Category: coats

Although I have hopes for making more than one coat this year, there are, in fact, only two coats in the queue for this summer. 

The second coat belongs to the collection of taupe fabrics that will be used for the JCC.  This collection was always bigger than just four garments, and it has continued to evolve.  But one of the original fabrics, in fact the core fabric about which I built this entire collection is a taupe colored lightweight Italian rainwear fabric.

As soon as I saw this coat in the December Patrones, I knew I had to make it and I knew I had the perfect fabric.  Actually, I think the photo of this coat is not inspiring and does not show the coat off to advantage:

Here is the line drawing:

The fabric is a silk/polyester/nylon blend and I will be lining it with taupe silk to match. 

I probably will not get started on this before July, which is the same time as the coat sew along, but I consider it to be rather in addition to the coat sew along.  Even with two coats to work on, I hope to have this done before the fall rainy season.

I actually have reached a state where I need a couple of coats, not just desire, covet or dream of a couple of coats.  So when Marji suggested a coat sew along, I joined. And I am glad I did because it is now closed and I think having the push for a deadline will be good for me.

Here is the basic time line that Marji proposed:

May – Gather materials
June – muslin for fit and style
July – begin cutting/mounting/interfacing
mid-July – pockets and buttonholes
August – finish construction of shell, sleeves
mid to late August – construct lining
Sept – lining into coat
Goal – finish by end of September!

Now there is no shortage of coat fabric in my collection.  And I had intended to make at least one coat last year, but we all know that didn't happen.  And I intend to make more than one coat this year.  But as soon as Marji suggested a coat sew along, I **knew** what I was making.  There has been this one coating fabric that has been in my stash a l.o.n.g. time, and I have been saying I am going to make it up next year for almost as long.  It takes up a lot of space on my shelves, and it is well past time I just make the coat and wear it.

The fabric for the coat is one of those fabrics created by fusing or felting a bunch of yarns into a fabric.  I said this is an old fabric.  It was purchased many years ago, before one began to see these fabrics often, the same year that these coats appeared on the Paris Runways.  I got the fabric at B&J fabrics in New York, in their old location.

With the fabric I have a gray silk charmeuse for the lining, and a beautiful gray flannel, which is intended to be used for the front collar, although I also have enough to make a pair of pants as well.

I have had an image of the coat I intended to make with this fabric in my mind for years.  I have the materials.  There really is no excuse.

 I went through my patterns to some extent last night, the more current ones, not the old ones in boxes.  I was certain I had pulled out the pattern I wanted to use, an old coat pattern from the 80's but I didn't find it.  It must still be in storage.  It is not exactly what I want but is the closest thing to the shape of the actual coat I want.  I also have another very old pattern, either Style or New Look dating back to when they were independent that has the full length shawl collar, complete with a separate under-collar pattern (not always the case in shawl collar patterns these days), although that pattern is a little fuller through the body than the Vogue pattern.  The plan is to morph the two patterns together. That depends, of course, on whether or not the patterns are as I remember them.  This drawing gives a very crude idea of what I am going for, with the long flannel shawl collar and the purple-blue coat.  I am planning set in sleeves, and probably two-piece shaped sleeves, as I might not be able to ease much in at the sleeve head.  A lot of this is going to depend on a bit of experimentation.  It looks like there will be a fair bit of muslin work going on as well.

I did briefly consider changing the design I planned for this fabric.  There is an interesting Issey Miyake coat that uses felted fabric, but this fabric does not have enough drape to look flattering on me in that design. 

I also considered the "Armani Coat" pattern that Vogue came out with a year or two ago, Vogue 8307:

Now I think this coat would look stunning with the the combination of colors in the felted wool with the gray collar.But when I look at the fabric more critically, and consider the body that will be wearing this coat I realize that it really is not going to work for me.  If I were planning a short coat, it would work, but I have enough fabric for a long coat, and I really want a long coat out of this fabric.  Although the coating is not stiff, it does not have the drape I believe this style of coat would require, especially on my middle-aged, not so slender figure.

But then again, after I thought about the dramatic collar option, and as I was typing this, I also recalled this Neue Mode pattern (also currently residing in the pattern boxes)  This pattern could be extended into a long coat, or morphed with a long fairly straight coat pattern.  The shape would work better with this fabric, although I do have to think about the thickness of the double-breasted front, and might also be quite nice, if I decide that I don't like the original plan. If I opt for this pattern I will have to reconsider closures, as the original coat design has hidden hooks behind the shawl collar.

So at the moment, I am aiming for my original design, and that seems like the most likely at this point, but I am always one who likes to keep my options open.  The modified Neue Mode idea somehow seems a little more "modern" to me.  I suspect that I will end up making a muslin of both and only then, after looking at muslins and my fabric, will I make my final decision.