Skip to main content

Sew Along: Winter Coat Update: Sewing the Good Fabric

Last weekend I made a big dent in the progress of my Burberry-inspired winter coat. There is not a lot to report back on, but I will highlight a few little things that I did to enhance the coat.

- Did you ever use tailor's tacks? I'm sure many of you know this little trick, but I felt the need to share it in case some of you don't know about it! My mother taught me how to use these and they are one of the best ways to mark your fabric. I don't care for using chalk marks because it always seems like they disappear by the time I get to that section of a garment.

Thread a needle with a contrasting thread. Make sure to meet the ends of the thread. This is a good time to use threads that you hardly use, or old threads that may be too brittle to use in your sewing machine. (I have some of these inherited from my grandmother.) Then poke the needle through the pattern paper and all layers (good fabric, lining, etc.) leaving about 6-7 inches on the top of your stack. Then poke the needle up through stack and pull the needle through. Make sure you have two tails of 6-7 inches. Pull off the pattern paper. Starting at the bottom of your stack, pull apart each section leaving an even amount of thread between the sections. Cut the threads so that you have a tack attached to each piece. (If you leave your threads a little longer, you could even tie the threads in a loose knot to prevent them from falling out.) Now all your pieces are marked! It takes a little longer, but I feel is worth it.

You can see my tailor tacks on this sleeve section.
 
- While fusing interfacing on all the necessary pieces, I fused a 3" piece of lightweight fusible interfacing and placed it along the bottom edge of the hem and hem on your sleeves. This creates a crisp hem when you press the hem up rather than a "baloon-like" hem. I will take a picture of the finished hems when the coat is finished. Here is a picture of the interfacing along the hem of the sleeve. 

 

- I decided to add flannel to the inside of my coat to make it even warmer. Rather than basting it all in place, I used 505 Spray and Fix by Odif USA. I use it all the time for holding pieces together. It is temporary, but fairly strong and does not ruin your fabric. It also does not gum up your needle which is a HUGE plus for me. After it was attached I cut approximately 1/2 inch from all edges of the flannel to reduce the bulkiness in the seams.

 
 
Here is a picture of a section I was VERY happy when all the plaids matched. At this point I was matching the side seams and creating the pockets.


Next post I'm hoping to share with you more interesting things! I should have the entire coat constructed at that point. Happy Holidays!
~ Julie
 
 
 


Comments

  1. it is really fun to watch your progress. Looking great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm curious about this 606 Spray and Fix. Where do you usually get yours? Does a can generally last long - or do you have to lather on the spray to get any results? One more thing -- do you use a particular interfacing for the hems?

    ReplyDelete
  3. @Pegsewer- Thanks! I am soooo close to being finished at this very moment. I can't wait to share!

    @Jenny - I use the 505 Spray and Fix. There are a few "number" sprays from the brand. I've actually gotten it at a local quilt shop in our area, but I think I've seen it at Joann Fabrics. I don't lather on the spray, it seems to hold fairly well by just a wisk of the can over the fabric. As for the interfacing---I used a fusible weft interfacing as the interfacing on the hem. I would say that any light-medium weight fusible interfacing would be fine.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then.  I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?”  Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits.  All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew!  This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

 As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...