Thursday, January 19, 2012

Simplicity 2256: The big reveal!

It seems like this has been the season for the coat in blogland. Did you see Karen's? Wow. Or Kristine's? A-MAY-ZING! I've been thinking about sewing a coat for some time, but between fear of tailoring and living in Texas, it hasn't happened until now.
I'm really more of a jacket length kind of girl, so I decided on Simplicity 2256 as my pattern. I fell in love with this style as soon as I laid eyes on it. I love the curved, layered collar, the empire line and the simplicity of style. I think it has a nod to a vintage look, without actually feeling like it came from a particular era.
And look - pockets! I love these sneaky little in-seam pockets. The pattern was a pleasure to sew - beautifully drafted and well fit. The instructions were good and although I generally find that Project Runway patterns can be a little difficult to follow, as they can jump around a little, this one wasn’t that way at all. I had no trouble following it. I did mark the instruction sheet to make it easier to follow the components that I was including. I'll talk more tomorrow about the few fit changes I made, but they were minor and typical for me. I only had 2 issues with the pattern. The first was that it is unlined. Truly, if you saw this jacket/coat in a shop and it wasn't lined, you'd never buy it.
I did draft a lining for it, of course. It would have been nice to have one included. My other complaint was the pocket bags. Then pattern only includes one size piece for the pocket bags, and it is miniscule. Admittedly, the size of the pocket is limited by the size of the lower front panel, but the included pattern piece was just silly small. I don't think you could even fit your keys in there, much less your entire hand. I enlarged the pattern piece to fit within the front panel, and it is just the right size for my keys on one side, phone on the other with just enough space to keep my hands toasty too.
The fabric is a heavy wool coating from Hancock's. I absolutely love it and have been hoarding saving it for about 2 years. The lining is a silver brocade that came from a Fabric Mart mystery bundle. It acts like polyester, but is fairly heavy, which was a good pairing with the heavy coating.

There is a lot more to say about this coat, and tailoring in general, so I'm going to spread it out over the next 3 days. Tomorrow we'll talk about fit, tissue fitting and muslin making, then I'll discuss structure and shaping with some tailoring techniques (and a video - don't miss it!), then I'll discuss a couple of finishing touches - bound buttonholes and lining.

If you've come by from Simplicity's Facebook Fan Page - Welcome!! I'll be posting to the Fan Page with little tips throughout the next few days, as well as answering any questions. If you don't already "Like" Simplicity on Facebook, you are missing out on some serious fun, sew alongs and a great community! Click on over to their page now!

23 comments:

Beth said...

Stunning!!!! It's perfect. All that work--totally worth it.

Andrea said...

Absolutely perfect little jacket! It fits you so well, the shape and style are lovely on you. Great work!

Mikhaela Reid said...

Jacket perfection!

Tawny said...

Gorgeous! Well done.

Adelaide B said...

I love this coat! I love the fabric! I love the pattern! (I too love a jacket instead of a longer coat. I dunno, I always feel swallowed up by something bigger.)

Marie said...

Wow, it looks amazing. I love the fabric. I have been seeing lots of rave reviews of Simplicity lately, maybe it is time that I checked out the patterns again. I have steered clear for many years.

Marjie said...

That coat came out wonderfully! I'm glad you have the weather to wear it, too!

Lilian said...

Beautiful coat! It looks so great on you and so well-made. I'm looking forward to your tutorials, especially the video.

didyoumakethat said...

Thanks for the link, plus - incredible! How long did that jacket take you? It sounds as though you ran it up in an evening!

Debi said...

Such a BEAUTIFUL coat! I just love it!!

Cennetta said...

The Big Reveal was worth the wait. Beautiful coat.

Tanit-Isis said...

Gorgeous! I am jealous of all the great coats showing up---I just don't have the mental energy and focus right now (and if I do, it'll be for the hubs, not for me). /sigh. It looks great. Great save on the pockets! I am always enlarging pockets, as my kids like to stuff their hands in mine.

Kyle said...

Congrats on being featured on the Simplicity FB page!
You look like a model and that coat is perfection. Great job!

Pam said...

The jacket is WONDERFUL! I love it and on trend too with the houndstooth! Great job! Also, congratulations on being featured on the FB post! I'm looking forward to seeing how you made this jacket!

Ann Brodsky said...

What a great jacket! I love houndstooth, and it fits you like a glove. Enjoy wearing it!

Witch Hazel said...

Wow! I love it! You looks so stylish, especially in for winter-wear, fabulous job.

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

That is stunning! You did a great job on this!

Sam Rose said...

This jacket is just fabulous! You are such a talented seamstress.

Digs said...

Wow!!! Gorgeous!!! Perfect fit, beautifully flattering, a total winner inside & out!

Amanda S. said...

WOW! Awesome little jacket! I think I have that exact same fabric in my stash that I've been hording for the same amount of time.

The Slapdash Sewist said...

Beautiful job on this coat! You definitely found the perfect pattern for your hoarded houndstooth. You will enjoy this for years!

Lynneb said...

I think I had that smae houndstooth! I really love the jacket. you did a super job with the construction

Unknown said...

What a gorgeous jacket! Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!