Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: A Rain Ready Coat

I made a navy trench coat a few years ago, and lost it!  It was so perfect- the color was neutral and it was really waterproof.  I left it at a meeting on one of those days that starts out rainy, but ends sunny, so you forget that you even wore a raincoat that day.  Oh, the agony of losing that coat!  So, ever since, I've been contemplating making a new one, but could never find the right fabric.  Finding a truly waterproof fabric is not easy!


When I saw that Fabric Mart had some water repellent jacketing with a flannel backing, I was jumping for joy!  And apparently, I'm not the only one- fellow Fabricistas Sue and Dina also chose one of these jacketings for their November projects!  Amazingly, we all chose different colors and patterns, so all of our coats are really quite different.


So, what is so great about this fabric?  Well first, it is truly waterproof.  The water just beads up on the surface beautifully.  I waited for a rainy day to take pictures, so you could see the water beads.


Second, it has a wool flannel backing, which makes it really warm.  Being from the cold midwest, this won't cut it on really cold days, but it is perfect for 40-50 degree weather.  Here's a close-up of what it looks like from the inside.


Third, it stretches!  And not a little bit- a lot!  Which means that you can make it a little closer fitting and still be comfortable.

It's funny, but a lot of ready to wear raincoats don't have hoods.  I think that the presumption is the wearer will carry an umbrella.  Which I never do- umbrellas are great in theory, but are really hard to hold on a windy day, especially if you are carrying groceries, or books, or anything else!  So, I wanted this coat to be as practical as possible, and I chose McCalls 7058.

In addition to the hood, this coat has a button front, pockets, and a back walking vent.   It's fully lined.  To contrast the seriousness of the charcoal color, I chose a psychedelic polyester charmeuse with shades of plum and raspberry.  I have a lot of these colors in my fall/winter wardrobe, so it will coordinate well with many things.


Lining the vent was the toughest part of this.  Most vents are single, but this one had a double vent.  I don't think that the pattern allowed for the "turn of cloth", so that there wasn't enough fabric.  Luckily, I had just barely enough in the seam allowances to let out to make it work.  Here's a close up of that section and how I pinned it in place.


And here is the back vent from the outside.  The fabric looks streaked in these photos, but it isn't in real life.  I think that is the camera capturing the rain.  It was a challenge getting these photos as the camera lens kept getting wet. My husband was a little grumpy about this, but I insisted that you had to see the waterproof fabric in action.  I take my job as a Fabricista seriously!



I want to show you a close-up of the buttons too.  These were part of a special Fabric Mart puchase a few years ago.  They have a hammered surface and a copper stripe down the middle:


So, I'm ready for the rain and so happy to have a new raincoat with a hood! 


And you can bet, that I won't be losing this one anytime soon.  I hope to wear this for a long, long time!
Happy Sewing!
Ann

Comments

  1. Really a nice looking raincoat. Thank 1you for sharing photos and great descriptions of the details. The lining is striking, also. Good job

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a great looking raincoat, what perfect fabric for the job. Beautiful job.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lori. I really do love this fabric- enough that I bought more in a blue color for Spring!

      Delete
  3. Fantastic job. You did a really professional job and I love the lining you chose. You look so nice in it too. Congratulations it is a winner.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great raincoat and lining. One of these days I will get the nerve to copy my favorite London Fog hooded raincoat from the 80s.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nancy! The hood is wonderful- since I made it just a couple of weeks ago, it's come in handy several times.

      Delete
  5. Beautiful coat. I've looked for a nice coat pattern. Thank you for your review on this one.

    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: Pattern Emporium’s Lyrical Top Featuring Fabric Mart Fabrics

 Sewn in a lightweight  rayon challis , this top combines style, comfort, and fluidity. There’s one thing I love in a summer sew: effortless drape—and the Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium delivered just that. This pattern is a new release, and when I spotted this dreamy rayon challis from Fabric Mart Fabrics, I knew it was the perfect pairing. Lightweight, breathable, and with just the right amount of movement, the fabric really brought the pattern to life. Today, I’m sharing all the details—from fabric choice and construction to styling and fit—plus a few thoughts on why this top might just become a repeat sew. Pattern Overview: The Lyrical Top by Pattern Emporium The Lyrical Top is a relaxed-fit design with bloused sleeves and a gently flared frill cuff. It comes with three sleeve lengths and two neckline variations. I chose the tie-neck view, but there’s also a collar option for a slightly different vibe. I’ve been looking to add more stylish tops to my wardrobe this year, a...

Made By A Fabricista: Oversized Jenna Shirt for Summer Fun

 I may or may not have had several meltdowns during the making of this Closet Core Jenna Shirt… But let’s back up first. During the month of May, I promised to wear handmade garments every single day for the popular sewing challenge “Me Made May.” I really enjoyed thoughtfully putting together my outfits each day. While I was doing this, I was taking notes of the gaps in my wardrobe. Particularly, I don’t have many transitional shirts that could work for on-camera work attire and be comfortable for the weekend. When I saw this delicious cotton lawn on the Fabric Mart website, I knew that I wanted to make a button up shirt that would be both work appropriate and a nice overshirt for summer evenings over my tanks and tees.  I have made a few button up shirts before using a vintage Stretch & Sew pattern but I decided to try my hand at the Closet Core Jenna Shirt (up to a 60” chest) which has had rave reviews on social media and pattern sites for being a great pattern with e...

Made By A Fabricista: A matching set and a happy error.

 Hi sewing friends! Today I’m sharing a new outfit I made inspired by looks I’ve been seeing pop up in my Facebook and IG feeds a LOT this year. I’m talking about those monochromatic matching top and bottom outfits, sometimes in linen, sometimes in a flowy knit - the ones that advertise they go effortlessly from loungewear to office wear to going out wear. So I decided to “sew the look” using Fabric Mart fabric and a few patterns I already in my massive pattern library. First, let me share that I have very few solid color pieces in my closet. I’m so taken in by whimsy and geometric prints that this is still a gaping hole in my wardrobe -  a matching solid color set was actually a practical addition for me.  So let me walk you through how I created this look, and also tip you off to an error I made while cutting that worked out pretty well after all. Can you spot the error? Hint - it’s somewhere in the top: Here’s how I went about building my matchy match outfit. And here’...