I can’t remember when this idea installed in my brain, but the fact is that in some point I decided I was going to make an awesome coat for my trip to New York. Great. That was more than a year ago.
I have been postponing this project forever, because it seems like a huge challenge in both skills and time. And though I love challenging my skills, my sewing time is veeery limited during the academic course. This lead in a pile of wool, thinsulate, windbreaker and lining in my drawer. Now that I am enjoying an unusually long summer break, I am ready to tackle this project.
However, I did started the project in terms of planification and testing.
I wanted a coat that I could hardly find in a retail store in terms of design, color and warmth. So, my basic premises were:
- Prepared for extreme cold.
- Bright color and feminine design.
- Knee length to cover the hem of my dresses. And big pockets!
With these in mind, I looked for the pattern. And after browsing and doubting between a ridiculously high number of them, I opted for the safe option: an Anise from Colette patterns.
For the design, at first I envisioned a single row of buttons, welt pockets and no collar. I have changed my mind slightly, and it will be double breasted. I wanted a bright color, and finally opted for chartreuse. I found a light boucle wool in Telaio which was perfect match.
So, I altered the pattern to suit my dream coat needs: lengthened to knee, changed position and size of pockets and omitted the collar. I sewed a quick muslin with cheap fabric. I am a no-muslin kind of girl, but this time I wanted to play safe. The fit was pretty much perfect.
These are some photos of inspiring yellow coats (click to see the source):
I’m also using the Anise companion, which is an in-depth guide for making the Anise coat. This perfect for me as a beginner I am! Today I’ll be cutting fabric. Scary!
Have a nice day,
