by Claudine Gauvin When I was younger, my mother worked in a coat and hat shop. Furs, leathers, alpaca, wool, we found all the noble and chic materials there. I loved going there to model and do a few fittings in front of the beautiful large illuminated mirrors.
Since I have been sewing, the coat is without a doubt my favorite item of clothing. My closet is full of coats and capes that I can’t get rid of. Short or long, colorful or sober, the coat exists in a variety of models and styles. It can be worn with your clothes or not, with a warm scarf or a silk scarf. We always have a neat look with a coat that suits us well
So, unsurprisingly, for my fall project, I opted for this mid-length model from Vogue patterns (V1866, view B). Loose and lined, it has a Mao collar and pockets on the side seams. I also made covered buttons for an extra touch of refinement.
My choice of fabric fell on this heavy wool blend named coating – Jaqueline -forest. The idea of a look in shades of green came to me while searching on Pinterest. This application is often very useful for me to find inspiration.
After cutting the fabric and lining, I started by applying fusible interfacing to the collar, front and bottom sleeve pieces. This step is important to give rigidity and a nice hold to my coat. Then, I proceeded to assemble the coat as such. The realization of the pockets, the collar, the sleeves as well as the installation of the shoulder pads were done easily. The pattern is very well explained. By the way, the patterns from the Vogue brand are my favorites.
Before sewing the buttonholes, I covered 6 buttons of my layered lining fabric with green lace. Initially, I intended to take the same wool as my coat, but because of the thickness of the fabric, I had trouble pushing the back of the buttons properly. The final look is very interesting. I find that the fabric buttons give a “haute couture” aspect to the garment.
Although I used this “Easy” category pattern, it took me a little longer to make than usual, mainly because of the lining. I only have a few pieces of lined clothing to my credit as a seamstress. That said, the patience and rigor was worth it, because in the end, I think my coat looks really good. In addition to providing additional warmth and hiding imperfect interior seams, the lining gives a nice structure to the garment.
With that, I hope I was able to inspire you for your next sewing projects. Enjoy the beautiful autumn days.
Photo credit: Jean-Guy Lafontaine, Parc du Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, QC
