Made by a Fabricista: Dusty Lavender Duffle Coat

Baby, it's cold outside!  If you're in the northern hemisphere, you likely agree.  We've had some crazy sub-zero temperatures, haven't we?  But what better excuse than to make a cozy new coat!  This time, I chose a gorgeous dusty lavender wool/cashmere blend to make Simplicity 8470- a duffle style coat.  Fabric Mart has an incredible coating selection this year.  The fabric that I chose has sold out, but there are many more beautiful ones to choose from!

The reason that I chose this pattern was pure and simple- it had a hood!  I'm so surprised that very few coat patterns come with hoods!  Sure, hats are good, but when it is really cold and windy, nothing beats the protection of a hood.

I chose to line my hood with a silvery grey polyester fleece, just to turn up the warmth factor a little more.  Here you can see that the hood has a turn back cuff, and a center panel with topstitching detail.

And from the back, you can see the back yoke and center back seam.  I added 1" to the length of the body of the coat and to the sleeves.  I also did a substantial full bust adjustment, forward shoulder, round back and full bicep adjustment, which are all normal adjustments for me on a Big 4 pattern. 

The pattern also has some interesting pocket options.  I don't know about you, but I can never have enough pockets!  I chose to make the view with two lower and two upper pockets.  The lower ones are the perfect size for a cell phone, and the upper ones are just at the right spot for you to put your hands in.

I really love coats with toggles, but they aren't really very easy to find in fabric stores here.  So, I did a little searching and found Cosmosapparelwear on Etsy.  They have a wonderful selection of hand made toggles at reasonable prices.  The hardest part about using these toggles was getting them to stay in place before sewing.  The leather is too thick to put a pin through, and wonder tape was not strong enough to hold them in place.  So, I ended up using regular scotch tape to tape them place until I could get to the sewing machine.

I chose a lavender polyester satin for the lining.  I had a devil of the time with static electricity and this lining though.  It just wanted to grab on to everything it touched and not let go!  With the cold air, our humidity level has gone way down and static electricity has gone way up.  I think that I understand the reason now that some linings are labelled "anti-static". 

Even though I'm in love with my new coat, I have some misgivings about the pattern.  First, there is a drafting error in the lower back piece- it was drawn wider than the corresponding lining piece.  Luckily, I had read this on Patternreview before I started, so I was able to make the change to the pattern.  Second, the instructions for the pockets are odd  They show you actually covering up the bottom pocket with the top one, which I decided not to do, due to thickness of my fabric, and also for wanting to make the bottom pocket easier to use.  And third, the side front lining needs to be cut 1" shorter, but the only place that this is noted is in a very tiny sentence in the cutting layout section.  It should have been noted on the pattern piece, or at least in the directions section, as it is way too easy to miss where it is.  So, if you decide to try this pattern, take your time, and definitely make a muslin to make sure that the fit is good for you before cutting into good coat fabric.

I'm so happy with how this coat turned out.  It's one of my favorite colors, and I'm sure that I will be wearing this years from now!  If you haven't tried making a coat yet, I highly encourage you to take the plunge.  Not the polar bear plunge, mind you, just the coat making plunge!  Stay warm!

Happy Sewing and Happy 2018!

Ann

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