Adventures in coatmaking - the skirted coat
Part 1
I've had a couple of yards of wool fabric lying around my fabric stash for quite some time.
I inherited the fabric from my mother when she moved house, and I feel like I remember it being in her stash forever too.
(Does that make it vintage?....no, I'm not THAT old..)
So I decided to try making a coat.
I've never made a coat before and I didn't have a pattern, so it is far from perfect,
but it was a fun project and I learnt a few things.
Here is what I have to share.
I thought it would be fun to have a skirted bottom to the coat, add some volume.
Using your favorite coat pattern, decide where you would like the skirt to start,
shorten the coat pattern piece accordingly and make the skirt piece wider than
the coat piece (here, I made it 7-8 cms wider).
Fold the skirt piece in half, then mark where you will sew the pleat. (here: 3-3.5 cms)
Stitch down - here about 4 cm.
When you open it up, the pleat should look something like this. Press.
And this is what it looks like once you turn it right side up.
The two pieces should be the same width.
Repeat with all the pieces of the coat. I put two pleats in the back piece.
Pin front facing pieces and stitch around.
Trim seams and turn right side out.
Attach the undercollar to the coat, right sides together.
With right sides together, pin top and under collars together. Stitch.
Trim seams and turn collar to right side.
Top stitch around the collar.
Repeat the same steps to make the lining of coat.
Pin the lining to the coat at neck edge, with right sides together (collar will be sandwiched in the middle)
Continue to part 2 HERE