The latest project I've been scheming and obsessing about is a winter coat. I own a coat that is black, completely nondescript, and not warm enough at all. I've decided that this year I want to make one with a really warm interlining in a fabulous color. So I've turned to the old interwebz for information, and there is A LOT of it out there. In fact, I had no idea coats could be so complicated!And this is coming from someone who likes to complicate everything. No project is too simple for me to render completely unmanageable in its ambitiousness. I guess I thought making a coat would be like making a jacket . . . only longer. But oh, how wrong I was. There are so many choices to make! What kind of interlining, underlining, and lining? Do you "bag" the lining or put it in traditionally? Should I add fancy tailoring techniques like pad-stitched hair canvas on the collar? Oy, I'm exhausted just thinking about it all.
And then there's the fact that I've been in major indecision mode, in tandem with major obsessive mode. I found the PERFECT fabric: a gorgeous lipstick-red wool/cashmere flannel from Paron's. But I've been agonizing about the pattern. I ordered an amazing pattern from the 1930's, but then realized it would be all wrong for a heavy coat. See the gathers at the bust? It's more meant to be a coat dress.
So then I decided to go with a contemporary pattern, and landed on Vogue 8346, view D (shown in ivory on the envelope below), which is a classic frock coat with a retro feel.I read over the instructions, and they seem very simple. No hair canvas, no pad-stitching, no tailoring. Is Vogue trying to deceive me? Or is it really possible to make a coat without losing your mind?Do you think I'll be happy with the results if I follow the simplest instructions possible, only modifying them to add an interlining for warmth?
I would love some advice here. Have any of you made a winter coat before? Should I just give up and head to Macy's now?
No no, don't give up. There is no reason to. Ofcourse, I didn't make that many coats yet, only one with my mother a couple of years ago and a couple of weeks ago one for my little girl. But that was a real classic little coat and I don't think a grown-up one would be that different, only some bigger pattern pieces ;-) Anyway, I am sure you can make a beautiful coat.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I really want to see the coat in that gorgeous red wool flannel you described. Now you owe us that picture! ;-)
There is a group blog called the Great Coat Sew Along that Marji ran last year. It is now an open blog and you could have a look at it for ideas/techniques/inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI want to make a coat but I never do...
This is why I've traditionally bought vintage coats--I'm too afraid to get stuck into making one.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you can make a really beautiful coat, but I also think that some of those complicated details are what make a handmade coat really special and perfect so perhaps you should look for something in the moderate-difficulty zone than something in the easy zone.
Go for it! I've made about half a dozen coats in the last couple of years because I find they are one of the most cost effective things you can sew - a warm, well tailored coat is usually a significant purchase and I find you can make one for a fraction of the cost. And they are absolutely no more difficult a project to tackle than any other garment you might make. I promise you'll be hooked - once you realise your wardrobe could boast a dozen different coast styles and colours it is much more exciting to head outdoors on a gloomy winter's day!
ReplyDeleteIf you do get hooked and start looking for more patterns I'd thoroughly recommend V8165 View D (princess seams with a lovely shawl collar - my all time favourite although it definitely needs a nice belt to complete the look); M5766 (something a little more dressy for an evening out) and M5060 (your classic trench) - three patterns that are really straight forward - nothing tricky at all that I can recall and which I've been really pleased with.
A solid weekend of sewing would see you finish a coat pretty easily if you don't add too many bells and whistles. Looking forward to seeing the results!
Oh coool! When I was trying to choose a pattern to make my green winter coat I actually bought that one! Its so lovely. I only decided against it because I decided I wanted one that buttoned right up to the neck. But I was totally going to make that same ivory version! I think you should definitely do it, in red it will look amazing. And honestly, making coats are very do-able. That green one was not the first I made, I've made three (although it was the first I made double breasted, so that was a bit of a learning curve) but I actually really love making them. There is so much scope for invention and creativity in the design, and working with a nice wool can be heaven! In terms of interlining, I just took some advice from the lady at my local fabric shop and bought what she recommended, and apart from some confusion with the double breast stuff, it all fitted together like a dream. I think you will have a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteGo for it! I bought some flannel backed satin at Greenberg & Hammer which I may use to interline or I may keep it as my lining. I think it will be super warm. My rtw wool coat is fairly warm and has the standard lining so I feel like the flannel backed satin will make it perfect for NYC weather. I have a lovely green wool from Gorgeous Fabrics that I haven't used yet for lack of the perfect pattern.
ReplyDeleteI made a coat last year in a class. It has held up nicely--I interfaced the whole coatwith a fusible pro-weft. It added some warmth and added structure. I also used a flannel/silk coat lining--definitely added warmth and I highly recommend. And, of course, sleeve headers and shoulder pads. It went together nicely.
