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Monday, April 15, 2013

Coral Coat

I'd planned to sew up a shirt (for me) over the weekend, but when I went into my sewing room* on Saturday to gather all my materials, I suddenly turned tack and decided to finish up my second coat, which had been languishing on the guest bed for almost a month.  I'm glad I did, because the weather turned tack also, so I got to wear it out to a concert and dinner yesterday afternoon!




My original plan for this coat was to make bound buttonholes, and in all honesty, that is part of the reason I dawdled with finishing it.  Somehow it just wasn't feeling right.  Once I got the body constructed to the point where I had to make the decision, I stewed on it for a while.  In the end I felt that this cotton sateen has more of a casual feel, and to me bound buttonholes are fancy.  So I decided to go with the keyhole buttonholes again. 

I did, however, stick to my original plan of making self-covered buttons.  It was my first time doing that, and boy, is it fun!  I want to do it all the time now!  But those people who have said you don't need the kit and that you can just push the backs onto the button must have super strong fingers.  I not only used the kit and its "pusher" - I also had to push the pusher down with my rawhide mallet rather than my fingers!  This could be because my fabric is thicker, but my fingers and wrists are definitely weak - probably from all these years of knitting.


After I made my first coat, I did wear it a couple times.  But I felt like I kind of boxed myself in with that loud print:  most of my clothes are patterned, and I don't feel comfortable wearing the coat with a pattern it clashes with.  That one also has a fancier feel to me, so I'm likely going to be wearing that for dressing-up occasions (and with the few things in my closet it goes with), and this will be my "every day" jacket.

Yesterday it was warm and sunny so I wore the coat on its own.  This morning when I went out, it was quite a bit nippier, so I added a scarf and hat - I really liked how these three items worked together, since the scarf has both the coral of the coat and the lavender of the hat:


The hat is a Kim Hargreaves design (of course!) that I love so much I made it five times!


I like how the coat looks with the top button open, and I'll probably wear it that way a lot.  I've noticed on both these coats that when I button the top button, the little edge at the top doesn't want to stay tucked under the collar, so I'm thinking about going back and adding a snap.  However, that would show with the collar open and not look so great.  What to do?  Maybe a hand-worked thread loop and button.


Here's the back, all  rumply from wearing:


I'm happy I made this second, solid-colored coat, but I think I'm done with this pattern now for a good long while.  I was so excited when I made my first one that I started the second one immediately.  However, my enthusiasm quickly wore off, so it made this coat seem more of a chore than an adventure.


*a.k.a. the guest room

41 comments:

  1. Ooh, that's lovely. What a gorgeous spring-like colour! It looks gorgeous with that scarf and your lovely Kim Hargreaves hat too.

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  2. That is one of my favourite colours and it really suits you. I tend to pick up patterned fabric but you're right about needing solids too, so much more versatile, I can imagine this will work with so many outfits.

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    1. Thank you! I really seem to be drawn to this color lately!

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  3. What a great coat and in such a gorgeous colour! I love the fabric coated buttons and the cool lining. Every coat deserves a cool lining!

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    1. I agree! I love knowing that gorgeous fabric is in there!

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  4. Another win, Gail! This will be the perfect everyday coat for spring and the colour is fantastic on you. I also really like the fabric you picked for the lining - so much fun!

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  5. So pretty! Do you think that fabric would work for a pair of pants? I have the vision of a pair of coral Colette Juniper pants stuck in my head. But this is as close as I've seen to coral pants fabric.

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    1. This is technically a "home dec" fabric, so it is on the heavier side and doesn't have a whole lot of drape. I think it might be a little too stiff for a wide-legged pant like that.

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    2. Thanks for the info. I have an Amy Butler home dec print that I think is rather drapey (but the print is altogether wrong for pants) which is why I was hopeful.

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    3. I just came across this stretch twill on Fabric.com that might work:

      http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=5ba20dcd-51e9-4644-91e9-33e84208ca9e

      No idea how heavy it is, but worth a try at half the price!

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    4. Thanks - I decided to give it (and 3 other fabrics) a try.

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  6. I love the colour! And the way you're styling it!
    Good job on clearing the guest bed!

    Brenda

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  7. We've been looking at dark colors for far too long here in Chicago. Your coat makes me like spring will come. Just lovely.

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    1. Hehehe - sometimes I feel like I get crazy looks from people here in Chicago for all the bright colors I wear. But I figure, it's grey enough here - I need some color in my life!

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  8. That color looks fantastic on you, and goes so well with your hat and scarf! A coat like that is just right for chilly spring days.

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    1. Thank you! I'm so happy with it - the color just cheers me up!

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  9. Gorgeous coat, I love the color! The concept of "Spring coat" does not exist in Houston, so I'll have to settle for admiring yours from across the country. :)

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    1. Hehehe - it only exists here for about a month, if I'm lucky!

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  10. So cute! I love it with the hat and scarf - so chi-city chic :)

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  11. Ooh, what a cute coat, and such a good color for spring!

    And I totally agree with the bound buttonholes - owwie! But definitely worth it. ;)

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  12. I love it open with your scarf and hat - looks fab. Interesting about the covered buttons - I've been putting off buying all the guff, but it sounds like I need it...

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    1. Where I live, it only added about 50 cents onto the price to get the whole kit, so it made sense to me to get it. I will be interested to try it with a lighter fabric to see if that makes a difference in how hard it is to push the back on.

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  13. So beautiful! Adore the color and the lining both. (And I also love to do self-covered buttons, but have never done them with such hearty fabric -- I can imagine that it's much more difficult!)

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    1. Thanks, Susan! So, it sounds like it's easier with the buttons using lightweight fabric?

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    2. I would think so, but I think there's more than one kind. I use the ones with little "teeth" around the inside edges of the back of the button that grab the fabric... It doesn't require the little pusher thingy, which I didn't find incredibly useful anyway when I tried it. I get them at Wawak, in just about every size under the sun...

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    3. Ah, Wawak - that keeps coming up! Mine didn't have little teeth, just a kind of lip that the backing is pushed under.

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  14. this is fantastic! i love everything about this coat, especially the lining. as much as i love the first one, this one will get so much more use i imagine; and i know how satisfying it is to grab a hand made coat/jacket as you walk out the door. fab job!

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    1. Thank you - yes, this one has already been worn more than the first one and I just finished it a few days ago! Note to self: solid colors are practical!

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  15. Fantastic! The color is fabulous. The lining inside is way cute. You are so cute in the whole outfit. I like how you're not matchy.

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    1. Thank you! Hehehe - this is a rare sighting of me not being matchy!

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  16. This is beautiful! I love the color! The lining is adorable, too, and the covered buttons are perfect. Well done, and just in time for spring!

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  17. This is lovely, what a great colour and very stylish. As coats go, it doesn't look too intimidating to construct either - not that I've ever made a coat so I don't know!

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    1. Thank you! No, it really wasn't bad! Although - this is the only coat pattern I've ever used, so I don't have anything to compare it to!

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  18. Your coat is beautiful! I love the color and really love the fabric covered buttons. Such a great touch.

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  19. Gorgeous! The color, the lining, the combo with the beret and the scarf - great work!

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  20. Pretty color! And I love the lining... :)

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