This is Jaime wearing her new coat. Lots of photos in this post but I think this coat is worth it!
Whew, that plaid + double breasted + pleats, I will admit that fully half the work was just cutting it out. And it is a subtle plaid, but it needs to match. This wool was really a perfect texture, a wool flannel but just a tiny bit more crisp than the usual wool so it pressed perfectly. This was actually a lucky break for me. I happened to have two fabrics that would have worked, one was this and the other was more of a tweed, mixture of tan, lavender, grey. Slightly dull. In retrospect I think she chose the better one but at the time I was hoping she would select the tweed, because...not plaid!
Ok, lots of readers like the inside view so I made sure to flip the coat inside out. I omitted the back neck facing and cut the lining so it went all the way up to the bottom of the collar. You can't see it here on the navy blue lining but is another post for a Burda coat I made in 2013 that shows this lining change.
A couple more details. Someone asked in the previous post about the lining hem and the pleated section. I confess I didn't read the instruction so not sure how it was supposed to go but I just cut a piece of lining, about 3/4 of the length of the pattern piece and then just hand pleated it at the seam to fit it in that section. I machine stitched the lining hem just in that section, then the rest of the lining is hand sewn to the hem with a little jump pleat to allow for movement.
Pockets, of course. Same lining fabric which is Ambience rayon. I think pocket linings should disappear, and usually I cut a little extension on the coat body so that it sticks into the pocket further but I forgot. But these pockets are on the front princess seams and they hide well.
I had my doubts about this collar but now that I have finished it I really like it - lots of ways to style it.
I could not be happier with the combo of coat, style and wearer. I think she is too :)
We took these pictures in Marin on the bayshore - it looks cloudy but just a little fog. No rain for us, unfortunately.
I did two previous posts that included this coat, the first is here, just a sneak peek really of the inside and my extremely zealous tailor tacking, and the second post is here, with some details on construction. Pauline contacted me last summer and asked if I would try out her pattern which was still in the design stage, she sent me some photos and I said a resounding yes. Then I was swamped with other stuff, made a muslin, gave her feedback and decided I would not sew it as I don't care for double breasted all that much on me, and though it was not really a coat nor a jacket because of the length. Then I thought about changing it to single breasted - which could easily be done and it would look just as cute. Also thought about lengthening. However when I showed it to Jaime she wanted it exactly as designed, and I think she was absolutely right. (of course she is 5'8" and everything looks good on her :) A pattern with a lot of possibilities, probably not a beginner project but definitely a nice challenge.
Onward to my next project, I am still pondering the Burda coat, and thinking it might be jacket length instead - how many coats do I need?
Happy sewing, Beth
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