Making Winter Coat Decisions

Last year this time I was buying warm winter parkas, sewing knit silk underthings along with cozy sweater knit tops and jackets.  It was my first winter in Maryland in ten years and the coldest one in thirty.  This year my plans are slightly different since I'd like to add some style to my burgeoning winter wardrobe.  One thing I noticed was that despite a decent array of fall/winter coats and jackets, sometimes I didn't have exactly the right coat for an outfit.  Some of those new sweater knit jackets had panels too long for a sporty jacket.  And the two knee length coats in my closet are either too lightweight or too dressy for everyday casual.  So I am on a quest to make two wool coats this winter and thought I would share the decision making and construction process with you, my sweet readers.  In the last month I have stitched up five (yes, five, can you believe it) sample coats from patterns in my collection.  Here are the candidates for this season's coat project:

Candidate 1  

I liked the back interest on this pattern and the raglan sleeve for a winter overcoat.
Here's the mock-up:

Wow, even in this fuzzy shot you can see that there's a lot of fabric happening in this coat.  

I do like the sleeve and collar area, but that armhole is large and quite low.

Candidate 2

Hmmm, again I like the almost raglan sleeve but this coat is designed to be fully reversible. Do I want a reversible coat?  Here's the mock-up:

Despite having to sew four of those finicky corners, I really like the collar and proportions on this one.  It uses a lot of fabric because of that cut on sleeve so it might mean fabric shopping if I pursue this one.
Now here's where I have to pause for a moment.  I did some snoop shopping in the quaint little town of Lititz, PA back in November and fell in love with a line of wool/alpaca coats and jackets at one of the boutiques there, a line called Beyond Threads. I tried on this wonderful Corina jacket (although the sleeves were about an inch too short, typical for me in RTW.)  What you cannot tell from the picture or the description is that there is an underarm gusset that means the dolman cut on sleeve actually has a higher and more flattering lower armhole. 

Corina Jacket from Beyond Threads

So while I was contemplating my next jacket, I was also searching high and low through my pattern collection for  dolman sleeve with a gusset. I am too geometrically challenged to draft my own version but I could transpose one, I think.  No luck in my resource center so I googled my request and up popped this pattern, from the wonderful and sadly too early departed Fred Bloebaum.  It was on Etsy and for $5 it was in the mail while I was working on some other holiday sewing.  

Candidate 3

Now try to look past the early nineties oversized illustrations and look at the pattern lines.  I sewed up a size small (although according to the suggested sizing I should be a medium) and here's the mock up:

Olympia Coat

I don't like the petal collar or that frumpy length  but I do like the sleeves and the close but roomy fit of this pattern.  I can change the collar to a standup asymetrical one rather easily so I think this one has promise also.  Here's the two piece sleeve and the gusset.

Nice bias lines on the sleeve

Fred's pattern is wonderfully designed with great instructions for interfacing and even a roll line for that petal collar, something that the Big Four should include more often.  
By now I was getting a little winded with trying new patterns and going to the trouble of marking those grid lines on my mock ups.  But I had two more patterns to consider so onward....

Candidate 4

Wow, an oldie pattern again but a real classic topper coat, just what I think will fill the hole in my winter wardrobe.  Being a Burda, it too has some nice instructions for the lining and that collar roll line.  Here's the mock up:

Nothing unique but this one could be a real work horse of a pattern.  Those early nineties drop shoulders will have to be adjusted but otherwise it looks promising so far.
The last candidate was truly just for fun.  It does not fulfill any wardrobe hole but sometimes you just feel like venturing out into uncharted waters.  I got caught up in the Thanksgiving weekend Craftsy sale when all the classes were $19.99. (The sale continues: Craftsy classes ...and it's not just sewing )  I added more classes than I care to admit to my already loaded inventory.  And since I was there I decided to watch more of Natalie Chapin's stenciling and stitching class.  This pattern was the freebie that came when I bought the class last year and so I decided to make a mock up and see if it is worth pursuing.  Here's a very rough mock up (the pockets are quite unique and I got annoyed and did a rough and dirty version just for placement on one side.)

