project winter coat: finished it!

holy smokes! i made a coat! a real coat that looks... real!

woooooo!!!!!!

way back when i started planning out this coat, the style, fabric choices, etc... my oldest daughter (8 yrs old) was nosing over my shoulder and said: "what, are you making a sherlock holmes coat?" huh? no. well... oh... hmmm. see, i kind of became obsessed with all the sherlock holmes novels and stories this year along with the fabulous bbc tv show "sherlock" (seriously the best show ever. ever.). in the show, his classic trench coat is almost a character in and of itself, and i noticed that it has red buttonholes. which got me to thinking that i, therefore, needed pink buttonholes on my coat.

so i finished this little beauty off with some fancy hand worked buttonholes. i won't go into detail about them as i am by no means an expert. i don't have a keyhole button feature on my machine so i had to go with either bound or handworked. and since i wanted bright pink thread... handworked it had to be.

oh how naive i was. not only was it a challenge just to locate the right supplies, my research indicated that handworked buttonholes are a tailoring specialty. and having  done a few, i can see why.

so i practiced and practiced and practiced my stitches. the thing is, using a contrasting thread color, every imperfection is highly visible. so as much as i just wanted to jump right in, i kept practicing until i had something passable. i have to say, i've kind of fallen in love with making them. so much so, that i didn't stop at the three buttonholes the pattern calls for, but added a lapel buttonhole and functioning buttonholes on the back tie.

while they are faaaaar from perfect, i love them. and i plan to order that giant spool of gimp so i can keep practicing, because there will be more of these in my future.

the only other detail i haven't shown here is my interior pocket. i had planned to show you how i made it and such, but i so badly botched the construction that i'm just happy it both functions and isn't terribly unsightly. seriously, i've made so many welt pockets over the years, why i screwed this one up so badly i will never know.

but, there you have it. you've seen every inch of this coat, inside and out, and i hope my extensive posting has been helpful. now i am soooo ready to make something quick and easy!

oh yeah, and i love it!!!

—lisa g.

project winter coat: the muslin

i finally got around to sewing up the muslin for my coat and i'm rather pleased with how it looks.

but... before i get into what i like about it, can i just vent for a moment about some bizarre pattern drafting? i can see that you are collectively nodding your heads in fervent agreement.

i'm calling this the WTF? dart:

i have the front pattern piece laying on
top of the front facing for reference

for seriously. why is there a random dart at the base of the collar? yes, presumably it is to take care of the collar roll because there is no roll line treatment or markings. however! nowhere in the directions does it even mention this dart. or what to do with it, or which way to press it. and. it. just. ends. mysteriously. what about that space above the dart opening? i guess it would get closed off when attaching the collar? comparing the front piece to the facing piece, clearly the dart is necessary to bring these pieces inline, but it's just... weird!

see how the dart is just open at the top? bizarre.

maybe i'm overreacting, or just ignorant (it's not like i've done that much tailoring) but i really don't understand why that dart is there.

now, there is an alternate collar style with this pattern that is a shawl collar and i can see how the dart for that version would be helpful, albeit technically unnecessary. at least the dart on those pattern pieces is mentioned in the directions and that dart isn't just mysteriously left open ended. soooo.... what's going on simplicity??? can you 'splain yo-self? and if any of you bright readers have an explanation, please kindly let me in on the secret!

i've scoured teh interwebs and while this pattern has been made several times, no one mentions this dart. but now i have, so consider this my public service announcement for the day. oh, and i totally cut out that whole portion of the pattern and replaced it with a tracing of the corresponding section of the facing since it all lines up and such. don't worry, the facing lapel portion is still wider for turn of cloth.

okay, i have a few other disappointments/modifications with this pattern. nothing major, just thought i would give you all the deets while i'm at it:

• lining: there is no separate back piece for the lining. typically the back lining is wider than the shell and cut on the fold; then pleated at the neck, waist and hem. this allows for sufficient movement and also keeps the lining from pulling at the front of the coat.
• collar: other than the WTF? dart, there is no marked roll line. wah wah wah. since i made up a muslin i can figure it out for myself, but... well never mind.
• pockets: this pattern has in-seam side pockets. i prefer that the pockets sit in the front princess seam, so that's where i'm putting them. haven't decided if i'll be doing it in the seam or if i'll do a fat single welt. probably going with the welt just for interest and the opportunity for extra top stitching.
• sleeves: i prefer a two piece sleeve and this pattern is a one piece. not a big deal, but i think you just get a better fit that way. since the rest of the coat has nice seaming, it's only natural that the sleeve does too. i drafted a two piece sleeve and only need to tweak it a bit!

so how is the fit? pretty darn good! i graded from an 8 out to a 10 and i think it's just about right. i'll need to raise the armscye so i have a better range of motion and can do crazy things like drive a car comfortably. once i have these little things done and my pattern adjusted i'll be ready for cutting!

i'm totally loving the wide collar on this pattern!

but before i dive in full steam ahead with cutting fabric, i plan to do a little round up of fabric treatment options if you are dealing with wools and silks and probably even a word on interfacing and other random details to consider before cutting into the real stuff. so, that's it for now! 

—lisa g.

project winter coat: the preliminary

i had no idea my knit blazer would have struck such a cord, tons of lovely compliments everywhere and many thanks from myself. you people sure know how to make a gal feel awesome!

now, i plan to get working on my winter coat soon. i have picked out simplicity 2311 and i'm going for the red one in the middle in the shorter length.

i have ordered a black/grey herringbone wool coating (marc jacobs at $11.90/yd on sale. don't i feel fancy?) and a bright blue/teal silk (yay!) lining, all from moodfabrics.com. i had trouble finding good lining material. initially i planned to use bemberg rayon, then i thought maybe an acetate, then i almost decided upon a polyester. i figured silk was out of the question until i looked at mood's china lining silk. a vast array of colors at $10/yd? yes, please! fingers crossed that this lining is perfect since i've never used/seen/touched it before...

even though the fabric is the exciting part, let's not forget the unsung hero: the interfacing. whatever you do, get the best you can afford. you'll want a weft type fusible. you can find it online, or even at joann's (go figure). you'll need quite a lot, so make sure you buy FAR more than your pattern (probably) calls for. the cost of materials adds up fast, and i'm trying to get the best bang for my buck. right now i'm sitting well under $100 for materials and shipping. considering the coat i am replacing cost me $100 (ahem... 10 years ago...) i think i've done pretty well!

over this coming week i plan to muslin my coat and hopefully have all the patterning done by the end of next weekend. as with my knit blazer, i'll be following the RTW tailoring sew-a-long by sherry. she has lots of info over there, so now is a good time to start studying those posts! if you've never done a coat/jacket before it probably won't all totally make sense, but once you get going everything will start to click. the fitting, the pattern changes, the pattern and fabric prep will actually take up the most time. don't believe me? i wouldn't have either! the actual construction of my knit blazer was completed over three partial days of sewing. far less time than i spent making my pattern changes and marking and fusing my fabric. so, what i'm trying to say is take your time getting all the prep work done properly so that by the time you're ready to sew, everything is smooth as butter.

so that's it for now, if anyone else has picked out a pattern or started sourcing materials i'd love to hear about it!

—lisa g.