This plaid coat is my most recent attempt to brighten up my outerwear wardrobe with color. The base color of the loose weave is avocado green, a trendy color this fall that pays homage to some 70’s legends, namely Kitchenmaid, Sunbeam and Kenmore (harvest gold or burnt orange, anyone?).
Plaid used to be the last thing I’d include in my wardrobe as it reminded me of private school uniforms. But plaid is all grown up now. It’s such a fashion mainstay, it made an appearance on more than one fashion runway this fall. Love the combination of colors and textures in these Prada plaids!
If only the fabric fairy would bring me some of this!
This fall, I wanted to add a loosely structured, easy-to-wear coat to my wardrobe, something to just ‘throw on’ over jeans and cords and skirts. I also wanted a stand up collar to keep out cold wind.
This proved to be a tall order, since many coat patterns had fussy lapels, details I didn’t want. I finally settled on Butterick 5927, a lined jacket with front variations and a stand up collar.
I modified the pattern, adding 6 inches to the front and back bodice to make it less of a jacket and more of a coat (albeit a short one). I also added a couple of inches to the stand up collar with two buttons to make it a bit cozier and to protect against winter winds. To make the sleeves more weather proof, I added self drafted cuffs with buttons.
The pattern is a nice basic shape and the coat went together easily. The biggest challenge I faced was the fabric. It frayed like crazy!! So I had to take extra care with the seam finishings. Even as I finished them, they frayed – frustrating! But other than that, it was a pretty fast sew, really. I did the seams, collars, the cuffs, all of the hard stuff. But, when it came to the lining, I stalled. Don’t ask me why! I couldn’t get myself to just finish it. The beautiful black cotton/silk blend just sat on my sewing table for weeks. What the…?
True confession, here. This is a recurring problem for me. I frequently stall when it comes to the lining. I dither around. Of course, lining a garment isn’t hard at all. So why not just do it? Good question! Anyway, to make a long story short, I finally broke down and cut the lovely silk and sewed it in. No big deal. And the coat looks so finished now. Hope I can remember that next time I make a lined garment!
The mornings are cold here, and some of the days are gray, but the good news is, my outwear isn’t… It’s Kitchenmaid green!
My fall sewing frenzy is in full swing now. I’m dreaming of projects with cold weather in mind, coats and jackets and layers. How about you?
Happy sewing – and thanks for stopping by!