Candidate 5

Candidate 5

So, that's what I have been sewing for the last month.  Last week I bundled them all up and took them up to Sarah Veblen   I paid Sarah for her time in evaluating each one, making fitting adjustments as needed and then evaluating some fabrics I am considering.  It is the nicest Christmas present I could buy for myself.  I'll share the results in a future post.  
I also received a Christmas present of sorts of some nice woolens from a friend at the gym (most of them will be giveaways at January's retreat.)  When I was thanking her and shared that I hoped one of the plaids was enough for a coat, one of the other women was puzzled.  I had mentioned that I had stitched up these five coat mock ups before deciding which two I would pursue this year.  She asked me quizzically if it wouldn't just be easier to buy a coat?  Ah, the sewists out there know that yes, of course that would be easier for most of us but that's not why I sew....and maybe not why you sew either.  I love the fabric, the process, the creativity and freedom....and also the many dear friendships among others who understand. I'll be warmer this winter with all of those things close to me.

A Plethora of Pillows

I love the colors of fall, all the golds, shades of red and orange and lime greens, now almost gone from our November landscape.  This autumn has been spectacular (according to a local newpaper item it had to do with warm days and cool nights) and I brought those colors into our home with new pillows for our living room and family room.  My other laptop is under the weather (and most likely dying as I type) so my careful construction pictures may be lost but hey, these are pillows and the fitting is easy. 

I've been collecting some inexpensive autumn toned home dec fabrics throughout this year.  Some come from the Joann's red tag fabrics when they have a 50% off sale.  The others came from a September visit to the PA Fabric Outlet near Lancaster, PA.  This warehouse type store has a large decorator section with leftovers stuck on very short rolls in large barrels.  I picked up three rolls for $5.98 total with about six or seven yards of the three fabrics so this was not an expensive seasonal update.  I also buy zippers there and the 12-14 inch invisible zippers sell for less than $1.  

I cut the striped fabric into quarters then rearranged them to form that new pattern.  It's a flange pillow but I want it to be a reusable pillow form so there's a back flap with velcro to keep it closed and snug.  I hate pillow covers that don't have a closure like that since the cover grows and looks sloppy very quickly. 
I have enough leftover for a table runner and will probably arrange those stripes in another interesting pattern.
The geometric pillow with buttons on the left has gold silk dupioni piping and an invisible zipper.  I liked watching the youtube from Haberman fabrics on inserting an invisible zipper on a pillow with welting.   

That orange ribbon pillow is one I made last year with a ribbon weaving technique and I am happy to say that we use it throughout the year and it has held up wonderfully.

This next pillow has some sentimental memories for me.  I remember my mother wearing an Asian style jacket in the 50's when I was very young.  I inherited the jacket, too small for me (I was taller than my mother by 6th grade) but I always wanted to do something with the fabric.  I'm glad I didn't cut it up in my short attempt at wearable art pieced garments about 14 years and 25 lbs ago.  Instead, this year it became part of our inside autumn toned pillow collection.  I used a piece of remnant orange tweed home dec fabric from that Joann's clearance table and made a window to highlight the silk brocade then pieced together the remaining brocade for piping.  It needed a little more to bring out the 50's vibe I wanted to keep so I added some dark rust trim around the edge and I think it looks rather retro vintage-y.

On our way out to western Maryland in October we stopped at the new to me Surplus City again, the combination fabric store/hardware store.  Yes, a store for me and Mr. Lucky under one roof!  They too carry mostly home dec fabrics at very low prices and I bought this leaf design for $5.99 a yard.  I did the same quartering and I like the image of leaves falling in all directions.

This last autumn glory pillow is the longest one in the making.  It started with scraps of a poly print that a sweet sewing friend (hi, Kathie) gave me when she moved to Nebraska 18 months ago.  I used my die cut machine and a five layered flower die to cut out the flower shapes, then held each edge to a candle flame to curl them and then layered them together.  TV project.  Can you tell that Mr. Lucky and I spend a lot of time in the evenings watch PBS shows like Endeavor, Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries and Call the Midwife?  I used two layers of a rusty orange poly from another Joann's clearance table and put the flowers on the front, topped with wooden beads for some more color and texture and another invisible zipper.  I enjoy seeing these two pillows together with their sentimental reminders of special women.

