You saw that coming, I hope.
Friends, I'm not going to tell you how many hours I spent on this hood; let's just say a lot. I decided to start with the hood because...well just because. It's tricky, what with matching plaids on curved seams, clipping to dots (we all love that!), pivoting in mid-stitch line (as in a notched collar), etc. I bound the seams with bias I cut myself out of black cotton sateen. No commercial bias binding accessory used.
Next I attached my front yokes.
I topstitched at 1/4" with black Gutermann topstitching thread I picked up at Sil Thread. It doesn't make a huge difference to use real topstitching thread but it does look a little nicer upon close inspection. The stitches sink deep into the wool either way.
After adding the back yoke, I stitched the shoulders and draped the coat over me for the first time. It's warmer than I thought it would be judging by the respective weight of the two layers of wool.
One challenge has been getting my two wools to line up perfectly flat and even. Every time I run an iron over a section, the more loosely woven plaid wool stretches a bit. I've machine basted a few times in the seam allowance and had to rip the seam out and restitch on account of this, all the while trying to keep vertical lines perfectly vertical.
It's important that the two layers hang evenly together, especially because this is an underlining, not a lining. The plaid will not hang freely at the bottom but rather be hemmed up with my outer layer. I'm trying to give the project time to hang so that any stretching that may occur can happen sooner rather than later.
Friends, that's it! My life has been toggle coats. No luggage, no vintage shaving rituals, no Craigslist sales or eBay purchases. (I still have that Grasshopper, wouldn't you know.)
Thank you for your many informative comments and expressions of support. Today I'll pick up my toggles, attach my hood, make my patch pockets, and maybe stitch the sides together. The sleeves will be last, along with all that seam binding.
It's cold here and I'm looking forward to having a nice toggle coat to bundle up in.
How's the weather in your neck of the planet -- warming, cooling, ever-the-same to the point of madness?
Happy Friday, everybody!
Posts
Big Storm headed for Iowa tonight, so hurry up and finish that coat so you'll be ready when we send it your way next week. I'm hoping for a snow day so I can sew, bake and craft. This is such a fun blog to follow!
ReplyDeletePeter, if that naughty plaid fabric keeps stretching, perhaps a little fusible knit interfacing would help you tame it.
ReplyDeleteWe're expecting snow on Monday. Yippee!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tory. I may try that on the pockets and pocket flaps. Too late for everything else, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular.. think you must have been a master tailor in a previous life.
ReplyDeleteIt looks wonderful! And I envy you, living somewhere mild enough that a toggle coat is a viable option after Hallowe'en. :)
ReplyDeleteUp here in the Great White Nord we need to be prpared with something that will keep one from freezing to death when it hits -20C (-4F).
We've had a lot of snow over the past week - in 3 days we got more than we normally get from December to March. So we've all abandoned fashion - time for the highest, warmest, ugliest winter boots you've got - and snow pants if you have 'em!
Boy, your hood is lookin' good! I really love the plaid, very nice colour combination. I am so impressed with all the care you are taking to get this coat just right - and it's going to pay off because this is a classic style that's going to last you forever.
ReplyDeleteIt's been very cold here in London - a toggle coat would be just the thing here right now.
Looking good so far! Your coat is going to be so great when it's done. Really looking forward to seeing it.
ReplyDeleteYour coat is lovely and progressing well. No no no snow Peter. Love the picture of the pooch.
ReplyDeleteI love how surprisingly warm wool can be. Here in Montreal it's bloody freezing and the city has just about cleared up from the last snowstorm... and there is meant to be another at the weekend. Wish I had a nice duffle coat. I really like the colours of yours and it is looking very professional.
ReplyDeleteIt's looking great! I guess I've only used really stable fabrics for underlining, and not usually as big pieces as in your coat. What method did you end up going with for the bias binding?
ReplyDeleteI think your coat is going to be great. You've made good choices all along the way. The topstitching and other attention to detail will make this special!
ReplyDeleteAnd happy Friday to you. That looks amazing - you really do have a magnificent attention to detail that I completely admire. You'll be bundled up in that baby soon! - Sam
ReplyDeletePeter, I love your coat! Maybe the plaid won't stretch too much if you press (up and down with the iron) rather than iron (slide the iron over the fabric)? It might not work, or maybe that's what you already are doing.
ReplyDeleteHi Peter - looking good! Try using a walking foot to stop the two fabrics "moving" when you stitch them together. As you have pre-shrunk then the plaid shouldn't stretch, but may look as though it is as it's going through the needle and feed dogs as the fabrics are "fighting" each other to pass the needle - does that make sense? I'm not very good at explaining myself sometimes!
ReplyDeleteOur temperatures have been mostly in the 40s or 50s lately. We had our annual snowstorm before thanksgiving. I usually get through the winter with a couple of sweaters and layering. If I had the time, I would make a jacket for myself.
ReplyDeleteYou are really doing a nice job. It's going to be great. Pretty cold here in SoCal. Our trees actually changed color this year.
ReplyDeletePeter- what happened to you on patternreview.com? I can't find any of your projects on that website anymore.
ReplyDelete:)
It is looking great. Since the plaid is an underlining you can cut it to the hem length so that you don't double it up when you turn up the hem. This is typical of how underlinings are cut. Did you cut the underling a bit smaller than the outer fabric?
ReplyDeleteIt's cold here in Central Florida. It's even cold enough for a toggle coat! Brrrr!! I also am a big fan of a walking foot. It does help to tame naughty fabric.
ReplyDeleteToday my fabric has been naughty, Rose!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness your underlining wasn't on the bias too! Your bias strips look lovely! I love how the top-stitching adds textural interest as well. But I am on record with my love of top-stitching.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to this finished! It's sure to be so classic and lovely.
Hood looks great!
ReplyDeleteI am so-o-o loving this coat! You do such amazing work. I can't wait to see the finished coat.
ReplyDeleteIt looks great Peter, in fact all you make looks great. You certainly have the right head on you to both learn and excel at sewing in a very small amount of time.
ReplyDeleteI have been wanting to ask you about your grandfather, I'm sure I read once that he was a tailor...am I dreaming?
If not delving too far into your private life...hang on...(do you have one?)...could you tell me/us a little about him? Was he a tailor? Was he good? Was he Cathy's grandfather too?
Cheers
Cherri in AUS
Cherri, not to worry. My grandfather was a tailor in the Bronx; he used to make suits for my Dad, and one for my Mom too.
ReplyDeleteShe told me when she sewed buttons on things for my father, my grandfather would take them off and sew them on again correctly. ;)
He died when I was young and lived on the West Coast so I didn't know him well.
ahhh...appreciate that Peter - love family history!
ReplyDelete