Kelly Anorak : : Closet Case Files : : Arrivederci Firenze
Saluti e buongiorno. I’ve been away…on holiday….in Italy. And yes, it was as good….better actually…as I imagined it would be. The culture. The people. The food. All sublime. Now…as much as I want to ramble on about all things Italian…for this post, I’m going to try my darnedest to keep the focus on my Kelly Anorak – Closet Case Files most recent pattern release.
I was in the early stages of deciding what to pack into my teeny, tiny carry-on suitcase when the call to pattern test showed up in my inbox. This. This could be perfect, thought me. A lightweight jacket for potentially chilly evenings and roomy enough to wear over a vest or sweater if needed. Yes please…and enormous thank yous…for the opportunity Heather!
The details: snaps, drawstring, gusseted pockets…and my own addition of interior zippered pockets…all add up to a very stylish and RTW worthy jacket. Looks daunting, you say? Not only are the pattern instructions detailed, there are posts scheduled for the trickier bits on the Closet Case Files blog.
The Kelly Anorak calls for light to medium weight fabric such as cotton twill, gabardine or linen, or…for the superstar stitchers…waterproof ripstop or goretex. My dotty aqua fabric, pulled from my stash, is 100% cotton and maybe just a tad lighter in weight than twill. And oh my, was this jacket a trooper..it got a decent amount of wear…but, just as often…it languished…either draped over my bag, wrapped around my waist, or stuffed in my suitcase. Sure there are wrinkles…but fewer than I anticipated…and I think they actually suit the easy going style of the jacket.
The silhouette is timeless, don’t you think? Just like my previous Closet Case Files makes, I know I’ll be sewing this again and again. You can find the pattern here.
And, where…in the world…am I? I’m in Florence, at Piazzale Michelangelo, on the south side of the Arno River. The views of Florence are magnificent from up here…You can see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to my left and the Basilica of Santa Croce to my right.
Okay…I’ve had one false publish already this morning…so I’d best get this show on the road. See you soon…Ciao.
Jacket : : Kelly Anorak
T-Shirt : : Deer And Doe Plantain T-Shirt
Pants : : Ginger Jeans
49 Comments
Hm, that’s not False Creek. Heh.
To stroll through the streets of Florence wrapped in your awesome you-made jacket – bliss. I love that walking shot of you too. I can see why you’d like to use this pattern over and over again. The details are fantastic. I can see why you would enjoy wearing this jacket in frigging Florence! Hahaha.
Glad you’re back.
LOL…’tis true…we’s not in False Creek.
Okay, you’re an expert…how many coats is too many? Ooooh….that many? Yep…plotting another Kelly as I type.
See you soon!
Your jacket looks amazing!
Thanks so much Irene! Closet Case Files has everything to do with it looking amazing. The pattern was a straightforward make and that was while in the pattern testing stage.
What a fabulous travel jacket – perfect for a chilly Italian evening. I liked Florence – didn’t love it – although the Pitti Palace was gorgeous and the Uffizi Gallery stunning. I hope you had a great trip, Sue!
Hey Sheila! You’re right…it was in the early hours of the day and late evening when this jacket got some wear. I found my first hours in Florence completely overwhelming! So many people. It wasn’t until we took a self guided walking tour outside of town that I really started to appreciate her beauty. The main rooms of the Palace were closed the day we went, wah-wah, but we really loved the Costume Museum and the gardens!!
Its been a long time since I traveled to a place that required a jacket but I seem to recall wearing a battered army surplus in heavy duty khaki, very similar to yours in style. The drawstring waist proved ideal for warding off the bitter winds of Venice in the depths of winter.
Gorgeous views! xxx
Ah yes…India has your heart completely! And confession…Indian was our first home meal after getting back, ;).
Yes…heavy duty khaki…rolled up sleeves…faded in all the right spots…this style of jacket just gets better with age. Another reason to whip up another in a more traditional fabric! xo
Wow! What great shots! Florence…one of the best cities in the world! Unlike Sheila I LOVED Florence. So much art, so little time.
I love the colour you chose for your jacket. Also kudos for matching your bag to your jacket : )
bisous
Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne! You got that right…soooo much art and so little time. I’m in agreement with both you and Sheila, LOL. The city is a gracious host to masses and masses of people and it overwhelms. That being said, once you find your rhythm…it has a beautiful vibe. With a total of 4 nights, and staying on the south side of the Arno, we did indeed find the sweet spot! I’m debating a holiday re-cap for the blog…hopefully not too boring for people.
Nice! Your fabric is great, really makes your anorak stand out. I’ve been looking at the pattern – and it’s pretty much what I already have in the stash. But your choice of fabric takes this out of the ordinary, wonderful color on you as well.
Thanks Coco. I agree..if you have a similar pattern in your stash…no need to purchase another. One of the cool things about this silhouette is how we can all tweak the pattern to our liking. More pockets, maybe a drawstring at the hem etc. I imagine you have less need for jackets than me, but if you need one, unlined is probably the way to go.
Such a cute but very practical jacket and the fabric choice really does make it special! Not to mention the choice of photography location. Glad you had such a great time, Sue!
Hey Louisa! Thanks so much! Looking forward to seeing you soon!
i thought that was florence! in fact, your photos are in the exact spot where my camera ceased to work 🙁
love your kelly. if i ever get time to sew again, this is on my list!
NOOOOOO….your camera died!!!??? In Florence????!!! That’s terrible!
Okay…I know you are busy, busy, busy…but if/when you do get time to sew again, this pattern has your name written all over it! SO YOU! xo
Looks like it was an amazing trip! The views look amazing. I haven’t been to that part of Italy so it is nice to see some photos of your adventures! That truly is a fabulous coat and the perfect piece to sew for your trip! Love the color you chose and I do like that you added inside pockets too!
