duty snaps (Amazon link, bought from Oak Fabrics)

I was pretty fresh off sewing my first quilt when I started the Tamarack Jacket. As some of you probably know, sewing a quilt—or a quilted jacket—takes lots of patience. If you decide to make a Tamarack, I highly suggest taking your sweet time with it! Or, you could buy pre-quilted fabric and save yourself a very long first step.

I followed the instructions pretty much to a T and referenced the thorough Grainline sew-along, especially when it came to the welt pockets! Since I enjoyed the meditative process of hand-stitching the binding down on my quilt, I went the same route for the Tamarack Jacket. I love how the binding turned out.

The only things I’d change next time:

• Use the right side for the pocket lining that shows inside the jacket
• Add more length to the sleeves

Tamarack isn’t a quick sew by any means, but the process and finished product are really satisfying! I’d recommend it if you want to showcase a great fabric or improve your quilting skills.

P.S. The scarf I’m wearing is handmade, too! Marc’s mom, Amy, wove it on her loom. 😍