Once in awhile two ideas come together to create something spectacular. Okay “spectacular” might be a little bit overkill but I was pretty excited. I finally had the perfect Halloween costume idea AND the perfect sewing pattern to make it! I have had the sewing pattern for the Lonetree jacket in my stash ever since I was a tester for it back in 2016. Here was my tester version of the jacket:Now moving on to Halloween costumes. In addition to our child friendly Halloween events, we also go to an adults only Halloween party each year. So last year I wanted to pick something super creepy but also somewhat relevant. Luckily for me, the newest remake of Stephen King’s IT came out in theaters and just happened to be our only movie-theater date night of the year. So naturally, it was only appropriate that Will go as Pennywise the Clown and I would go as 5 year old Georgie, the kid that the clown… uhhh… eats. Georgie is most well known in both the book and movie versions wearing his yellow rain jacket and carrying a paper boat when he meets the clown. So I decided to go for it and I would try my hand at making my own Halloween approved yellow rain jacket.
Right. Now that we’ve gotten over the shock of seeing Will dressed as a clown, here are some details on the rain jacket.
Fabric: yellow (obviously) nylon sports fabric from Jo’Anns. I found this in the apparel section but to me it feels more like, perhaps, tablecloth fabric (?). It does drape a little and for $7.99 a yard plus 40% off that day, I had to buy it. I bought 2.5 yards with very little scraps and remnants remaining.
The Pattern: The Lonetree Jacket from Allie Olson. Found only at Indiesew.com. Head to her blog to see so many other non-Halloween versions of this jacket.
My Alterations: I made several changes to this jacket pattern to accommodate the Gerogie raincoat look I was going for:
- added 8 inches to the length. If you add length, don’t forget to also do this for the front facing! I forgot to do so and had to piece two pieces together but since it was just for a facing it was no big deal
- omitted the top pocket
- omitted the drawstring and casing
- switched out the zipper for snaps. I did so because I could not find a zipper long enough in stores and Halloween was rapidly approaching. I added a few button snaps in its place but not all the way along the entire coat because I figured its just a costume and its still so hot outside, I doubt I will be need to button up all the way
- I originally was going to omit the collar but ended up leaving it. but the hood was a must. I love how easy Allie makes her instructions for this hood. It is perfect!
Final Thoughts: I love creating my own Halloween costume each year and I also have so much love for this jacket sewing pattern. So it was nice to find a way to incorporate the two together. I unfortunately do everything last minute because that is my M.O. so I hate that my fabric is very cheap and it definitely does looks like a costume, so I have not worn it out and about town since last Halloween. But with the right type of waterproof fabric, this would be the perfect pattern to use to make a fun and functional rain jacket to be worn year round.
As for this Halloween, the costume options are still up for debate. But I know I will be making Liam’s so hopefully stay tuned for that! Happy October every one! xoxo Priscilla
