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

But what's wrong with it?

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

It looks great, and you look quit long and elegant! The length is perfect!

But yeah, I know how it is with some projects. I found out more recently that I got the collar band wrong, and possibly the darts in the back are meant to be pleats? (This hadn't been confirmed yet by Belstaff-owner guy on RPF forum, he doesn't speak seamstress!) Also - hate my lining and hem. There will always be something! But I am happy overall with the general impression.

Re: But what's wrong with it?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Not a lot wrong with it, and some of it can be fixed. The lining is screwed up on the left side, so it hangs unevenly. The back band sags. What can't be fixed is I should have tapered the bodice more from the shoulders so there's not that fold from outside edge of sleevecap to waist in back, and the pockets are a wee bit too big (proportionally) and I placed them too far forward, so the buttons in front are a little too close together. The closer buttons do give a more feminine look to the garment, though, so I suppose that's not so bad.

Like you, though, I'm happy with the general impression. I think I wouldn't be so petty about the small stuff if Watson's jacket hadn't turned out 100% perfect. =D I was REALLY proud of that one!

So glad you're still happy with yours, and thank you again for posting all this to LJ. Your input was invaluable and more appreciated than I can say.

Re: But what's wrong with it?

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I suppose you could just use some large stitch tacks on the back band to keep it place? Was it too big? If it was fine when laying flat and sagging now, could be it needed more stiffener, but that's too late. Stitch tack it - I did that with a bak belt on another coat. Saved me getting it caught on stuff and ripping it off.

The lining, if the problem is at the hem - detach it and hem it or if there isn't much to work with, sew an edging on the lining and turn it under. Or heck, just add a long tape to the entire lining edge to give yourself more to work with. If you do a loose hanging lining, taht would keep it from being bunchy, and you only have to put in a few tack stitches here and ther to keep the lining where it's supposed to be?

If any of that makes sense... I can see what I'd do, but not explain so well!

On the other hand - you may just stow it for the summer and think hard about whether fixing it is worth the bother. I am doing the same for my hem - I want to add dome stiffening to it. But - ugh. Unpick the lining, un pick the hem, pad stitch the stiffener, re-do... bleah.

Glad the blog was useful! The Watson coat does look dashing!

Re: But what's wrong with it?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely going to just tack the belt.

The lining--that's going to take some, er...deduction to figure out what's wrong. Lying flat, it's fine. But once I put it on, the lining on the left front side hangs low. When I tack it, it pulls (you can see this in the photos). It makes no sense. I'll figure it out. I just don't have the motivation to do so when the weather is so crazy hot. =D

Re: But what's wrong with it?

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Huh. Some weird bias pull? Just hang it up and take it out inf the fall and glare at it.

Re: But what's wrong with it?

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

=D

GOOD IDEA