ReplyDeleteThe hardest part, for me, was the buttonholes through the thick fabric.Good luck!
I made a coat from this Vogue pattern, View B, 2 years ago: http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V8211.htm
ReplyDeleteI'm in So Cal so I did it in a a great retro denim (from Joann's no-less) with flowered lining. Sometimes I thought I was going to lose my mind making it but it was so worth it when it was done. Go for it!
Someday I'll take the plunge. I spent my coat making money on making a really nice Burda trench...which is absurd given that I live in CO and it's already snowed here twice...Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI think I'd feel much less intimidated by the whole thing if I did as Cindy and made a coat in a class.
You should go for it Gertie!
I haven't sewn a coat yet, but you should go for it. If you don't, you'll always wonder whether or not you could have done it. This way, you get it out of your system once and for all. Although, I have faith in you. I know you can do it. Look at all that you've been able to do so far.
ReplyDeleteThe fabric you chose is exactly what I would haven chosen for myself. Red just really pops. It says I confident; I'm alive; I'm ready to go; I love life. Red stands out in a room and makes a statement. I am so in love with red. I want to make something in red. I've been scheming as to what I can make in red so I can look fabulous. It just excites me thinking about it.
I don't have any advice because I'm a total beginner, but just wanted to say I LOVE the coat you picked out. Maybe by next winter I'll be ready to give coats a try and will have learned from you!
ReplyDeleteI want to make a coat this winter too. Mine will be a boring charcoal grey cuz I love that color on me. Still trying to find the pattern, the one I want is an oop Burda magazine. Melissa over at Fehrtrade made a great interlined coat last year and has many blog post detailing her work. Check that out for a reference, http://www.fehrtrade.com/gallery/195/the-warmest-winter-coat-ever.
ReplyDeleteOf course you're going to make the coat! After the other pieces you've made, this will be a snap!
ReplyDeleteI'm with most of the other commenters - Don't give up! I've made a few coats, and this is something that just takes a bit more patience but if you've sewn a jacket you can definitely do a coat. Vogue isn't lying to you that there doesn't have to be any hair canvas or other complications... I took apart an old J Crew coat a few years ago and discovered that there wasn't even any interfacing in it (it was a melton coating), which made sense to me when I thought about it that the heaviness of the fabric would preclude the need for additional structure.
ReplyDeleteIt's so exciting! Starting a new project with new techniques and things, I mean.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to make a coat for a while now, myself, but I just can't justify it. I already have a lovely warm wool coat.
But I love that pattern you have picked out. I think it would be marvelous worked up in red!
Garnet
You can do it! A couple of years ago I made a wool coat for my little girl--it's the Vogue pattern, the only one for girls, but a real long winter coat with lining--and even though it was quite a lot of work, it came out beautifully. I got a zillion complements on that project!
ReplyDelete(However, living in CA, I didn't have to worry about warmth all that much.)
I say take the plunge! :) Albeit, I haven't made a coat yet (just short jackets), since most of my coats end up being vintage thrift store finds that fit the bill. That being said, making a coat from scratch is still on my sewing list for the future!
ReplyDeleteI guess, my only piece of "advice" (and this is just what makes sense to moi), would be to follow your intuition about what components of coat making are important to you. I know I've read a lot of articles on the subject, and they really do tend to make it seem like this big, scary ordeal that you must do x, y, and z, otherwise the coat won't be "good enough". Big, fat whatever. ;) lol! You have a natural knack for sewing already, and I daresay anything you attempt will turn out lovely! :)
Go for it!! Coats really aren't as complicated as you think! I can't post a link to it, because it's down at the moment, but I made the Nancy coat from BurdaStyle last winter. Only materials were my wool outer, I used a quilted satin lining and some interfacing. The beauty of it is that it is one of the few winter coats that I have had that the sleeves are actually long enough for me.
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit of a time consuming project, but it wasn't difficult - and definitely very rewarding.
Do it!! I'm sure you will do it great!
ReplyDeleteI have never done a winter coat BUT I?m gonna do it next month, I laready have the fabric and the pattern, as you I want to do a vintage one but I ordered a modern pattern that looks like vintage.
I can imagine your coat, red color is great! Good luck with that project! =)
Plus I'm so jealous about the fabric from Paron's! Nothing close to me but JoAnn's!
ReplyDeleteI've made a coat for our Wisconsin winters. I chose an artsy but simple design, lined it and interlined it and altered the pattern to attach a hood attached to a scarf. If that makes sense - I HATE a cold draft down my neck. It was WORK lugging that thing back and forth from table to machine. But it was SO worth it to see the looks on faces when, people would compliment it and I'd calmly reply "Thanks - I made it." So do it - if for no other reason then you will impress the heck out of people.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second season I've been staring at a Vogue coat pattern, too scared to follow through. Even bought the purple velvet to make it from. Looking to you for inspiration please!
