Navy Lightweight Coat
Hi sewing friends!
Have you lost your “sewjo” before?
I do sometimes, even though I love sewing so much. I’ve been going through it for the past couple of years, partially due to the pandemic as I haven’t really been out much at all.
I made some new clothes last summer which was nice, but when fall arrived my sewjo left once again.
I know it’ll come back eventually, so I’m not forcing it to happen. Meanwhile, I’ve been knitting, playing games, and reading.
The coat that I’m sharing today was something I made last fall before I sort of stopped sewing again. (It took me this long to take and edit photos…)
The pattern used is from this Japanese magazine that was published in 2010. (Isn’t it a bit scary that 2010 was more than ten years ago?)
I used this pattern before, to make my hooded wool coat in 2016.
This time I used 94% cotton, 6% polyurethane blend lightweight fabric with a bit of stretch. it has a slight sheen like cotton sateen, it’s a lovely smooth fabric.
I like that the collar is rounded, instead of being pointy.
The front bodice has darts which gives subtle waist shaping, and the back shoulder darts make the fit more comfortable.
There are two things that I wish I did:
I could have added some interfacing to the hem of the front fabric (I did add some to the facings and the collar. But additional interfacing to the hem would have made it even better.)
I should have cut the back into two pieces instead of one piece (that would have created a seam at the centre back which would have looked better, more interesting. It kinda looks flat without the centre seam. Luckily, there is the back tab for some added interest.)
Both are minor regrets, so overall I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!
I’m certain I wouldn’t close the top button, so I’m not sure if I even needed to attach one there…but I did anyway, just in case.
I love the pockets and sleeve/back tab design!
The original pattern in the book is unlined, but since I used a lightweight cotton, I made it fully lined.
I used this beautiful cotton I purchased in Japan long time ago. It’s got scenic print of Paris with very classy navy/red colouring. It’s been in my stash for long, but I finally found the right project for it!
Since cotton sin’t slippery enough for sleeves, I used cupro for the sleeve lining.
I finished making this coat in November, and by that time we had quite bit of snow. I haven’t been able to wear this yet, but am looking forward to wearing it in spring!
It’s classic, it’s easy to wear, and it can be worn dress up and down.
This is the kind of coat that gets a lot of wear for a long time, I’m sure.
Feb 8, 2022
