Friday, October 17, 2014

Yes, Something Is Finally Going On In The Sewing Room

It's really been awhile, hasn't it?  I'm not good at coming up with posts about sewing when I don't have anything to show you.  I cleaned my sewing room and did some organizing which has helped me get in the mood to sew.  I am tired of making versions of my tnt pants and tee shirt and there in lies the problem.  I have to make so many fitting changes to patterns that sometimes I just don't have the energy for it.  I spend a lot of time looking for the perfect pattern or at least a pattern that I can change to get the look I am after.  I spend a lot of time making lists of what I want to sew and never sewing all of it.  A raincoat has been on my list for years. Really, years.  Renee from Miss Celie's Pants posted on her blog that she had just bought real Burberry fabric from Michael's in Baltimore.  I quickly called them up and bought 5 yards of black bonded raincoat fabric.  It's been sitting in my stash for a long time. Maybe 5 years?  Renee made her coat years ago.  I have matching lining, red cashmere and wool blend for a button out lining.  buttons, buckles, in other words everything I need to make a damn raincoat. I actually have two sets of buckles for this coat and now I don't know if I will actually use buckles!

 Anyway, I finally made a decision on a pattern and it  was not one of the at least half dozen patterns I  bought to make this coat.  All this time I've been sure that I wanted to make a trench coat.  A single breasted, not the more typical double breasted variety. I even found some patterns, but none felt right.  I've been looking at coats on Style.com and Net a Porter looking for something that did feel right and I found it.  Actually I found two  coats and one pattern that I could use as the base for both coats.  I even have fabric for not one, but two winter coats.  Lining too.  Got to love that stash. The last coat I made was a bit of a disappointment which is one of the reasons I have hesitated.  Good coat patterns are hard to come by.  The new Vogue Ralph Rucci pattern is fabulous, but not for my body.   What I found were several coats from the Celine's Spring 2015 show. Phoebe Philo is one of my favorite designers.  She has a modern minimalism that I love.  It doesn't always work for me, but these shapes would be flattering. I don't intend to make it exactly like the original, but this is my inspiration. 


I also like these Calvin Klein coats enormously and they would work for a wonderful coating that's also been sitting in my stash, also from Michael's.



To get to these coats I found  Burda 103 3/14.  

The Russian Burda site has some wonderful versions of this coat including one a la Burberry if I decide to go in a more classic version.
I am still at the pattern alteration stage, but at least I am working on something new.
Have a great weekend.

15 comments:

  1. I feel your pain, Nancy! I too have so many fitting changes also that sometimes it just seems like too much work to deal with a new pattern. So much easier to start with TNTs and graft the designer bits on. Probably nearly as much work but the results are usually more reliable. I'm not in the habit of making actual muslins unless they're wearable ones.

    Don't worry about fabrics waiting in the stash. Sometimes they just have to figure out what they're going to be when they grow up! They don't go bad on you. (Usually.) Love to see how your coat(s) turn out in the end.

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  2. I wish you success with your coat project. Your inspiration pictures are absolutely gorgeous.

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  3. Nice to see a post from you today, Nancy. I, too, need to make numerous pattern adjustments so I often just stick to using my TNTs. But a new fabulous coat like your inspirations can push us to try a new one. Best of luck!

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  4. Hi Nancy K! I love your inspiration pieces and am drawn to the black coat #2. I like the minimalism shown there. Of course, the others are interesting, but they look too open for a New York winter. Have fun creating and please share with us.

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  5. Lest you think you are the only one who has made up that raincoat yet, I'm pleased to announce publicly that I have the same fabric in the stash for all this time. I've got the lining, zip-out liner fabric, long zipper, buttons, buckles, e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I even bought one of those Italian magazines with the single-breasted trenchcoat (I forget the name) that I think you had found first. I want that coat so bad but just cannot bring myself to face all the alterations and decisions that go into such a project. Some day.

    I will joyously cheer you on from the sidelines!

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    1. Oops. That should read "who hasn't made up that raincoat yet"!

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  6. Lovely to see all the inspiration coats and very much longing to see what you are creating. A coat is a huge project (working on one as you know, taking too long) but I think you are ready to tackle it now. Good luck and hope you share your process here.

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    1. The huge time commitment for a coat was a big part of my procrastination. Without a 'perfect' pattern it's not worth the time.

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    2. But I'm desperate for a good raincoat.

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  7. Oh good luck! That Burda pattern looks like a great basic pattern you can vary easily with fabric and pockets etc.

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  8. It's La Mia Boutique and I have two with single breasted trench coats but each had some issues. The first one has too many seams front and back and I wasn't sure how to eliminate one of them. The other had an armhole princess that was very deeply curved before I do my large fba. This pattern is definitely one I can use as a good basic for a lot of different outerwear.

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  9. I use Burda patterns a lot. You'll find that they use the same design lines on a lot of their patterns and you can easily standardise change for their patterns.

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  10. Your inspiration coats are lovely -- I especially like the somewhat less constructed looking Calvin Klein. Whichever pattern you choose, I look forward to reading about your process!

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  11. I wish you good luke with your coat. I agree with you about the great looking Russian versions of your Burda pattern. I usually find Burda's patterns are a lot easier to fit than the Big 4's.

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  12. I have some of the same issues. I tend to stick with my TNT patterns and then lose my mojo because I want to sew something NEW! I struggle with altering patterns and knowing what really looks good on my body type. Your inspiration pieces are fantastic. And REAL Burberry fabric . . . Yum! :-)

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