A Study in Coat - Finished

[jessamygriffith]

Though these are only my iPhone pics and not anything orgasmically GQ, the coat is done. Okay well, I must put in the sleeve linings but I can do that at school tmrw. Free time, whee.

First I must bitch about the sleeves. The original drafted ones were shapely but too narrow - I would never have got a suit jacket into them. I recut a test sleeve (revamped the cuff to something so simple I think I must have been an idiot when I made the first draft). They are lovely, roomy. I set them. One is puffy in the shoulder. They are bunching weird in the armpit. I LOATHE THEM with the poisonous hatred of a thousand hissing radioactive spiders.

"Fuck," says I. But this project is charmed. Why, you say? Must be some Sherlock magic, like he's standing there and saying, 'You're an idiot, but you can do better.'

I agree, Normally a 'real' sewing project for something of this magnitude involves a trifecta culled from the following:

a) Frustration
b) bleeding (makes the gods happy, oils the sewing machines of Satan.)
c) Tears.
d) Throwing the project across the room. I did this once to a commissioned piece and I sulked, It stayed there two weeks.
e) holes in fabric from tearing/ accidental cuts/ ripping things out over and over

I had heaps of frustration but all in all, learned tons. I would definitely use some of these techniques in tailoring again. And I understand completely about how the underlying architecture of a garment makes it look so much better.

I ripped those damned sleeves out and tried again, recutting the armscythe. And hey presto, it worked, I stuffed in the shoulder pads and Bob's my uncle.

You are spared the pics of me fighting the sleeves and instead get a tip for perfect pleats. Do a huge ugly stitch down the pleat to hold it in place, the steam and press the garment with your wooden clapper. Hammer the wool with the clapper if it's really thick.

And now the finished pics, not really nice, but with the Sherlock ones to compare.






That's it folks. The Coat.
Originally by Belstaff for Sherlock BBC. Copied by me.

And yes, it's not as big in the chest as Benny's because, fuck it, I don't want to SWIM in it.
Houndstooth wool, plastic buttons and all materials bought respectively in Nippori Fabric District, Tokyo, and Okadaya, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Notions from Yuzawaya in Yokohama.

Now I can be tortured by not having The Scarf.

Comments

[a_blackpanther]

This is so amazing. I'm really jealous because I WANT that coat and I definitely do not have your sewing skills.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I was talking with Tumblr person who got one of the commercial cosplay ones from China, and she doesn't like it - too flimsy, badly proportioned, buttons wrong and pockets placed wrong.

Which only goes to show if you want it done right, do it yourself if you can.

I am thrilled with this coat.

[a_blackpanther]

Would you consider sharing the pattern with the rest of the fandom?

It really is a fantastic coat. I can't stop looking at it.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's really just sketches, I drew it directly on to the toile. But yes, I do plan a follow up post on the details, the pattern, and sundry. Not this weekend, am a bit busy watching S2 at LONG LAST.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

http://jessamygriffin.livejournal.com/10822.html

the sketches for the pattern of The Sherlock coat.