As I finally catch my breath after September's flurry of activity, I'm focusing just a little bit on sewing for me.
My new winter coat, which has been in the works for two years (!), is finally cut and serged. This is not a feat to go unacknowledged! I've had my lovely turquoise wool for almost two years. When my favourite fabric store was going out of business (RIP Estee's) I snapped it up at a rather reduced price. The downside, of course, being there was only 4 meters of it. At time I hadn't picked a pattern and thought surely it would be enough fabric.
Enter Butterick 5824:
My new winter coat, which has been in the works for two years (!), is finally cut and serged. This is not a feat to go unacknowledged! I've had my lovely turquoise wool for almost two years. When my favourite fabric store was going out of business (RIP Estee's) I snapped it up at a rather reduced price. The downside, of course, being there was only 4 meters of it. At time I hadn't picked a pattern and thought surely it would be enough fabric.
Enter Butterick 5824:
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A divine 1950's swing coat with an opulent shawl collar. What else could I ask for?
More fabric :(
The pattern takes 5.2 meters. Of course!
I knew I would be short fabric, but thought with a tad bit of creative cutting and a contrast collar I could make it work. As I laid out my patterns pieces Sunday afternoon it was clearly not going to happen. After a panicked trip to Fabricland to discover there was no suitable alternative, I returned home to brainstorm. Lovely B even offered to drive to Calgary next weekend to find an alternate fabric at my new favourite fabric spot. Note: marry someone who will drive 3 hours each way to get you the right fabric!
As we stood in line at Sunterra buying too much, as always, I realized I had two options. Cut the length significantly (um, nope!) or use contrast for the hem band as well as the collar. The more I thought about a black velvet hem band the more I liked it. Done!
I hacked 8" of the bottom of each skirt pattern piece and tried my luck again. When I laid out the pattern pieces this time I actually had extra fabric. VICTORY!!!
I laid out my wool, double-layered, then added my wind-breaker fabric on top. Again, double-layered. These are layers 1 and 2.
The layers are as follows:
1. Turquoise wool.
2. Wind breaker fabric. I actually have no idea what it's really called, but that's what I call it. Comment below if you know it's name.
3. Wool interlining. YOU GUYS. Do you know how hard it is to find lambswool interlining?!? Ugh. I'm using wool quilt batting. Fingers crossed.
4. Silver Kasha back lining.
I'm debating on lining the coat at layer 2, then making the kasha back and wool interlining a removable layer. That will give me a more versatile coat plus give me the option to increase the interlining if it's not warm enough. I'm pretty sure it will be though.
Why am I not using the thinsulate stuff they sell at Fabricland, you ask? Because I hate that stuff. It doesn't breath properly and it makes a crinkle noise. I do not like to crinkle when I move.
The lady at the quilt store gave me a disapproving look for wanting to add wool batting to a coat until I explained I plan to quilt it to the lining in a matching turquoise. Then she was on board. Related note, I LOVE Johnson's Sewing Centre and Quilter's Dream. So nice and friendly. And they saved me money!
But I digress. Moving on.
The collar, 8" of the skirt hem, and 4" of the sleeve hem will be black velvet. It will be a lavish swing coat that will probably cause me to twirl all the way to work. Meh, it's Jasper Ave. Unlikely the weirdest thing to happen on my route.
~M
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