Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Improper Coat



This turned in to a way bigger project than I had originally anticipated.  It started with a funky fabric purchase.  Something called high performance waterproof pique-front fleece, whatever that is.  I ordered it on a whim, mainly because I liked the warm, grey color.  Also because I was trying to make it to the free shipping amount at fabric.com (they get me every time).  I knew I wanted to make myself a fleece jacket at some point this winter.


At first I thought I'd make a standard zip up fleece jacket.  I have a red ready-to-wear one that is pretty much my everyday jacket.  Winter here is mild, except for a few weeks in January/February.  But then I thought about how boring that would be to make.  It would be practical, but no fun to make.  So I made this instead.







This is Burda 7314, one of their envelope patterns.  I can't find a site to link this pattern to- is everything on Burdastyle now?  One of their pattern books just popped up recently at my local fabric store.  I like the over-sized swingy, a-line shape and the pleat at the back.  The jury is still out on the bubble sleeves, but all in all it's a very comfy coat.  But what does the "young" mean?  I didn't notice any difference in sizing.  In fact, it ended up very large.  There's a lot of ease built in to this pattern.




I didn't want to line the coat since one side of my fabric is soft while the other side is apparently waterproof pique (strange!).  I decided to try my hand at binding all the interior seams even though the fabric didn't fray.  I just figured it would look nice.  This is where the word "improper" comes in to play again.  I know I didn't bind everything correctly.  I cut my own bias bindings from scraps of a vintage cotton I had in my stash.  Holy cow, I had to make a lot of bias.  Miles and miles of it.  But it was a good learning experience.   Always fun to try something new.  I'll be able to do a proper Hong Kong seam finish next time.  Any way, this coat looks nice enough on the inside.  In hindsight, I should have cut the back piece like the lining piece in the pattern- on the fold- and eliminated the odd rectangle down the back.

Below you can see good close ups of the fabric- fleece-y on the inside and pique on the outside.  I like it because you can't really tell it's fleece when I'm wearing it, except for the drape.  Not exactly the same drape you'd get from wool.






Stripey buttons and welt (?) pockets.  The pockets really are even- just the weird angle of the photo.  Are these considered welt pockets?  There's no actual welts-  it's just the window and a bit of the pocket peeking through.

I'm pretty happy with it despite it's impropriety! I've already worn it everyday this week.  It will be my go-to coat this winter as I don't need anything much warmer.  It's big enough to fit a bulky sweater underneath  and light enough for fall days, too.  I can throw it in the wash, too.  Another perk of the improper fabric.


Wishing everyone a great week!
Happy sewing.

20 comments:

  1. I do like the photos of the inside - the binding looks very groovy. The fact that you've worn it everyday this week means that it is definitely a winner. It is obviously comfy, makes you feel good and goes well with your wardrobe....ahhh if only we could all get that result every time.

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  2. Wow, this is impressive! The bias binding and the pockets. Looks really fab -- streamlined and flattering. A great everything color.

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  3. Very cool, much better than a regular fleece jacket. I wish more fleece was like that at the fabric store.

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  4. Looks pretty proper to me, although the inside is sort of trippy. The fabric seems like it must be really practical.

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  5. I love the back! So cute, I think it would be fun to have in more than one color.

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  6. Nice bindings, proper or not. The fabric looks/sounds like it would be good for outdoor action-wear, hiking and biking and so on. Excellent that it's already getting regular use!

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  7. This looks absolutely fab to me, not improper at all! Looks much more gorgeous than an ordinary fleece jacket. Your HongKong seaming looks amazing and I love the fun fabric on the inside! If you've worn it everyday then it is obviously a success.

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  8. It's a shame you can't see the binding while wearing, it's so much fun. I have to say for a mostly functional garment (I don't think of fleece jackets to be especially sexy or fashionable) this looks really great.

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  9. I like it! I think the inside binding looks fab, too. I've never tried binding seams like that, I think you got a great result.

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  10. Well, thanks everyone!

    Katarina, you're right! Fleece may be the most un-glamorous fabric there is. But it definitely is functional.

    And Carolyn, I should have checked out your hong kong seam tutorial before I ventured in to binding the seams! I made lots of mistakes on this coat. I'll have to go back through and read about the proper way to do it.

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  11. That shape is totally fun, and if you're getting that much wear out of it already, who cares about some wonky bits on the bindings? I like it much better than your standard zip-up fleece.

    I may be a bit jealous of your winters, though...

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  12. love your stitches and your insides- looks very comfy too!

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  13. Beautiful coat and I really love all the lovely details - it's the kind of coat that will always put a smile on your face as well as keeping you warm!

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  14. Looks both cozy and stylish. I like the interesting fabric and of course the cheerful binding.
    Technically, the "welt" is the part that reinforces the slit (or besom) pocket. But I see it called the "welt lip", too, which makes it sound like the pocket must be the welt.

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  15. The inside is so gorgeous, fantatsic work here! And it looks very cozy!

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  16. Thanks ladies!

    Joy- That's what I thought. There aren't any "lips" involved in this pocket, just the windowpane.

    Tanitisis- I wouldn't survive a Canadian winter.

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  17. i want your skills! looks fantastic!

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  18. Very interesting fabric... so weird! I love getting weird fabric and seeing what it becomes.

    Well done. :) Your binding is sooo charming (and it's great to have a pretty inside on a coat, especially a fleece one! How unexpected.)

    I only just now sent your chocolate. I hope it gets there ok. :)

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  19. Lovely job on the coat! It looks like a great piece for a not-too-cold winter; casual enough for everyday but still a little stylish. Fabric.com gets me every time too. Dang.

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  20. Great work. I especially like the binding on the inside. Even if it wasn't necessary, it gives the jacket that extra special made with love touch.

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