Tag: coats

Simplicity 2172

Simplicity 2172

I know you’ve seen this one before, but I just wanted to show you Simplicity 2172 in its completed state.

After the Wild Boy’s Ball I removed the feather collar, and added the sleeves. I decided to leave off the shoulder flanges and the ruffly bits because they’re not to my taste and I wanted to keep the style very simple.

I’m hoping it will be a nice versatile evening coat. For all the glamorous events I get invited to in my imagination, obviously. It’s probably a bit over the top for wearing to choir practice.

Yellow Submarine Jacket

Beatles Jacket

Ta-Daa!

The pattern is Butterick 5254, view C.
I had been planning to make view B which is much longer, but there turned out to be a printing flaw in the fabric, and I couldn’t quite maneouvre the pattern pieces around it. So I made the shorter version instead.

The jacket is lined with polar fleece, so it should be nice and warm. The three giant buttons are vintage ones that I inherited from a friend’s grandmother’s button stash.

And just in case you think this jacket’s a little bit boring…

…have a look at the inside.

Beatles Jacket

The facings and belt are made from a matching psychedelic “rainbows” fabric.

I’m fairly certain that “hilarious” shouldn’t be one of the criteria for making clothes, but I think this is one of the funniest things I’ve ever done. I can’t wait to wear it!

Desigual

I went shopping with my sister at the weekend. (Hi Jo!) I don’t go shopping very often these days, so it was great fun to go round all the department stores and see what’s in fashion at the moment.

I almost fell down with excitement when we wandered into a new concession in House of Fraser. This coat is one of the more subdued designs from Desigual. Their tagline is “Atypical Spanish wear since 1984”, and everything in their range is amazingly bright and colourful.

Most of the coats I saw were in this asymmetrical style, but they were all made in different materials and colours. Some of them had mismatched buttons, some were lavishly embroidered, and there was only one which was made from a single fabric. (It was black brocade. Beautiful.)

It’s probably just as well that I couldn’t actually afford to buy anything. Not only would I have come away with one of these coats, I would have emptied the Therapy concession of all their novelty print dresses. They had bunnies, deer, and the cutest little umbrellas!

Rain, rain, go away!

I’ve been a bit quiet around here lately, mostly because all the things I’m making are for other people’s Christmas presents, so I can’t show you any pictures for another couple of weeks! 

It’s also been absolutely pouring with rain for days and days. This is the second day in a row where it doesn’t seem to have bothered to get properly light. Did I miss the memo about England being moved to the North Pole?

Once my Christmas sewing’s a bit more complete, I think it’s time to have a go at making a raincoat.

 

This is Simplicity 3966, a discontinued pattern from the “Built By You” range. (That should give you an idea of how long I’ve been meaning to get around to making this raincoat!)

The “Built By You” patterns are designed for Simplicity by Wendy Mullins. Not only does she have her own clothing collection, she also writes sewing books and designs these patterns.

Ooh! In fact, although this pattern is discontinued by Simplicity, it’s still available from Wendy’s website.

I plan to make a hybrid version – the longer length coat (right), with the full length tabbed sleeves, and the storm cape (left).

I bought the fabric from John Lewis a couple of years ago. The sales assistant gave me a very funny look when I bought five metres of pink and white spotted oilcloth, and told her that it was going to be a coat, not a tablecloth!

I’m hoping that the resulting coat will have something of a Cath Kidston feel about it. I might just have to treat myself to a pretty handbag or purse, to complete the look…

In love with a coat.

I blame Erin, of A Dress A Day. She frequently posts very beautiful things on her blog, and normally I manage to resist.

This time, however, I seem to have fallen madly in love.

These beauties are designed by Samiah.
They’re the Winterfield and the Bailey. 

I’m a sucker for coats, and I’m a sucker for heavy furnishing-style fabrics, so Samiah has me on both counts there. They’re available in a wide range of beautiful colours, and they can be made to your own measurements.

I think what I like about them most is that they’re fantastical and imaginative, without being too costumey. There’s no doubt that the Bailey is a coat fit for a pirate queen, but you could wear it for any occasion without feeling as though you’ve accidentally turned up in fancy dress.

(A feeling that I, sadly, know all too well!)