[love] by Lisa: Robson coat - a proper trench coat

søndag 20. desember 2015

Robson coat - a proper trench coat

I can't believe I've made myself a trench coat! I am very proud of it, so be warned - this post contains a lot of photos!!

This project has taken a while. Firstly to get all the bits together, than to sew it, and lastly to photograph and blog it.

Since I mostly wear dresses, I thought I needed a coat. As much as I love my Minuro jacket, I prefer having a longer coat to wear over dresses, and I decided on the Robson coat, also from Sewaholic.

I had decided on a fabric that I used to make a pair of pants for my eldest son, a gray cotton twill. I had also decided that I needed a lined coat, as this part of the world is always windy, and I'd found a matching cotton satteen for the lining.

Only trouble was the shop didn't have the twill anymore...

Lining fabric

So I looked all over the Norwegian online shops I could find, and no-one had anything resembling the fabric I was after, mostly stretch knit fabrics, totally useless for a coat anyway.

As luck would have it, my parents were going to the US, and that gave me a good chance to order some fabrics online over there and have them bring it back for me. Saved me a lot on postage and import duty. I ordered a charcoal twill from Mood fabrics, and although it turned out looking a bit different to what I thought, I really like it!

Twill

Finally, I was set to go.

I'd drafted a pattern for the lining, based on the tutorial given by Sewaholic on Tilly and the buttons's blog. I found it very appropriate as I was sewing a Sewaholic design. The tutorial was easy to follow, so drafting the lining wasn't too hard, just a bit of work. For the sleeve lining I'd ordered a polyester charmeuse from Mood fabrics, as I thought the silk charmeuse I'd read about on Lladybirds blog was too pricey for my 0 salary at the time.

Sleeve lining - right and wrong sides

Based on my previous Sewaholic makes, I cut a size 8. The only change I made was to shorten the coat in all the places indicated on the pattern (above the waist and on the sleeves). Lots and lots of parts, big and small, and I also had a hard time telling the right side from the wrong side of my main fabric. I got the hang of it after a while though.

Once the fabric was cut, I got sewing. Sewaholics instructions are always clear and easy to follow, the only trouble I had was when it came to setting in the sleeves - I found that not all the notches on the sleeves and coat matched. I did my best, and they look and feel right.

Since the pattern is made for an unlined coat, I used the instructions from the Minuro coat for making and attaching the lining. I had some trouble at the bottom of the coat front, since I hadn't accounted for attatching a lining when cutting out the patterns pieces here, but I got around it somehow, and it looks OK.

Originally the need for this coat arised from me wanting a light coat to wear over dresses on those not so summery days. It's turned out to be quite a warm coat, very suitable for fall/ autumn as well, because the twill fabric is heavier than the one I first had my eyes set on, and beause it it lined.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the coat, and so impressed that I've made it myself!

The only change I need to make for next time, and which I am kicking myself for not making this time, is to give myself some more room in the princess seams in the front, since I'm not your average B-cup. I know I thought about the princess seams being a good place to add some space, but after completing the coat and only having the buttons left, I noticed I hadn't. So I moved the top buttons a little to add a little room, but there is quite a lot of pulling and some restraint on my arm movement when I close them.

I've used thread from my usual dealer - regular charcoal sewing thread for all the seems, and Guterman top stitching thread for all the top stitching.