This time last year I made a coatigan, a lovely coat pattern by Schnittchen. It’s been a great coat for the winter, nice and snuggly and easy to wear. At the August Quilt show in Harrogate one of the stalls was selling furnishing fabric, I saw this fabric and immediately thought ‘coatigan!!’ There was another lady buying some to make curtains, we were both cooing over it and she looked very tempted to make a coat too! It’s a linen/cotton mix, so apparently it is washable. I just loved the colours and the geometric pattern.
Helen wanted to make a coatigan too, she had borrowed my pattern, cut it out, but struggled with the instructions, so we decided to have a sew-a-long in between Christmas and New Year, with a sewing machine either side of the table in the conservatory. I read the instructions and we stitched each section together. It was great fun.
Helen, being young and fearless in sewing (and life in general!!) was making hers in a fur fabric as she liked the feel of it. She’s only been sewing a year but she’ll sew with sequins, satin, stretch, whereas I’m more likely to think about the problems sewing with such fabrics!
My coat went together reasonably easily and quickly. The instructions aren’t the best, there are some bits that are completely missed off, like sewing shoulder seams!! There are also no pictures, which Helen would have found very helpful, so really I think you do need to know the basics in order to follow the instructions.
Helen’s fur was slightly more tricky. I suggested a longer stitch, an old book I have suggested always sewing in the direction of the pile, which made sense. She used lots of pins and after a few minutes sewing I suddenly thought of the walking foot, it went together much easier after that.Helen got her basic coat done that day before she got distracted by the gym, I never seem to have that problem!
I bought the lining at Craft and Create in Skipton, it’s a warm camel colour and it feels really nice. The instructions tell you to bag the whole lining and turn it out through a hole in the sleeve. I’ve never fancied doing that so I stitched my lining in as usual, hand-stitching the hem edge.
I was hoping to put buttons on it as that is the one thing I missed with my first coatigan. I bought three lovely buttons at Craft & Create but when it came to making the buttonholes, I couldn’t actually get the fabric under the buttonhole foot, I might decide to try with the normal foot but at the moment I’m going without again.
I’m really pleased with my coatigan, it’s probably more spring and autumn weight, but I’m sure it will get a lot of use. It was great fun having a sewing day with Helen too, hopefully we’ll have another one soon.
thecraftycreek 
I’ve got round the button problem in the past by using very large (half inch) press studs, with a button sewn onto the side that would normally take the buttonholes. You couldn’t tell unless you were looking.
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I did wonder about that, I’ll have a think 🙂
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Good for you both to have some nice time together and to make such a fun project. I love your fabric, and think that faux fur could also be pretty cosy these days–then again I am in NY state in the USA, and it is so cold that I throw giant old unsewn pieces of fake fur across the bed for extra warmth for me and cats!
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It was good fun thanks 🙂
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A great bonding session with something practical to show at the end of it too – ooh, and a dog – what could be better?
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Yes we got photobombed by Zach again 🙂
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If you can get a needle through the fabric (top layer?) maybe giant snaps (called ‘poppers’ over your way). 😉
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That’s another good idea Del, I even wondered about the magnetic clasps that you use on handbags!
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Yes, magnetic clasps would also be good!
(I used to worry about demagnetising credit cards and such, but perhaps that issue has gone away.
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you both made a fabulous job!
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Thanks Claire
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I love the colours of yours, you could wear it with all sorts. Great job – they both look fabulous.
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Thanks Jane, I just fell for the fabric as soon as I saw it 🙂
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Both of the coatigans turned out great! I love the fabric you found for it, too.
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Thanks Alice
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Love this. I am tempted to try it myself but looking at the sizing I am a bit confused. Can you help? Thanks I enjoy you blogs. Sx
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Thanks Sue, the size chart is in side, when I checked my measurements I came out as a size 42, I’m not sure where they get their numbers from (i.e. 42) as I’m about a 36″ bust. It’s pretty loose fitting as you can see anyway. It’s actually a fairly straight forward coat to make if you can follow the instructions 🙂
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The coats are fabulous and look great on both of you. Love the fabrics.
The bonus is working together. Fun!
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Thank you, it was good fun having a sewing day together
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Wow, those are both fantastic, but I really love the pattern on yours!
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Thanks Kate, I just love my fabric 🙂
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They look great, and what a wonderful way to spend time together!
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So much fun sewing together! Girl #1 and I did that too, though we only worked on her dance dress (sequins everywhere!) I love both your takes on that pattern, love the fur and the geometric! Instead of buttons, maybe giant snaps with the button sewn over the snap?
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I love both your coats (particularly yours!). Great sew-a-long. Great bonding. Would this coatigan work as a reversible garment? I have some doubled faced wool fabric and am looking for a coatigan pattern.
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Thanks Anne, I keep looking at it wondering about a reversible coat too as I’ve got an old length of Weatherall coating. I think you’d have to miss the pockets off, maybe replace with patch pockets. Watch this space, as they say…
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