Sewing pictures are done but for my friends and family, here come some shots from several of our fall trips.  
In the middle of October we headed to Western Maryland for a "refresher" weekend for Mr. Lucky.  he is a ski patrol volunteer in the winter and this was a weekend where he was one of the instructors for the medical refresher training for the team of five dozen volunteers.  We stopped along the way for a hike along the glorious 

The following week we took our neighbor's sweetest Golden Retriever (we were pet sitting for a few days) to Pennsylvania to pick our last batch of apples for the season.  

Maple Lawn Farms, PA

Yes, those observant sewing friends who are still reading will note that it is yet another Tabula Rasa tunic top that I am wearing.  About 1/4 of those apples are now in small jars labeled "Caramel Apple Butter"....made this year by Mr. Lucky himself!
Two weekends ago we drove from the Baltimore area down Rt 81 to reach Greenville, SC where a cousin of mine had a wonderful wedding weekend for his daughter.  It was the first big family gathering since my aunt's death this summer and we honored her memory while enjoying a happier reason for gathering.  Along the drive we stopped and hiked Crowder's Mountain just south of Charlotte, NC.  

Crowders Mountain, NC

We made a long weekend of it and spent Sunday night in Roanoke so we could drive a little bit of the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive on the way back to Baltimore.  By now, most of the mountain top trees are bare but those in the foothills still have some of those wonderful colors.  

Shenadoah Valley

Here's hoping you have a colorful weekend of sewing and other fun activities on your calendar.

New: Tabula Rasa Knit Tunics

Early in the summer I was a tester for this new knit pattern on behalf of my creative friend, Rae Cumbie, and her line of patterns, Fit for Art patterns (read Rae's blog for great tips and insights into her design process)  Back in July, when I changed sizing and went from a Medium to a Small with the darted front,  I made a comfy, stylish summer robe from the jacket pattern. Then in August she and her partner Carrie sent me the finalized version of the new knit tunic pattern.  Now, I will admit that I was very skeptical that the jacket pattern would translate well into a knit version but at that testing day my skepticism disappeared as I watched middle aged women of various shapes and sizes stitch up stylish and flattering knit topics, soooooo much better than the shapeless T shirts that so many others wear.  Once again, like the jacket, what is nice about the pattern is the choice of an undarted or darted front, a shoulder line that rests on your shoulder, not dropped, but a high square armhole that is a breeze to sew.  Since that swingy side panel is everywhere in RTW right now, I made all three of these with it.  I will try the standard straight side later when I want a closer fit knit top for layering.  Ok, enough prelude, here are my three versions:

Tabula Rasa Knit Tunic with Swing Sides

This is an ITY Fabric Mart border print knit and while I was happy, I wanted it slightly longer.

Double border fabric and how I cut out the pieces

Next up was my boho fabric version...a rayon burn-out knit and two different laces, all underlined with powder-dry, a thin, breathable knit.

This nude powder-dry is ages old....back from a Yahoo fabric buying group before we had easy on-line shopping.  I hand basted the front, back and sleeves, thinking that the burgundy lace would be floaty enough on the sides not to need underlining.  Wrong!!  I could see my fleshy mid section right through that lace.  I used an even lighter fabric, a very thin tricot and hand basted that to the side panel lace so that it would keep the lightweight drape but become opaque.  Saved....or rather I saved the public from muffin top views.

Tricot pinned to the side swing panels

No prying eyes here.

Last version is my favorite so far.  Last year Fabric Mart had rayon knits in coordinating colors and sizes of stripes.  I purchased two sets of color ways and this top is one of them.  It's a purple-y blue and black stripe.  I used the largest stripe for the body, the narrower stripe for the sleeves, the solid blue for the swing panel and made the neckline from the solid and wide cut on the bias.  

Tabula Rasa Knit Tunic and infinity scarf

A better picture with truer colors

Auditioning the proportion and placement of different fabrics

Double fabric neckline finish

I had about 10 inches left of the two stripe fabrics so I sewed them as an infinity scarf and I must say I love the cowl look....so much so that I will probably add a cowl neckline to the pattern this fall or winter.  

Last photo is me wearing my first Tabula Rasa Knit Tunic in Quebec City where we got to watch the September "super moon" rise from the 10th floor deck of the airbnb apt. we rented.  More about the trip and souvenir fabric shopping to come later.  

Sew grateful you took the time to read and/or comment today.  

