A Study in Coats - Part 1

[jessamygriffith]

So. So, I am embarking an a relatively ambitious project. Although there are cosplay places to buy The Coat, I don't want to bother because:

A. I can sew.
B. I have freakishly long arms. Nothing store bought fits them.
C. I like stupidly ambitious projects.
D. I want to try out some tailoring techniques, see if that helps the look of the coat.
E. I can SEW. So I will.

Well, where to begin? The Coat.
Some pics:


Product description: The Belstaff ‘Milford’ Coat is made from pure Irish wool tweed bonded with a sophisticated, ultra-light microporous film, to make it waterproof without altering the natural qualities of comfort and breathability.

My Take - Pretty sweet, except why didn't you guys at least try to get matching buttons? I mean, really. The red buttonholes are apparently an add-on feature by the costume department.

So - Details first.

Original - houndstooth check of black on grey. Buttons of brown pressed leather with edging of rope design in GOLD. (Why for God's sake???)
Me - found a medium weight wool with some nasty shiny mylar thread. Japanese made. Houndstooth, the grey is a little more predominate than I would like, but it is 700 yen a m, so I am good with that, besides not finding anything remotely suitable. The picture lightens the fabric a bit but it is not a bad match. 80% ok,.
Buttons - black plastic with stitching pattern on the edge. I'll touch it up with gold paint, though I hate to.

Next - Pattern analysis

Comments

[arcsupport.livejournal.com]

This is great! And we match on reasons A through E, with addendum F: I have zero time for yet another project. So I'll enjoy this vicariously.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Ah, well. I have some time. I need to take a break from fic writing to sew or I will kill someone.

I have lots of other reasons to make one, including how I won't pay shipping to Japan, but really. It's all about the sleeve length for me.

[arcsupport.livejournal.com]

I have square shoulders, too much bust for my height (according to coat manufacturers), and long arms. I've only started sewing in the last year but I like challenges. I want to sew a winter coat so I can get a proper fit for once. Do you have a favorite tailoring reference or are you doing this all freehand? How long have you sewn?

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

In the case of this coat, mostly freehand. I HAD planned on adapting the Burda pattern - having an existing pattern is useful for getting tricky things like huddle set of the collar and the sleeves/shoulders right. Plus they always have instructions for lengthening sleeves or the body at least.

For the bust it's a bit trickier - the pattern has to to be widened but where depends on the pattern style. Does the style you like have a princess line? Though usually the adapting is the same as adding length - slash and spread the pattern.

I've seen a number of sites on how to do it. The book on tailoring suits I am playing around with has instructions as well.

For general commercial patterns, although they cost the bomb, Vogue wins hands down. Burda is a close second. Unlike Simplicity or Butterick, the pattern pieces are graded well, fit together the way they ought. Most importantly they don't skip instructions the way Simplicity does, and are in general more thorough.
Also? The vogue envelopes are bigger- I don't have to mash my pattern pieces into a wrinkled mass to get them back in

Regardless - when I make a garment with a number of changes, I ALWAYS make a practice piece before getting into the good fabric. Saves me crying later. You don't need to do the whole coat - one sleeve, and down to the hips is enough. Or you can reuse the fabric for lining the coat or whatever.

I have a number of costume books for my needs, but for the most part I have learned how to adjust things to what I need to fit on my own. I've been cutting up momma's curtains since I was 12. Embarrassingly long time.

[arcsupport.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The first thing I made was a dress for a friend. (Plaid. Had to be matched at the seams. Horizontal yoke. AND I custom drafted around her scoliotic hip and short waist. Nightmare, but it came out good for a first attempt.) She *thought* she had bought a pattern that would be easy to sew; as I explained to her, "Simplicity is a brand name. Not a promise."

I only started sewing at 38 so you're way ahead of me. :-) I do have a huge stash of muslin-type fabrics and a couple of good tailoring books; I was just curious whether you had a favorite reference.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Oo er. I AM 38. (Hello, fellow aged fandom twin! Doesn't it depress you when you realize your porn/stories are being enjoyed by 18 year olds, and you think, 'Gosh, this is the intellectual level of my writing?!?') So, been sewing off and on for ages... Still want to improve though!

PLAID ugh. I have made kilts. And what you did sounds crazy hard, don't think I would do it except for a friend. I have enough problems just scaling down to make things for Asians.

I usually make costumes pieces for reenactment or whatever. I do make the odd set of normal clothes - winter coats, sometimes work pants, a suit a few times...

Most of my reference books follow my hobby, however. So, if you are interested in a huge list of my books...

*Thinking* At work now, and can't check my shelves... I think the only normal sewing books I have are the tailoring ones. The rest are references for historical things.

I kind of skipped the stage/need for those giant Singer books for Sewers or whatever they are called, because either I know it, or a pattern I've bought will tell me, or I am winging it as usual. I never had any formal training.

[arcsupport.livejournal.com]

Doesn't it depress you when you realize your porn/stories are being enjoyed by 18 year olds, and you think, 'Gosh, this is the intellectual level of my writing?!?') No. It depresses me when fans whose fic/porn I read (and like) get on Tumblr and post photos of Martin Freeman and witter, "Oh, I just find him so sexy even though he's the SAME AGE as my Dad and he's really old!" because I was born the same day.

You don't need to check your books; I have five or six books that seem to be good refs. Oh, small-scale Asian women with their lack of 32E breasts; how I envy them.

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Ah that's great !! And yeah a bit depressing... I would never publicly announce my age anywhere.

Gosh. If I had pursued writing in my 20s... I wonder where I'd be?

( I want to be Neil Gaiman but I suspect everyone does.)

True, I have never met a Japanese lady that qualified as even a western d cup...

[alltoseek.livejournal.com]

IT IS NOT ABOUT THE BUTTONS! 'K? IT IS ABOUT THE SWIRL!

As long as it swirls all right, it's all good. So chill about the gold paint on the buttons, yeah?

:D :D :D

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Oh it will have swirl.

I just object to the buttons on general principles.

Meters of fabric

[kjeld smit (from livejournal.com)]

Hi,

I want to try and copy your coat. But I have no idea how many meters of fabric I need. I thought about 5 or 6 but can you please tell me how many meters I need. I am 1.85m tall.

Re: Meters of fabric

[jessamygriffin.livejournal.com]

Depends on the width. I am 177 cm myself, but I bought 6 m because I knew I was going to cock up SOMETHING. (The sleeves, despite my test pattern.) You are right, though, 6 is good. 6 is safest!

When you look at, say, this Vogue coat (which is actually a bit fuller in skirt, I think, than the Sherlock coat), it recommends just over 6 yards (US pattern) for the long version.

http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v8346-products-5658.php?page_id=265

hope this helps.