This was just another of those indulgence sewing projects and proves my bipolar sewing organization: one day I´m sewing for warmer days, the next I´m still late doing coats. But it really depends on the fabric finds that have been happening around here. I found the fabric at my local shop, fell in love, needed a fast sew - yes, this is indeed fast, for a coat, that is - and here it is, her royal pattern from Schnittchen dinasty, Silvia Coatigan The Second, in my line of production, ha!

This one succeeds my first not altered version (except for sleeve lenght) and hopefully the wool will behave a little better. My camel one is pilling like I knew it would, the wool blend was low quality and though it gives it a little of a vintage touch, it´s too much and just needs to be shaved. This wool, although it must be a mixture too, has a knit grain on the wrong side and a mini herringbone on the right one, in shades of blue and white. The lining is a basic tafeta acetate or something really polyestery that doesn´t tolerate steam at all but it was on my stash and it was enough for it.





The coat was born out of my stubborness to make it out of the remnant I found which only had around 1,4m, so a lot of problems derived from the fact that I´m scroogy. It´s the smallest size (34/36) and the coat pieces were shortened by 20cm and the sleeves were shortened around 10cm - simply because not enough fabric for more. The front facings also had to be pieced at the bottom.
Neverthless, having such a short coat gave it a more classic feel, so I went with the single welts for pockets. Their construction is rather easy: one large rectangle you place where you want the welt to be and then work from that. My pieces were 13cm long so my hand goes in nicely. I placed it in an angle because the coat would be too short for straight, and I also liked the inclined look better. This way it just looks like it follows the arm natural fold as you slip in your hands. And let me tell you, welts in wool is such a satisfying sew: even with a little bulk which you can´t really escape, it presses beautifully and doesn´t shift like lighter fabrics.
For the pocket bag I used the lining fabric only halfway thru because I wanted the wool to peek when it opened up. It was still a bit long in these pictures but I shortened it already so it stops before the hemline. And now you´re wondering "oh, but how did you shorten it if the coat is finished?". Even if you´re not, I´m telling anyway. My method for attaching the lining includes no hand sewing: I just leave the opening at one of the lining sleeves and once the bottom and front is sewed I work from that sleeve opening to finish off the sleeves. And I haven´t closed it yet because well, who has time for hand sewing?






Because the wool was so thick I choose not to interface. I think it was a mistake and definitely not skipping it again. It would really give the front lapels and the hem a little more structure that fabric thickness, by itself, cannot achieve alone, nor all the pressing.
You might notice the sleeves look a bit wrinkled and it´s not from wear. Because I didn´t want the sleeves to be shorter than they were due to my fabric limitations, there´s only 1cm folded in to give the lining ease and it´s not enough: you see the main fabric needs to go in another cm but I´ll wait for Spring to come and then assume the shorter sleeves. It can bring problems in a long term, making the wool look ugly and marked on those lines and not really lay perfectly straigth as it should.
As for the overall lenght, a few 5cm more would look better. It´s assumedly an oversized coat with the dropped shoulders, but a little more lenght would balance the square look. I decided to go with no closure again, but I did line a botton with the same wool, just still not sure if I wanna do a buttonhole or use a snap inside and make the button decorative.









This one will count as my March entry for Project Sew It from Celina´s Petit a Petit and Family. Seriously, it´s easier to make something new than to rescue my failed projects like I had thought, ha!
The pattern itself is full of potential and worth all the beautiful wools one can find. Up next I might try some patch pockets in a longer lenght, but not until next Winter. Or if some gorgeous wool happens to cross the street at the same time as me.