It’s been ages since I’ve posted, but hopefully after reading this you’ll have a good understanding of why I have been a bit absent. I’m working through my final line for my certificate in fashion. It’s been a year of starts and stops, with long hours at work and various family members having covid, the surprise adoption of a puppy, and few other things. But what has sucked up the majority of my time (outside of work) lately is this coat.

I found the fabric three years ago and fell completely in love with it. I dreamed up a coat that gave a nod to the early 21st century while still providing a modern woman’s needs…pockets and warmth.

In August, I started cutting and realized just how fidgety of a process it was going to be. There was a 2/2.5 repeat, which meant that lining things up was going to take careful cutting and a tremendous of hand-basting to ensure it all matched wherever possible. In truth there was a LOT of hand-basting, careful pinning, seam ripping and re-stitching, but it’s in a good place and only took me… three months of very late nights and weekends.

It’s what I call “lightly tailored”, meaning it has the support of interfacing and a strong muslin but does not use hair canvas. I chose this route because I wanted it to feel really fluid given the shape and the fact that the double-faced wool already has a certain amount of stiffness. The collar can be worn up or down, and when up shields the neck from wind.

Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome and really looks forward to finally wearing it. Now onto my fully-tailored chic jacket with faux-fur collar… pattern matching on that plaid should be much easier!