I've been planning on sewing myself a new winter coat for a while now, and I've been lurking here for a bit, but after I saw the timeline over on the right, I finally realised I can jump right in and sew this alongside all my other summer sewing!
I've already bought my exterior fabric - some gorgeous charcoal grey, 100% wool coating fabric from Rosenberg's (they've got lots more fabric than what's listed on the site!).
I will also soon be buying Thinsulate for my underlining, as soon as payday comes and I can finance all the other fabrics I want from that site alongside it! I'm still undecided on my choice of lining fabric because I'm so tough on the linings of my RTW coats. I'm trying to sew only with natural fibers these days, but I think silk will be far too fragile for me.
As far as my coat needs go, I walk to work about 35 minutes each way every day, and my commute takes me over the very windy Tower Bridge! So I need my coat to be very windproof and warm (wich I think the Thinsulate will provide) but also very long so my legs don't get too cold. I know from experience that the wind goes right through jeans and corduroys, and god help me if I'm wearing a skirt!
Keeping all this in mind, I've decided I'm going to sew #102 from September 2005 Burda World of Fashion magazine, which someone else on here has kindly already scanned:
I don't think I'm too far behind schedule here so hopefully I won't need to play catchup! I'll be posting these updates simultaneous on Fehr Trade so outsiders can still see what I'm up to!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Melissa's long, grey overcoat
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14 comments:
Melissa, what a beautiful coat that will be!
If you want it to be windproof, there was an article in Threads by a Canadian woman a while back who also added a windblock layer in the shoulders. I'll see if I can find it.
Should be a lovely coat.
Melissa, that will be a beautiful coat. Happy to have you here.
I expect that the linings that you've seen shred or fall apart on your RTW coats have an acetate content?
Silk is a very strong fiber relative to its length. I'd strongly suggest that if you get a silk twill weave you'll be happier than you would with any other fiber for your lining. A Satin weave (silk charmeuse for instance) won't wear as well, but a silk twill will wear beautifully. Certainly much better than the typical acetate or rayon blend linings that are in many (most) RTW coats.
nancyk - I'd love to hear what they suggest for windproofing if you don't mind digging it out, thanks!
Marji - I've already notebooked your article on linings, it was very informative! All the RTW linings were some sort of manmade thin slippery stuff, either acetate or poly I'd guess. When I was thinking silk I was definitely imagining charmeuse, which would be too weak, but if I can find silk twill at a European supplier I will definitely go with that, thanks. Shipping from any US store is just outrageous right now, even with the dollar discount!
I love this model. It will be a fabulous coat!
I really like your choice of fabric & pattern - that will be one nice looking coat.
A caution re the Thinsulate you linked to - 150gm weight is quite thick and does not drape, even slightly. I used this weight in a very different type of winter coat I made in 2006. I reviewed it on PR in a review I've just edited to fix picture links so should be near the top. If you go to the pictures you will see how this weight of Thinsulate drapes (it doesn't). If you can, you could choose a lighter weight of Thinsulate (it comes in 40gm for example). Or substitute more traditional tailoring materials such as lambs wool and kasha lining. Once you layer, and especially if you include a windproof layer (i.e. chamois in the upper back) it will be plenty warm.
I am planning to sew the same coat as you (!) so we can compare notes as we go.
Very flattering pattern. Your coat will be gorgeous.
kayy - thank you very much for the warning! I can't find the review on PR, though (as a username "kayy" doesn't exist on there and all the coats and jackets are jumbled together). Could you tell me which pattern it was for or post a link?
I may get a bit just to see what it's like, though if I don't find another European supplier I'm going to have to go with that anyway and just tread carefully...
Kay Y's review is here for the coat she used the thinsulate on.
Marji - thanks very much.
Kayy - I see what you mean by the lack of drape in the photos! You seem to have similar needs as me for a winter coat, too. Google's not turning up any more sources for Thinsulate over here so I may just have to get the thick stuff and devote lots of time on troubleshooting and altering my plans. But at least now I know what I'm in for!!
There is a source in Canada for lighter weight Thinsulate - it's Textile Outfitters (justmakeit.com). But I would still be wary of the drape factor. Another material you could consider for interlining is a lightweight polar fleece. I used that in another jacket - very warm, and drapier than any weight of Thinsulate.
thanks, Kayy. I'm trying to avoid transatlantic shipping charges because they're really expensive from merchants right now. Pennine Outdoor seemed to have a few possibilities other than the Thinsulate so I've emailed them explaining what I need and asking for their advice. They're outdoor (camping, trekking, etc) specialists and they seem to know their stuff, so fingers crossed. In addition to the Thinsulate, fleece, and microfibre, they also stock something called Meraklon which they say has a really high thermal insulation power, is heard wearing and fast drying for winter sports. So perhaps that would work if it's not too thick, but it's so hard to tell without handling bolts of this stuff! Hopefully I'll hear back from them soon and I'll write an update post with what I find out...
I'm glad you are working with this pattern also. I love your choice of fabric.
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