Crafters Guide: How To Make Your Own Tweed Jacket (Step By Step)

Seasoned maker, or new to clothes crafting? Read the Linton Tweed guide on how to make your own tweed jacket, and take a look at our full fabric range now!

Tweed jackets are a long-standing staple in British style, created by high-brow fashion houses, and worn by famous faces all across the globe[1]. Favoured for their durability, warmth, and sophistication, they can be styled in endless ways, from day-to-day office wear, to special occasions. Here at Linton Tweed, we create a range of handmade, high quality tweed fabrics[2] that mean crafters can produce their own custom, tweed jackets - and to help you to get started we have created this go-to guide.

Choose the fabrics you love from our huge collection, have your tools ready, and create something truly unique with us!

Check out the first video from the talented tailor @emmacope_bespoke , as she expertly cuts our luxurious Linton fabric for a brand-new women’s jacket.

Materials & tools you’ll need

If you’re a seasoned clothing maker, you’ll understand that this process requires patience; but the end result is always worthwhile. Before you begin, you’ll need to gather all of the following:

Fabric - choosing the right tweed

If you’re making a tweed jacket, you’ll need to think about the kind of wear you’re hoping to get out of the garment - will it be for the warmer weather, or for cold Winter months? This will determine the weight of fabric you’ll need. Heavier tweeds are best suited for Winter garments, whereas lighter tweed jackets can be easily layered over other items of clothing such as thin jumpers.

Lining

Silk is our lining material of choice, as it’ll give your tweed jacket the luxurious appeal that it ought to have. It also helps in terms of temperature regulation, as silk is a lightweight lining that won’t hold onto moisture.

Interfacing

Interfacing is the internal property of the jacket, and it’ll provide structure to collars, lapels, and pockets. It’s essential for making sure that the jacket will have the exact silhouette you’d hoped to create.

Trimmings

You can get really personalised with the trimmings for your tweed jacket, and this is where you can give it a clear style - whether you opt for modern accents with your buttons and zips, or more traditional alternatives.

Tools

The most efficient way to produce your tweed jacket is to use a good-quality sewing machine, but you’ll also benefit from having some sharp fabric scissors, measuring tape,, pins and needles to hand.

Step-by-step guide to making a tweed jacket

To help you to understand some key steps of the process, we’ve created a step-by-step guide to making a tweed jacket below!

Take accurate measurements

You’ll need to measure your chest, shoulders, waist, hips, and sleeve length carefully. It’s worth noting that you don’t always have to create a jacket that fits these measurements perfectly, in fact you may even want to design a boxier, oversized piece.

Choose a sewing pattern

Unless you’re a confident garment maker, you’ll need to choose a sewing pattern - and even experienced crafters may still opt to use a pattern. A sewing pattern basically gives you a blueprint to follow for the piece you’re making. We sell a sewing pattern for our Eden tweed jacket which includes sewing instructions, accessed by scanning the QR code on the back of the envelope that the pattern comes in.

Alternatively, you can search online for the garment type sewing pattern - there are lots available.

Cut the fabric

When it’s time to cut the fabric to make your chosen sewing pattern, the most important part is to make sure that you have laid your tweed flat. Cut carefully, and give yourself more material than necessary to begin with - you can always streamline it from here. You’ll also want to be mindful of any patterns on the actual tweed itself - herringbone or checks should align at the seams if you want to achieve a professional sleek finish.

Construct the jacket body

Once you’ve cut the components for your pattern, it’ll be time to start sewing them together. Start with the main body of the jacket, sewing the front and back panels together, and take your time with pressing (ironing the stitches) as you go; crisp seams make a huge difference.

Attach the sleeves

The sleeves of your jacket need to be attached with precision - you’ll need to match the fabric patterns, avoiding puckering (when fabric gathers or ripples along the seam line). Well set-in sleeves make for a sharp, tailored silhouette, so it’s worthwhile paying attention to detail at this point.

Add the lining

The lining for your bespoke tweed jacket will give the garment structure and comfort - and even though it’s inside the jacket, it’ll add to the whole appeal of your new wardrobe addition. We recommend using a premium fabric, and we stock a selection of silk linings. Your lining will need to be attached to the inside panels and sleeves.

Build in structure

Your next step would be (if it’s part of your plans for the garment) to add more structural details such as interfacing (for waists, collars, or sleeves), shoulder pads, or pockets. These details create the shape of the garment, and add extra functionality to your jacket.

Due to the nature of fantasy yarns and intricate woven designs, we’d recommend bonding all of your garment pieces with a reinforced fusible interfacing - this will help to stabilise the jacket, and this should be done before you’ve marked your sewing pattern out.

Finishing touches

At this point, you’ll really be refining your work - hem the bottom neatly, sew your buttonholes, and attach your buttons of choice. Our top tip is to give the entire jacket a final pressing, as this will sharpen its lines.

Bring your own tweed jacket to life with Linton Tweeds

Creating a tweed jacket is a great project - whether you’re a frequent garment maker, or if you’re just looking for a new way to get creative. For some real inspiration for your project, take a look at some of the creations that our customers have brought to life on the Linton community page where experts and beginners can upload and share their current sewing projects and finished garments. Get everything you need for your own project with our range of fabric, from boucle tweed to metallic tweed and fantasy yarns[1] , all available to shop online.