Finally! A coat!

Pattern: New Look's Misses' Coats 6006
Fabric: 2 1/2 yds stretch wool, 2 yds quilting cotton, 1 yd stretch satin
Cost: $90


I've been wanting to make a coat forever. Not only will it keep me warmer than my favorite dresses, but  you can line it with fun fabrics and pick decadent wools. My mom called me up a few weeks ago to say she had found a stretch wool at one of our favorite stores, and so the journey began.


One of the reasons I had not made a coat up until now was not only that I had a hard time finding wool fabric I could afford, but that I couldn't settle on the right pattern. I love sewing the little details in outfits--pleats, ruffles, unusual fabrics. But a coat is a wardrobe staple--made right and you could wear it every day. Make it bright yellow with a full skirt and a bow, and you'll only get occasional wear. And so began my search for the perfect coat pattern. Rather than forge ahead with a self-drafted franken-pattern (and risk messing up on that beautiful wool), I finally landed on a New Look pattern, chosen partially because it is a simple, sleek design, and partially because they are only $4. It was a breeze to follow.

Once settled on a simple design in a neutral color, I had to figure out the lining. There were two dilemmas here: coat lining should be somewhat slippery so that it easily slips on over your clothes, and mine should stretch, like the coat shell. I also wanted it to be in a fun print because, well, that's half the fun. After a lot of agonizing over awful 90s prints and things that were just not quite my style, I finally decided on a quilting cotton lining for the body, cut on the bias to give it some stretch, and a stretch satin for the arms. Overall, it worked out pretty well. 

The whole thing came together in about three days. I finished it off using some stretch interfacing, but I didn't need my new walking foot for the seams. I did use a small lightning bolt zig-zag stitch to give the garment a bit of stretch. As the temperatures finally drop, I'm eager to make my next jacket.




You can read my review of this pattern at PatternReview.com.


6 comments:

  1. Your coat looks awesome! Great job. I was talking with one of the teachers at Stonemountain &Daughter and she recommended using rayon because it's a natural fiber, a good lining weight, and it comes in fun prints. And those are all characteristics for my lining choices.

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  2. You did a wonderful job on this very cool looking coat! I also like to have some basics in my closet-the better to highlight some quirky clothes worn with them.

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  3. Beautiful coat! It is the perfect wardrobe staple! Unfortunately the weather wasn't thinking in your favor this weekend as I heard it was as freakishly warm in the city as it was in the South Bay.

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  4. Beautiful! A question for you-how did you pre-shrink your wool? I'd like to give it a try, but not sure how to pre-shrink wool? Thanks.

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  5. Love the style, love the fabric - great job!

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  6. What a great coat! It looks very professional. You will definitely be able to wear this for years to come!

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