The weather is starting to be a tiny bit chillier in the morning, so it’s a good time to plan the fall coat. I spend a lot of time walking, so an impressive coat is a great thing to have in the winter. For months at a time, I will be wearing a coat during 70% of my social encounters.
I just love the finished product. One of my favorite things about it is the drastic slope at the shoulder from the collar turnout to the top of the sleeve. That slope makes the shape very modern. You see that slope in current menswear, as well as womenswear.
For a pattern, I used Vogue 1321. It’s one of the new patterns. It is drafted for a melton, and all the directions are for lapped seams. This would totally not work with this boucle, so I just used normal seams. Also, the coat in the pattern is unlined, so I drafted a lining.
The fabric unravels when you look at it, so I took the unusual (for me) step of fusing interfacing to each piece. With the interfacing, it was really easy to sew.
For the lining, I used a silk doubleface douchesse satin that I got for an amazing price a couple of years ago. It feels like heaven. It was a ballet slipper pink color when I bought it, so I spray-dyed it blue near the hem using this technique. The pink with the blue dye effect looks a bit like the sky. I also added some bobbinwork embroidery as an embellishment. I really like an opulent coat lining, since people other then me may actually see the inside of a coat.
Here are some more photos:
I dyed and embroidered the silk lining.
I added some embroidery to the lining at the back near the shoulders. This will look nice when the coat is hanging up.
A Construction Shot! I added horsehair braid to the hem so it would hold its shape. I also fused the whole thing with a lightweight interfacing before I started sewing, which is why the wrong side of the fabric looks black.
side view
back view
side view
another front view
Here’s how it looks unbelted. It’s pretty roomy.
This is the fabric. I unravelled some of it because it’s just so cool.
Rolling in Cloth 
26 Comments
Just beautiful, Claudine. That is a very cool fabric.
Gorgeous. I really like the idea of making the lining pretty as well as the outside.
Fabulous coat – and beautifully made.
Beautiful Claudine. I also got this pattern. I’m jealous your winter coat is already done. It’s so nice on the inside I’d want everyone to see!
Covetousness is bad, so bad. But I really want your coat!!!!
Make one!
It’s gorgeous Claudine. I know that you’ve mentioned that the cold dye you’ve been using for spray dying shifts in color on silk. This doesn’t look like it did that. What did you use? Is this shorter than the original? It really is magnificent.
Thanks! I used procion dyes from Dharma. They don’t always color shift on silk, and even when they do, they tend to shift within the same color family. In this case, I was going for an effect rather than a specific color, so even if I got a purple or a green, that would have been fine.
That is a wonderful wonderful coat! I’m also fascinated by the concept of using horsehair braid in the hem of a winter coat. It looks like it works fabulously with yours.
Love, love, love, your coat! The lining is gorgeous, too. You are so creative! Can I have some of that? : ) I have been eying that coat, and it’s great to see it made up so beautifully.
That is unbelieveable! The lining is stunning.
This amazing fabric begged to be showcased in a coat design such as you chose and constructed, Claudine. It’s wonderful how you made the lining step up to the plate as well. I like your fearlessness with dyeing. One of these days I’ll think of you and give spray dyeing a try. It looks like great fun.
It’s really fun! You should try it. I have the most success with dyeing color on color. Spray dye on white looks messy to me and I don’t like it.
oh I just love it!!
The boucle would be too bulky for me but it will be perfection on your lanky-lovely frame.
Beautiful coat with such a luxurious inside.
I have to admit to opening my email every day hoping you have posted. You are so talented, not only as a seamstress but also the way you see the design with the fabric. It takes all three to make a good garment. Do you always couture sew or do you ever take short cuts? If you do short cuts where would you use them? I’ve found if I don’t sew my best that I always regret it. It’s like my eye goes to the spot I might have constructed better. Thank you so much for the time you spend blogging. I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much! That’s so nice of you to say.
I consider fusibles to be a big shortcut. If I were going about it the hard way, I would have underlined with cotton batiste and catchstitched the seam allowances to the underlining. This boucle is so loosely woven, though, that I was afraid that it would droop if I did that. I thought about quilting it to an underlining, but decided on the fusible instead. It worked out well. So, yes, I take shortcuts, but only if I think I will still like the result.
Gorgeous! You and your girls are going to be the envy of all come winter.
I interfaced boucles for a coat once and the one drawback I found was that the boucles lost some of it’s loft/bounce. Did you find that too?
This was not really all that lofty. I think the hand actually improved with the fusible.
So inspiring! You show what can be made from a labor of love.
That’s an absolutely gorgeous coat! I covet it.
lovely! that lining is just to die for :o)
I love that ombre lining! So gorgeous.
Lovely. Isn’t horsehair the greatest thing? You will look smashing all winter.
I can tell I was on vacation because that’s the only way I would have missed this beauty! What a wonderfully constructed, fashionable but totally you coat! I love it!
I love this coat. It is really a fabulous marriage of fabric and style. You have got me thinking…about fabrics and dyeing and various things that I need to start exploring.