I was pretty busy last week in the sewing room, I managed to make two coats, both simple patterns so fairly quick to do.
I’ve been trying to use up fabric from my stash which is particularly bulky – makes more room in my cupboard! One such length is probably around 25 years old! Anyone remember Weatherall reversible coats? They were around in the 1990’s. Well at the time on Otley market there was a stall manned by an elderly Jewish gentleman who sold lengths of beautiful fabric, mainly woolens, probably designer offcuts from the mills around here. One day he had Weatherall coating, of course I had to buy some! This fabric is actually two lengths of wool somehow attached to each other – you can separate them at the edges if you wish, it does make it very thick.
I tried making a coat from it several years ago, it’s not easy finding a suitable pattern and this was a simple raglan sleeved coat, unfortunately it looked huge on me, even quite a few years later when I’m a stone heavier it was still huge – I never actually finished it. There was about 1.5 metres left plus the unfinished coat.
Last week I decided to have another go. I found another pattern which was described as a reversible 2 hour coat – it’s only reversible in so much as you make two coats and stitch them together, but it did mean it was a simple pattern. From the 1.5m length I managed to get the front and the back, I thought I’d have plenty in the coat to get two sleeves from. Wrong!! The raglan cut meant everything was not quite big enough. In the end I placed it so the side seam of the coat was in the middle of the sleeve.
I decided to flat fell all the seams and use my blanket stitch on the sewing machine. It’s not worked out as evenly as I would have liked, mainly I think due to the thickness, especially over seams. Just to give you an idea of the thickness, two layers of the fabric together are about 7mm thick before stitching, double that for a seam and you’re asking a lot of a sewing machine. I used my overlocker to finish the edges.
Anyway, coat is made, it’s not my best make, but it will keep me warm for dog walks etc. Once I decide which way I like it best I could do with some pockets on the front. It still looks pretty big but I think half the problem is the thickness of the fabric, it doesn’t drape. However it’s made and out of my stash!
For my next coat I used the Coatigan pattern, I think it’s the third or fourth time I’ve used this pattern. It’s quick to make and comfortable to wear, as sort of throw it on, every day, sort of coat.
I used a gorgeous grey loose weave wool from my stash, it feels lovely and soft. For the lining I used a silver grey taffeta with silver embroidery on it, I’ve no idea what I bought it for but it made a lovely coat lining.
The coatigan instructions aren’t brilliant – there’s no pictures and the terminology they use is obviously a translation as it’s not what we’re used to – for example we don’t close seams, we stitch them. There is apparently video links on their website on how to make the coat but I managed without checking it out. The front of the jacket is split at the pocket level, so I could have the bottom half going in the other direction.
The one instruction I did change was the way they attach the lining, they stitch it all round and then turn it through a gap in a sleeve lining, I just couldn’t understand it (maybe I ought to watch the video!!) so I hand-stitched the lower edges instead.
I’ve worn my new coat a couple of times, it’s one of those nice snuggly coats, I’m pleased with how it’s turned out. It’ll be my every day coat for winter, for going to work, shopping and the like.
And in case you’re wondering, the front edges are even – I blame the photographer 🙂
