I did not mean to use this Portlandia episode as my personal sartorial and decorating mantra, but it happened anyway. As I was finishing up this coat, with birds on it, I realized that I just wallpapered my dining with, you guessed it, birds. So I figured I would photograph the coat in the dining room.
The fabric is a Dutch wax print from Vlisco. They have so many amazing prints, and I’m running a little low on fabric stash, so it seemed like a good time for a fabric splurge. I just love the color combo. And the birds.
The pattern that I used if from Ryuichiro Shimazaki’s coatmaking book. I’ve made this pattern before here and here. I tried to be careful matching the motifs.
back view
side
front trench flap. You can see my careful pattern matching.
back flap.
center back seam. Notice how I matched the pattern ON A CURVED SEAM
back belt
The belt has a button loop to hold it in place
I lined the body with self fabric, and the sleeves with silk twill.
Front opening and pocket flap
Rolling in Cloth 
25 Comments
Claudine that coat is amazing! fantastic pattern matching on a very tricky fabric. what are you going to wear with it?
Thanks! I would wear this with virtually anything. Jeans and a t-shirt. Long skirt. Whatever. It’s so out there that it would not match anything, so therefore, it matches everything.
This is a stunner!
This coat is stunning, and I love the birds- I am totally in awe of your pattern matching skills!
Oh this is really enviable- there is coveting, yes, yes. Id wear this as a dress!!
Gorgeous. Really interesting fabric and great matching!
Mindblowingly gorgeous. I want one 😉
Make one!
Yes! Everything is better with birds. I have just discovered Vlisco and am in love. Thanks for the inspiration, all your makes are so absolutely stunning!
What a delightful jacket! I would wear it with everything, too.
Kudos on the pattern matching for such a difficult fabric. I know that the motifs are not perfectly identical as is common in hand printed fabric.
Claudine I can’t begin to list the details I ooohed and ahhed over! The fabric is divine! The matching is perfect! I love, Love the coat!!
Just gorgeous. I have the worst time matching patterns so I am totally envious of your matching skills. Where did you get the fabric?
Thanks! I ordered it from vlisco.com. Considering that it comes from abroad, it was a very easy purchase and quick delivery.
Wow, so impressive, the print matching. I just love how you placed the purple closer to your face rather than the green. And how the sleeves also are made that way. Very beautiful.
I’m gobsmacked. It’s gorgeous.
I am going to sneak in your house, steal this jacket, lose 12 lbs and wear the hell out of it. That is all.
I adore this!
Beautiful management of fabric, too.
I do love it, it’s wonderfull!!!
I bow before the awesomeness of your skills! I want to sew like this when I grow up because the coat is AWESOME!
Stunning, Claudine! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
this is bold fabric transformed into an awe-some coat. A combination of great artistic vision and masterful realization. Stopped me in my tracks.
I don’t think I would ever take it off, I would sleep in it ! Superior matching , wow much fabric did it take?
Thanks! Vlisco sells its fabric in 6 meter lengths, and, with the self-lining, it pretty much took the whole 6 meters.
Your fabric has a fantastic print! Excellent job matching it. I don’t think I have ever used a Dutch wax print. Is it a good weight? I guess it must be if you made a coat?
Thanks! It’s a bit on the lightweight side for a coat. I underlined it with some thin cotton, and self-lined. With the 3 layers, it’s still a fairly lightweight coat.