Sewing Retreats Past and Future

Wow, this summer I realized that I have three sewing retreats scheduled within six months.  How much fun can one girl stand?  Whenever I mention to non-sewing friends how exciting it is to attend a sewing retreat, they look at me with barely disguised horror.  "You pack up your sewing machine?" they ask as though it were an immovable object permanently installed in my sewing room.  "Do you all have to work on the same project?" they ask in fear that there's a stern taskmaster leading us in mindless factory-like procedures.  Ah, little do they know that a sewing retreat is an oasis of friendship and creativity, a break from your daily to do lists and a great excuse to be absent from the virtual world.  
In mid-August I attended the first of those three retreats and here's what I worked on while I was enjoying the company of my special friends.  In addition to sewing, I also got time to do some snoop shopping at the Leesburg, VA upscale outlet mall (oh those gorgeous seam edges on Ellie Tahari jackets and tops!) and a summer afternoon walk along the Washing and Old Dominion Rail Trail and then dine out each evening.  Perfection!!
The results, some utility sewing....a new outdoor fabric bag for a folding table....you can imagine that yourself...and then two new garments from my "resource center" fabrics.  

This is my latest Tabula Rasa jacket.Fit for Art Tabula Rasa Jacket  (previous post with my alteration and sizing remarks Jane's Tabula Rasa jacket re-do)  The fabrics are a burnout black silk velvet from Fabric Mart, the black, white and pink paisley bordered rayon challis from Peggy Sagers many moons ago, a scrap of black lace from when Fabric Mart was selling those short cuts of designer samples and a pale pink burnout silk velvet that is barely visible as the front panel piping and as the under layer to the back black lace.

Tabula Rasa jacket with swing side panel

I lengthened the standard jacket pieces by an inch and used the side swing panel, also lengthened one inch.  I used the larger wider sleeve version but ended up narrowing it by 1 1/2 inches.  I don't have construction pics to show since I did this at the retreat and was forcing myself "off the grid" that weekend.  

But I will share that my sewing friends were the ones who came up with the suggestion to put the pale pink burnout silk under the black lace.  I initially chose a gorgeous four ply deep almost fuchsia pink for the under layer but it was too bold and just wrong. 

Burnout silk velvet inside the jacket back

Black lace overlay

Thanks to their great advice I love, love, love this new jacket.  Again, I think it is boho enough to be fun without making me look like I am wearing a colorful circus tent.  My only regret is that I cut the flat piping on the cross grain and I wish I had cut it on the bias.  it is only 1/4" in the finished seam but it slightly annoys me that it wants to stand up at my neck curve.  And yes, I have YARDS of it left so it wasn't like it was a necessity.  

No biggie, just a note for next time.  And there will be plenty of next times for this pattern.  Fall and winter are approaching and this is the casual kind of jacket that I love using for layering when it gets chilly and down right cold.
The second successful retreat garment is this new TNT T shirt pattern, Vogue 8699, 

Vogue 8699

Vogue 8699 is one of the Easy Vogue patterns but one that does have different bust sizing.  I made the turtleneck/cowl version as is last winter but never liked the collar.  It was a little of this and a little of that and couldn't make a commitment.  I removed the collar and surprise, I really like the depth of the remaining scoop neck.  

I had used size 14 with the D cup front for the neck and shoulders and bust line, although I did remove some excess fabric above and below my bust line then transitioned to a size 16+ by the tummy and hip area.  This version is from Fabric Mart, a very lightweight buttermilk type of poly.  It is clammy in humid weather but it works well to test the pattern as a very wearable mock up.  I decided to finish it with a thin woven binding cut from a scrap of brown textured silk kimono fabric, source unremembered.  

This is now my TNT T shirt pattern.  The shoulder princess seam allows for nice fit tweaking.  I plan to use it as the base pattern for a number of those clever Marcy and Katherine Tilton patterns.  I don't want to refit a new knit top when I have one that I have refined already.  Necklines and hemlines and side panels can be changed a lot more quickly than I can re-fit a new knit pattern.  So I was thrilled at the retreat, not so much for the looks of this one but because I could see so many good things happening this fall and winter when I use it as a good base.

One last photo and many thanks for your kind remarks about Lucky's new volunteer job and my return to blogging.  I have lots of blogs to catch up with and look forward to seeing more details about your latest projects.  Happy sewing to all.