Evening Coat — Fabric

progress on the back applique

With just about every project, someone asks in the comments about the fabric I used. I figured, since coat progress is slow, that I would answer that question now, before it is asked.

The light-colored fabric is a silk duchesse satin that I got for a good price in the remnant bins at London Textiles in Cherry Hill NJ. I love a good remnant bin! Silk duchesse satin is an amazing fabric that’s good for all kinds of things, especially trims. It really holds its shape and it’s very easy to mold with an iron. I stock up on it in any available color whenever I see it at a reasonable price.

The black fabric is also a silk satin that I bought at a mill shop in Sudbury, England, several years ago. Sudbury is a do-able day trip by train from London (or at least it was when I went). I went there with Elizabeth, who has been busy lately. If you live in London, I highly recommend checking this place out. I got some amazing things there, including this black silk. The clerk at the shop told me that this silk satin was made for the lapels and racing stripes on mens’ tuxedos. It is unfathomably thick and beautiful, with an amazing weight and sheen. It’s so heavy that my daughter thought it might be leather. I bought it with an evening coat in mind, and it’s been sitting on my shelves for years waiting for this project.

Underlining is whatever I had around. The coat takes 7 yds of fabric, and I did not have that much of any one fabric. I underlined the bodice and sleeves with cotton twill, to add some body. The skirt is underlined with cotton shirting.

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