The Couture French Jacket Workshop: A Heavenly Stitching Experience with Debra Drake
I recently attended a couture French jacket workshop with Sewing Bee alumni, Debra Drake, at her Sewing with Style studio in Wales, and it was a transformative experience. I had been searching for a course that would challenge my sewing skills and push me beyond my comfort zone of quick makes, especially with hand stitching. After completing my Sew Your Own Style program, I realised I needed more sophisticated outfits for presenting talks and fashion shows. That’s when I decided to create a showpiece – a couture jacket.
I met Debra through a friend and she visited our Studio at the beginning of the year to discuss a pattern collaboration. During that visit, she mentioned the French Jacket course, and I knew I had to attend. I was also lucky to have my friend and studio mate, Giulia Mio, a master milliner, join me for the adventure.
My jacket design inspiration came from a visit to the Chanel exhibition at the V&A. I was captivated by a black jacket with gold detailing and later, a Lagerfeld for Chanel cropped jacket at the Manchester Art Gallery. Though black isn't typically my colour of choice (thanks to my two cats and its high-maintenance reputation), I was drawn to it for this project.
Fabric selection was a crucial step, and I began my search at Linton Tweed. Their range of bouclé and tweed wool fabrics was impressive and I sent for a range of sample swatches, but the black swatches with subtle metallic accents caught my eye. I also sourced a polyester faux shantung silk lining in gold to complement the metallic threads in the fabric. Though I had some regrets about not opting for silk, I was conscious of my budget. The warmth of the jacket, however, has inspired me to add some removable underarm shields to keep it fresh.
The workshop itself was set in the charming seaside town of Llandudno, Wales. My friend and I stayed in a cosy arts and crafts cottage (hosted by another lovely Deborah!) in the nearby village of Llanfairfechan, coincidentally the same village where Debra Drake also lives!
The course began in Debra’s light-filled studio above the Quilting Bee, a well-stocked fabric and haberdashery shop. We spent the first day preparing our patterns, cutting out toiles, and working on fit adjustments. I decided to crop my jacket for a modern, boxy look.
Cutting the fabric was a nerve-wracking process, especially as I painstakingly matched the bold gold stripes, cursing a little under my breath I must admit!
We block-fussed all our panels with a medium weight flexible interfacing and cut out out the lining too. Here is where choosing a less slippery, more stable lining really helped me out!
At the end of the first day we had all out pieces cut out and prepared to start construction.
After preparing all the pieces, we ended the day with a group meal and a seaside stroll along the quaint oldie-worldie pier, ice cream in hand—though a seagull made a failed attempt to steal my treat!
Day 2 saw the start of constructing our jackets! Debra helped us with demos and tips at every step whist making herself a fabulous neon pink jacket!
We quilted the jacket panels, attached the outer fabric to the lining, and constructed the body. Inserting the sleeves felt like a breeze compared to the daunting amount of hand-sewing that followed. We hand-sewed the hem, the sleeve lining, the back neck facing, the bagged out lined pockets and then finished this off by hand-sewing the trim in place. Oh yes, and the fastenings! But with each stitch I grew more connected with the make and thoroughly enjoyed the process.
Day three saw us adding pockets, trims, and finishing touches, which involved a significant amount of mindful hand stitching—a task I surprisingly grew to love. Mindfully stitching and chatting with my fellow sewists was actually very relaxing and I really got into it!
The camaraderie with my fellow sewists, the beautiful weather, and Debra’s guidance made the entire experience unforgettable.
I gave my jacket its first outing at a Female Founders Dinner Party in London, where it became a confidence booster and a conversation starter.
The French jacket workshop was more than just a sewing class—it was a journey of creativity, skill, and friendship, one I’ll treasure for years to come, as I will my beautiful couture jacket.
