A Coat for Tamara.....Simplicity 2311

I'm finally back after an absence of three weeks . Where was I you might ask ? Agonizing over Tamara's coat , that's where !



First about the fabric.You know, after 50 some years of sewing,  you'd think I'd know what fabric works for a specific project. Well, not always ! This was  a heavy wool double knit bought in Paris five years ago . The "vendeur" told me it was from Valentino's workshop !! I'm not sure I believe that but it was a beauty. The heavy was  the problem part although that never occurred to me at all before starting on this arduous sewing journey..

The pattern is Simplicity 2311, which I made before here and it turned out wonderfully.

At Christmas, my DD tried my coat on and I knew I had to remove the FBA, but otherwise my coat was a good fit on her so I thought I had it made . Oh, I was so wrong !

I decided that I'd use Fusi Knit on the whole coat except the sleeves to offset the knit factor. At first , everything went very well. I carefully used all my pressing tools to press all my seams so they wouldn't show on the outside and the outside layer was beautiful.

I sewed the kasha  lining to the wide facing piece and that looked beautiful too.

Next I sewed the lining and outer layers together and that's where all hell broke loose. I could not get the front of the coat to hang properly. That wide facing together with the front of the coat was just too heavy. I wish I had taken photos of the problem but I was too frustrated to think of that.

I'm not going to bore you with all the things I tried before that front was hanging as it should .Suffice it to say that it took me a whole week of  trial and error before I finally tamed that beast.

In the end it took me 3 1/2 weeks to finally be able to wrap that thing and send it to Tamara via Canada Post.

Here it is but the photos don't do it justice.

The collar is beautiful in this pattern.

I found the perfect buttons to dress up an otherwise plain garment. I made bound buttonholes which I wasn't satisfied with so I didn't photograph them.

I supported the buttons with smaller ones on the inside of the coat

The sleeves turned out beautifully. I added self made shoulder pads and  sleeve heads made with lambswool.

The back featured a yoke and a center back seam.

I fused grosgrain ribbon over the seam joining the facing to the lining with Steam-a-Seam. I actually removed it to see if it was causing the problem of the not hanging properly but that wasn't it so I refused it back on.

I added my self made monogram  ( my initials are  all D's ) which my daughter really likes. 

And that's all I'll say about what I think will be the last long  winter coat I'll ever make. Life is just too short for that much aggravation !

In the end, Tamara loves her coat. She sent me pictures of her wearing it at work. (Thank you daughter ).I've always thought my girl looks so pretty in red.

I only hope this coat is warm enough for those cold Ottawa winters. If not, I made it big enough for DD to wear over cardigans or blazers, etc.

I've since been busy with my Sewing Group and a three piece ensemble that is so fun to make. I also have received my Surefit Designs Dress kit and I've drafted my basic pattern . Next I have to sew my muslin and perfect the fit before I can start designing all the things that are in my head or on my Pinterest boards , Lol.

Wishing all of you lots of time to sew.