Made By A Fabricista: Coat Sewing Chronicles

Sewing a coat is not for the faint of heart, or for the sewist looking for a light project. It is possibly the slowest form of apparel sewing that exists. If you’ve made a coat, chances are, you know what I mean. No matter what you do, you can’t rush through it, you can’t skip steps or cut corners, you just have to roll with the punches. One minute you’re flying through assembly thinking “I’ll be finished soon,” and the next you’re running away from your sewing room because you need space. Are you guaranteed to end up with a bespoke wonder in your coat closet, most definitely! But heed my warning, if you are looking for a quick win, it is not a coat! 

My coat sewing chronicles began around Christmas when I fell in love with a black-and-white basketweave wool-coating fabric on the Fabric Mart website. I quickly placed an order for 3.75 yards to finally make the Seamwork Bay coat I’ve been dreaming of making for a while. In addition to my Fabric Mart wool, I also ordered Kasha Satin coat lining from another online fabric source. If you aren’t familiar with Kasha Satin lining, it's amazing! Satin on the right side with flannel on the back for added warmth. 

Out of my stash came black knit interfacing, black woven interfacing, two black shoulder pads from a previous Fabric Mart win, and a Kylie and the Machine sewing label that says “I keep you warm.” I also gathered two styles of black vintage buttons for the front three buttons and the six sleeve buttons. With my sewing agenda completely clear, materials gathered, and my spirits high, I set out to make the coat of my dreams. 

I cut out my Seamwork Bay coat as soon as my wool fabric arrived, right before the New Year. Then fell ill with the horrible cold my husband had on Christmas, which completely zapped me of all energy. My poor coat sat cut out, untouched for a week, while I prioritized napping every chance I got, just to try to kick the cold. With one week gone, I was feeling better and ready to start. That’s when the back-to-back headaches started. As a migraine sufferer, I’m used to headaches, so I sewed as much as I could, but coat sewing with a headache is not recommended. 

With another week gone by and my lining fabric in hand, I finally cut out the lining and started assembling. The pattern assembly begins with the back pieces and quickly moves on to the welt pockets. Welt pockets are a bit notorious for being tricky, but thankfully, these weren’t my first welt pockets, so they didn’t slow me down. Be warned, though, welt pockets are often a major slowdown point. 

I continued to gain momentum during the next few assembly steps, as they are common steps in apparel sewing. I hit another slowdown when I reached the shoulder pad attachment. To ensure the shoulder pads lay just right, I found it best to pin them into place from the right side of the jacket and adjust the pinning while trying on the coat. Going slow in this area allowed me to get the placement just right. Eventually, I had the perfect position and was able to handstitch them into place. 

Next, I assembled the lining and attached the coat at the neckline. I hit some choppy waters again when I reached the point of attaching the lining to the vent. I read and re-read the pattern instructions for these steps a bunch of times. I started feeling really frustrated because the instructions just wouldn’t compute. I had to walk away, make a cup of tea, and try again another day. Another day became a week in this case. 

At one point I became so desperate to move on, I forced my husband and mom (who don’t sew) to listen to the steps being read out loud in the hopes that they would magically click for someone! No matter what I did, I just didn’t understand. I kept trying different things until one day it worked, and my coat vent and lining started looking similar to the diagram. 

Finally, I was ready to move on from the vent and the next step was finishing the bagged lining at the hem. I’ve only sewn bagged linings twice in my life so I knew this could require some hand-stitching. Having that in mind made the bagged lining process a lot more smooth thankfully. After sewing buttonholes and buttons I had officially reached completion! 

Despite all of the ups, downs and slowdowns throughout my winter coat making process, it took me about a month to make. I am so glad that I made it. Whenever I slip into my coat I will remember the time, effort and energy it took to make it. From the beautiful vintage buttons, to the black-and-white basketweave wool, to the red kasha lining and my super fun “I Keep You Warm” label, this is a project I am proud to say “I made myself.” While coat sewing is not a quick process, it is a rewarding one! 

SHAINA  |  @shaina_sews