ReplyDeleteI recently made my first coat: Vogue 1128, very vintage-inspired, out of a Ralph Lauren hunter-green
ReplyDeletewool. The welt pockets were the only (slightly) difficult things, otherwise it was like making a really big wool shirt! I LOVE it. It could easily be interlined/pad stitched or otherwise gussied up, tailoring-wise.
I have that exact pattern to make my winter coat!! I was going to go with vintage but I wanted something double-breasted and shorter -- and that one was just too perfect, I stopped looking at vintage when I found it. I have to make the little one's coat first though (since I have coats, and she grew out of all of hers), so I haven't gone whack whack into my wool melton yet.
ReplyDeleteI turned some coats of mine inside out and upside down and yeah, even some of the really nice ones have very little of the supposedly necessary details -- my favorite has nothing but shoulder pads and a lining.
Of course you can do it!
This may be a dumb question, but what kind of fabric would you use for interlining?
ReplyDeleteI have an OOP Butterick retro 6758 pattern (1944) from 8ish years ago that I still think is darling but never did anything with; I eye it every now and then but it still raises more questions than longing, so remains shelved indefinitely. It doesn't call for any special construction materials, though, just fusible interfacing (would that even stay stuck to a woolly coating?). I wonder if the original was more complicated.
I'm sorry to disagree with the "just go for it" vibe here, but I think your Modern Vogue pattern is deceiving you. IMO the instructions should start with "Consult a good tailoring reference". The blog ejvc suggested would do. If you make a coat without fiddly interfacing and lining etc etc, you will be able to wear it, but will you be happy with it? I threw out my first real jacket, made from the instructions in the Vogue pattern envelope, after I had made one from the same pattern, using tailoring references, which I liked about a thousand times better. A nicely made coat would be worth all the work.
ReplyDeleteThat Coat is beautiful! Too bad it doesn't get cold enough around here for me to even begin to contemplate such a complex project. I wish you the best in this. It will look awesome!
ReplyDeleteIn the interest of full disclosure, I've never made a coat.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kbenco. Compare a ready-to-wear coat with the instructions and you'll see what has been left out of the instructions.
But I still think you should go for it. :)
I tried making a coat and I've made one completely the wrong size and screwed everything up... it was really awful.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I started a new one and I'm following all the instructions as best I can and it's turning out very nicely. Just take your time and don't get in a hurry. That is always my problem...
I have made a winter coat. And it was a challenging experience, but a huge part of that for me was that I can't wear wool. So I had to go with a suedecloth for the outside and then do this really heavy quilted lining in order to get the warmth I need, and that ended up being so stiff once I got it all layered and quilted that it made the coat difficult to assemble. But since you can wear wool, it won't be nearly so hard, so don't give up!
ReplyDeleteA coat is a big project. When making one as long as you plan on making out of wool along with the additional materials, lining, interling, etc... it is literally a big project and very heavy. I honestly think that is the most challenging aspect of making a coat, dealing with the weight and additional pull of the materials while sewing.
ReplyDeleteI really don't think it is going to pose any challenges you aren't capable of handling. I'm sure you know this but just watch out for those Vogue instructions, sometimes they want you to do the strangest things, especially on the patterns they mark easy.
Ok one last thing, if you aren't particularly sensitive to wool one of the ways I like to get around the whole lining/interling issue is to use a really tightly woven but lightweight wool suiting for the lining (many fine suitings are slick enough to use as a lining). Then you get your added warmth and lining in one (plus the entire coat is then more breathable.)
Holy cow, I was *JUST* looking at that pattern the other day!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was super cute....but then I realized I have far too many coats already. :(
I CANNOT WAIT to see which pattern you choose, and what the finished project looks like! And oh, that fabric sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteGertie - have you seen the We All Sew website for sewers? There's tons of links to great sewing stuff, projects, and other sewers - you may find something useful there.
Ariana is correct the challenge is the extra weight and fabric to deal with while sewing. Pressing is a big issue too.From looking at your projects, you can do it. The right fabric makes all the difference. Consult the Singer Sewing Library Tailoring book or any of the Palmer Pletsch books or patterns for help. I have made several using the traditional methods and the quicker methods. Both hold up just as well. Buttonholes are also an issue. But if you are able to get to Jonathan Embroidery in NYC they will make them for you. If not, locate a tailor in you area that will make them. They have buttonhole industrial machines that a home sewer can't duplicate. Bound buttonholes are an option though. Good luck with this new project!
ReplyDeleteWow, I should have known, looking at your wonderful choices at Burda, that you would choose the very same pattern and coat view in it that I did! You have wonderful taste, I wish we lived closer, I think we'd have fun sewing and creating up a storm together!
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ReplyDeleteGreat contribution,nice effort
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