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Well, here’s my DIY men’s color-blocked denim jacket that took forever to make! Whew, it was a lot of work, and I love how it turned out.
And if you’ve been following the blog, you’ll see that I’ve made this pattern a couple of times. This time, I used up fabric that was in my stash instead of upcycling.
So come along, I’ll tell you about the pattern, materials used, my process, and share photos!
Simplicity S8845 Jacket Pattern
So, I’ve got three copies of Simplicity S8845 sewing pattern! Don’t ask… It’s the Mimi G Style unisex jacket for women, men, and teens.
The features on this garment include flat fell seams, welt pockets, buttonholes, a collar, cuffs, and a bottom band. Plus, you’ll sew or hammer on buttons.
I had to cut 20 pattern pieces for this one. It’s more involved and not for the faint of heart.
But there is a sew-along video on YouTube if you need it. I’ve made this jacket so many times, I didn’t need the video this time!
Materials
Here are the things I used to make this jacket, most of which were in my house.
Fabric
I had a bunch of denim with different washes and colors in my stash. I’ve had this over the years, and most of it came from the fashion district near me.
All of it had some stretch, with the blue having more than the rest. The black was heavier and stiffer. Although I like the gray color, the quality wasn’t as nice as the other cuts.
Other suggested fabrics for this pattern are chino, corduroy, sateen, and twill.
Notions
I used 5/8-inch (0.625-inch) dungaree buttons that I usually buy. There’s the Dritz brand, and I find they’re pretty durable.
You’ll need 14 buttons total if you follow the pattern as is.
I also used heavy-medium-weight interfacing on the front facing, cuffs, collar, and band.
Needle
I used a jeans needle for this one. You could also use a universal needle.
With the weight of the denim fabric, I used a size 100/16 needle. For topstitching, I used the same size.
Thread
In my sewing machine, I used Gutermann jeans thread. It’s made of 70% polyester and 30% cotton.
When that ran out, I used Gutermann Mara 70 thread, Tex 40. It’s 100% polyester, and I got it from Wawak.
For topstitching, I used Gutermann heavy-duty thread in gold, made of polyester.
In my serger, I used Maxi-Lock serger spun thread to finish the seams. It’s also made of 100% polyester.
Sewing My Jacket
Despite having made this pattern before, sewing this garment took a lot of time. You’ll see why.
Prepping
Well, let’s rewind to a long time ago. I made a mockup of this jacket as a rough draft.
I was making sure the sizing was good, as I was making it for a certain special person. Plus, I was in a color-blocking kind of mood.
It’s not something I do often, so I wanted to try it on this one. Well, I made the front pockets differently on the mockup, and it turned out to be wearable. So I went ahead and finished it.
Okay, and then this happened. It burnt up in the California wildfires, along with many other things!
So I decided to make this jacket the new and improved version.
When cutting, I actually looked at the pictures of the old one. I cut out size large, which was the same size as last time.
And having the pictures to follow for the color layout was helpful. Also, I didn’t have a whole lot of fabric, so I had to figure out what I actually had left and what would work.
Construction
So, this time I didn’t watch that sew-along video. I followed the written directions in the pattern envelope.
But I didn’t go in order. I started with the front pieces and front flap pockets.
Then I completed the back of the jacket, stitching the middle to the sides and attaching the yoke.
After that, I made the tabs, collar, cuffs, and upper and lower sleeves. Let me note that I made the tabs three times because they kept looking askew!
Then I made the part that usually breaks me, and that’s the welt pockets. And to my surprise, this time they went pretty easily!
After that, I worked on the buttonholes and attached the sleeves, collar, cuffs, and band.
Meanwhile, I was topstitching this whole jacket. At this point, I ran out of the gold thread! Ugh!
Then I had to deconstruct some parts because I wasn’t happy with the interfacing. Yes, I’m like that.
You can’t see it from the outside, but I know. And that bothered me so much!
Okay, and then back to re-topstitching. Finally, I made the label in the back, added the tabs, and hammered on the buttons.
Adjustments
About the flat fell seams—I didn’t make them. I just sewed the seam allowance like I usually do.
Then I pressed it over and double topstitched on it. And voila!
Also, I made the sleeves about 1-1/2 inches (1.5 inches) longer. I did this by slashing the sewing pattern at the designed point and adding the length there.
The sleeve is actually cut there on the garment to add a little more detail. So I actually had to add some seam allowance to do this.
Finishing Details
I can say that this time the hammering of the jeans buttons was not tragic. The last time I did this, I hit my thumb!
Let’s just say I was trying to get them on straight, but I’ve since gotten my technique down.
Project Notes
Remember to adjust the seam length when topstitching. I think it looks better to increase this a bit, and I brought mine up to 4.
This jacket took me around 45 hours to make, not including cutting! But it includes re-doing parts and topstitching.
So plan extra time, and this might be a good slow sewing project!
Final Thoughts
Well, I finally finished this jacket, and it turned out beautifully. It was actually a Christmas gift, and I presented it semi-finished at the time.
But then I had to travel and got ill, but it got done! Sometimes it takes a little bit (months) to get those finishing touches done, but it’s all good! Better late than never, right?
More Sewing Projects
- Want to attach a jeans buttons without bending it? I’ll show you how!
- Check out my upcycled jean jacket made from the same pattern!
- I also used this same sewing pattern to make a soft sateen jacket.
- You can also see my men’s utility jacket with tucks that I made.
Originally published: June 8, 2026
