Chore jacket sewing pattern

A chore jacket is a straight, roomy work jacket: the French bleu de travail, the chore coat, or the shacket worn as an overshirt. It has a point collar, a buttoned front, one patch pocket on the chest and two at the hips, and plain hemmed sleeves. Sewly drafts it with a relaxed fit and jacket ease from your bust or chest and shoulders, so it layers over a shirt or a light sweater.

Chore jacket options

Every option redraws the pattern instantly, without using any AI:

• Fit: relaxed (the default), regular, fitted or oversized, with extra chest ease from 6 cm (2 3/8 in) closer to 30 cm (12 in) roomier.
• Length: below the seat by default, from cropped to ankle length, plus a length adjustment of up to 25 cm (10 in) either way.
• Collar: a jacket collar on a stand with classic points (default), or spread, long, rounded or button-down points, and a collar size from 70 to 150 %.
• Pockets: one chest patch pocket and two lower patch pockets by default, with square, rounded, pointed or angled corners and a size from 60 to 150 %; add flaps or a second chest pocket.
• Sleeves: long and hemmed by default; add buttoned cuffs, roll-up tabs or shoulder tabs.
• Buttons: spaced for you at 17 mm (11/16 in), or the number and size you set.
• Lining and topstitching: an optional full lining; topstitching automatic (matching thread, or gold on denim), contrast, matching or none.

Made to measure or a standard size

Use your own measurements or a standard size: women's EU 32–54 (US 0–22, UK 4–26), men's XS to 3XL, or children's 2 to 14 years. The chore jacket is cut straight, without darts, for every body: the relaxed fit gives room at the bust without shaping. Height, bust or chest, waist and hip are enough to start; your arm length sets the sleeves.

Best fabrics for a chore jacket

Sturdy wovens with some body: cotton canvas, duck canvas, moleskin, cotton twill, corduroy, wool flannel or denim. Canvas and moleskin give the classic workwear look and soften with every wash; wool flannel makes a warmer, softer overshirt. Our post on sewing with canvas covers needles and heavy seams.

How hard is it to sew?

A project for confident sewists, and a good first jacket: there is no lining, no yoke and no cuff placket unless you add them. The collar on a stand, the faced front and the flat-felled seams take care, and the patch pockets must sit square and level. Allow 10 to 12 hours.

What's in the pattern

• Two fronts and a back cut on the fold
• Two sleeves
• Collar and collar stand, each cut twice, with their interfacing
• Front facings, with their interfacing
• One chest pocket and two lower pockets

Notions: metal jeans (tack) buttons, 17 mm (11/16 in), six on an adult jacket, or sewn-on buttons if you turn the topstitching off; medium-weight fusible interfacing; two spools of topstitching thread; jeans needles 100/16 and a topstitch needle 90/14. The guide lists every piece with its cut count, the notions with their quantities, the fabric quantity for 110, 140 and 150 cm (45, 55 and 60 in) wide fabric, and a cutting layout.

How to sew a chore jacket

1. Fuse the interfacing, set up for topstitching and practice a flat-felled seam on scraps.
2. Make the patch pockets and topstitch them to the fronts.
3. Sew the shoulder seams and attach the front facings.
4. Make the collar and sew it to the neckline between the two stand pieces.
5. Set the sleeves in flat, then sew each side and sleeve seam in one pass.
6. Hem the sleeves and the body.
7. Make the buttonholes, set the buttons and press.

Our post on how to sew patch pockets that stay square covers the most visible detail of the jacket.