The floral trench coat is in full motion. I'm using Burda Magazine 9-2006-104.
I first made this pattern in 2015 and absolutely LOVE it. I've worn it so much in the last 10 years that the interior silk lining has started to disintegrate at the armhole. I will wear it until it falls apart because I worked so hard to make it and am proud of how it turned out. Even after it's reduced to tattered shreds, I probably still won't get rid of it. Well...okay...maybe I will. But I'm keeping those buttons though.
Making the coat did not come without struggle. Something weird happened either during the cutting and/or construction stages and the front pulled horribly. (I talk about it here.) On a trip to NYC that year, I visited Kenneth D. King's sewing studio and he fixed whatever the hell was going on by correcting the pattern pieces and restitching the jacket facing and hem.
Pattern Pieces
Fast forward to now: I wanted to use those same pieces. Unfortunately, it's been so long that I've forgotten what he did. Determined not to muck this up, I made a muslin using the corrected pieces. After putting the muslin (with mock lining) together, I wasn't confident that I understood the match points he made and that I could avoid the same issue I had a decade ago.
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| some of the old pattern pieces |
The old pieces did not have seam allowances as I used to add them right on the fabric. This could have contributed to some of the issues I had with construction the first time.
So I retraced every single piece (except the rectangles) from the magazine. I took careful attention to measuring everything accurately - checking and rechecking before adding seam allowances and cutting the paper.
Since I had problems with the facing before, I added an extra two inches to the length as insurance.
I forgot to add the extra length to the interfacing. I may not need to, but if I do I'll add it later.
I am taking my time pinning and sewing the seams to ensure things match properly. I have an extra yard of fabric to re-cut the facings if needed. The lining I chose is really fussy, so hopefully this won't be a problem.
Sizing & Alterations
I cut a straight size 44 (same as before) and did not make any adjustments. This is a large departure from what I did the first time. Originally I made two changes: removed one inch at the center back and one half inch at the upper back. I noticed some bunching in these areas and thought the changes were needed. Having worn the coat for a while, I no longer think this is the case.
Previously, I shortened the sleeves 3 inches (2 x 1.5 inches in two different places). I didn't make this adjustment this time because the old sleeves were too short to add the loops. If the new sleeves are too long, then I'll take a deeper hem.
Interfacing
I fused the front, side front, front and back facings, collar, and collar stand with black weft from the stash. This is a good choice for creating a bit of structure whilst still maintaining some pliability. Since I am using a stretch cotton sateen for the shell, I wanted to make sure the coat would hold up to standard wear and still have moment.
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| front & side front |
For the back panel and sleeve hems, I used a 2-inch wide fusible tricot. I do this with all of my coats and jackets because it helps create nice crisp edges.
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| 2" hem marked |
That's it for this update. So far, I've sewn the back and am almost done with sewing the front. I actually took the front apart because I made a mistake inserting the inseam pockets. I could have left it as is, but I knew it would bug me.
Next up: the mistake I made constructing the front, sewing the front yoke, and making a back stay
Thanks for reading!
L
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