Rebecca
http://www.winnipegstyle.ca/blog
Oh, the views are indeed amazing. It’s a bit of a hike up, but so worth it. We actually took the back route which was longer, more scenic and less straight up. Going down was easy-peasy.
I love your version Sue!! I want to make one out of a lighter weight fabric now too!! What a clever idea to add an inside pocket too! I can see why this would be perfect for travel. I hope you enjoyed your trip!
Hey Heather! Thanks so much! The inside pockets really were the best. I could go out in the evening and leave my bag behind. The essentials being safely zipped away! And….LOL…I want to make another out of similar fabric to yours….
The perfect jacket for travel, it looks so comfortable, has all the right pockets plus the zippered one you installed. Beautiful colour and glad I’m not the only one that noticed it matched your bag 🙂
Thanks Sharon! And yes…the bag was a lucky find! I bought it at our local Winner’s which is a sister store to TJMAXX etc. The bag was great, with the right number of pockets etc., but boy am I glad to be back to my smorgasbord of bags now that I’m home!
Gorgeous!!!! I love this color on you too. Yup, looks like I need to buy this one…hopefully it won’t take me as long to make this as it did the Gingers. Sounds like a heavenly trip, so happy for you!
Thanks Margo! We did have a wonderful, wonderful trip thank you!
Well, of course you will like this pattern…now that you have the Ginger’s under your belt, you know how great CCF patterns are. That being said though….you are rocking a pretty awesome cargo jacket on your blog right now!!!!
Aha.. that is why I couldn’t open your mail/post this morning. A false start.
Now .. I totally agree with you about the anorak. It is perfect. The material, the print, the shape. And of course the making. The only thing I totally do not get is this….: you go from Canada to Italy and you pack a teeny, tiny carry-on suitcase ????? WHY????? Oh gosh I thought we understood each other, but on this point we are worlds apart hahaha.
Greetje
LOL…yep…trying to post shortly after returning home and a nine hour time difference…a few oops.
HAHAHAHAHA…you and Suzanne, and Melanie…and probably countless others, LOL. And me too come to think of it. It was NOT easy to figure out what to pack, but we did it, and we were glad. We had four different destinations within Italy…lots of trains and connections and connecting airline flights and lots of stairs etc. We had back-pack style suitcases and we walked unhindered every where. I will do it again with this method.
It’s perfect! Oh, you clever, CLEVER girl! Enjoy your time in Italy. So thrilled to hear from you and to see you’re out exploring the world, looking fabulous and having fun. Big hugs from Australia. Jxox
Tee Hee! Jen thinks I’m clever!!!
Thanks for popping by my friend! Italia was ALL enjoyment! xoxo
Ciao, Sue! I’m so glad I finally logged in to Bloglovin’ again and saw your post. I spent a couple of months in Florence with an Italian boyfriend, back in the mists of time. Che bella citta! How wonderful for you! My favourite place was the cafe on the roof of the Uffizi.
Oh, the jacket is amazing! You have such talent, adding the little zipper pockets, and making the whole thing look timeless – which is good, because I’m sure it will last forever.
Baci, bella!
OMG…a couple of months…that IS the way to do it! I can well imagine that the Uffizi roof top cafe would be fabulous. I looked up that way many times as our favourite ice cream store was directly across the Arno. 🙂
Heads up…UK is on our travel list…
Love it! Especially love the interior pockets, an added plus when traveling. I think it turned out fantastic. How fun that you were in Italy, one of many places still on my must see list.
Thanks Flo! Italy was indeed a special destination for us both. I hope you get there one day!
Sew cute! Looks like it’s just perfect for the weather too.
Thanks Rhonda. It was just perfect for the weather. I think there was one time I wore my vest underneath, but otherwise the jacket alone was enough to ward off an early morning chill.
Swoon that is one great jacket, perfect for holiday jaunts. Your pictures are fab.
Thanks Louise. I have been wearing my jacket here at home….but it will forever be remembered as my holiday jacket. 🙂
Oh My Word. This is certainly a treat!!! I love taking these little armchair journeys. I can smell the espresso. The fabric of your jacket is perfect. You are an international style star. Bellisima!!!
Well…I am thinking of further boring my readers with a post purely about my holiday….no sewing, no fashion…just pretty pics and chat about what we did, where we stayed and what we ate.
Sounds like a great vacation. Love your pretty jacket and all the detail 🙂
Ah yes…a truly great vacation it was! Happy you appreciate the details Hana!
What a nice jacket, all the more pretty given the beautiful backdrop. Well done all around. Abbey
Thank you Abbey! Gotta agree about that backdrop…I almost feel like I’m there again.
Hi Sue,
your lovely jacket is perfect for travelling. I love that it matches to the color of the Italian sky. I remember the light in Florence and Tuscany is a special one with innumberous hints of blue and terrakotta. Enjoy your time there my dear.
Sabine xxx
Hi Sabine, happy you stopped by. You are so very right…the light in Florence and Tuscany is almost indescribable. BEAUTIFUL!
Wow, what a cute anorak! you always choose the funnest, cutest, most vibrant and colourful fabrics and really make the pattern your own. I love those little zipped pockets on the inside too, so clever. I might have to copy you when I make another jacket 😉
Aw…thanks Carolyn. The inside pockets were well used when I was away. I sized them so the seams were covered by the outer pocket.
Your jacket is beautiful! And those pics in Florence…gulp!
Thanks Shams! Oh yes…plenty of oooh and aaaah moments to be had in Florence!
[…] It made sense to sew a pattern I had sewn before. The Kelly Anorak….you can see my first one here…was really close to what I wanted so I went with it, sizing up one size to allow for the […]