Finished: Wool Doublecloth Retro Coat

Me in my wool coat: I love the combination of jewel tones and primary colors with black.

[My apologies for borrowing PatternReview's format due to lack of time.]

Pattern Description: BurdaStyle 10/08 #101. "Beginning sewers can easily handle this straight-cut coat with its simple shape! Elbow-length gloves or gauntlets make it wearable in cold winter weather as well."

Pattern Sizing: I cut a 42, though with tweaking it probably ended up closer to a 40. The pattern is sized generously because it's supposed to be for faux furs. Work out any sizing issues first by making a muslin.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I liked the basic lines, the slightly retro look of it, with its A-line shape and elbow-length sleeves. I wanted a coat that would be easy to throw on over pants or a dress, but still had an elegant look to it.

Fabric Used: Doublecloth wool melton that I bought online from Fabric.com; white flannel-backed satin lining from Jo-Ann's. (Note: If you are using a flannel-backed lining for warmth, which I recommend, check out Haberman Fabrics. The quality of their lining is better than Jo-Ann's and they have a lot more colors.) Black frog closures from M&J Trim to further give the coat a retro look.

Note: I positioned the frogs so I could have a slight overlap of one front edge over the other. Normally, and correct me if I'm wrong, with frogs the edges should abut each other. That's too breezy for a winter coat though.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: One, I omitted the stand-up collar. Two, I changed the foldover front facing to a separate facing. I did this so I could more easily remove one of the layers of wool from the facing to eliminate bulk. (Doublecloth is two layers of fabric fused together; you separate the layers by peeling them apart and clipping the threads that hold the layers together.) I also removed a layer from the neck facing. Claire Shaeffer shares this tip about reducing the layers in her latest Fabric Sewing Guide. To keep the facings from rolling to the front, I pickstitched them in place from the wrong side. Three, I shortened the length to make it more of a car coat.

Would you recommend it to others? This makes a great beginner coat pattern, especially since there are no sleeves to set in and no lapels to worry about. You can really customize it with buttons, trim and accessories. (I'm thinking a faux fur neck funnel would be just the thing with my coat, along with some elbow-length black gloves.)

Helpful tip: This video on catch-stitching showed me a way of doing this stitch that makes it less visible on the right side. I catch-stitched all the seams and hems before laying in the lining.

Things I would have done in hindsight: One, I would have underlined the whole thing in organza so I could have catch-stitched the seams and hems to the organza rather than to the underside of the wool. There is just the slightest of indentations on the right side where I ever so delicately catch-stitched—that bothers me! Two, I would have interfaced the facings after I had removed one layer of wool. Not crucial with sturdy wool like this but it would have made the facings lie more smoothly on the underside.

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This weekend: It's a busy one! Exciting dinner plans for Friday night, the kids' high school football team is playing the division finals game, I'm buying paint for my living room redo, and we're cleaning out closets. (My husband actually suggested this last one, if that gives you any idea of our closets' state.) And if New Moon gets even halfway decent reviews, I'm gonna totally make like a vampire mom and see it. Have a great weekend everyone!