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Feb 17, 2012

Positively the (next to) LAST faux fur coat post!



Friends, they say all good things must come to an end, but honestly, I could keep working on this coat forever.  And not because it's such a treat, but rather because there is an endless amount of finishing work to be done on a garment like this.

The collar and the facings had to be catch-stitched into place -- Kenneth King does this between the layers themselves and so did I.  OK, I also did some stitching through both layers from the outside here and there.  Tiny stitches sink right into the fur, never to be seen again.  And so do big stitches.  I love fur!

It's a long story, but take my word for it that if the undercollar and overcollar weren't whip-stitched into place, the cat fur, which doesn't have that faux suede backing like the rabbit fur, would not correctly roll over the top of the collar, as it does (correctly) in this photo.



I had to make that happen, and the collar had to look good both turned up and turned down.   Thanks for the back of your head, Michael!



I did less whip-stitching in the lapels but I still did some.  Did I mention how much I don't like hand stitching?  Well, I don't, but I'll do it if I have to, and the good news is I'm getting better at it.  The bad news is I'm going blind threading needles.





I decided that for the time being I would not line the coat, leaving the faux suede inside visible, which looks fine except for the inside of the pockets, one of which displays the right side of the pocketing, and the other the wrong side.  How did this happen?  I couldn't even tell you.  Life goes on.

Following Kenneth Kings instructions, I attached bias to the facings, and stitched down the bias by hand.  If a lining should go in, it will get slip-stitched to the bias.  If.





I tried hemming the coat and it ruined the drape.  That fake suede backing can't be folded up, not on a coat that drapes like this one does.  The bottom is thus raw and shaggy and drapes beautifully.  I really had to go with my gut on this one.  (The fur does not shed once cut, btw.)

The cuffs were a cinch: machine sewn along the inside cuff edge and then folded up over the sleeve and hand-stitched into place.





I tried a belt.  Michael and I agreed that, done in the fur, it lends a bathrobe-y feel to a coat that's already a little bathrobe-y.  Done in the faux suede, it cuts the coat in two in an unflattering way.  So right now the coat has no closures.  I may or may not explore other options (snaps?) but for right now it hangs open.

As for big rhinestone buttons, here's the deal: Michael loves this coat and wants to wear it to the opera (dressed as Margaret Dumont, perhaps?).  It actually looks great on him -- well, very good.  Plus -- and you'll see this in the photo shoot -- this coat is BUSYAnd very thick.  It needs no further embellishment.



Actually, it hangs very much like a man's beaver coat (see pic below).  Maybe that's what this is -- pink beaver! (no jokes, please)



Today, I have to work on finishing touches to coat and pantsuit, and I may try to make a turban with this poly chiffon, this pattern, and this old rhinestone ring I found.



Readers, you've been so very patient during this coat construction; I know it hasn't been easy for many of you, especially you ADHD types.  But I must follow my muse.  And shave.  Big day tomorrow.

Happy Friday, everybody!

29 comments:

  1. Love the coat, but i'd really love to see a band of kitty cat on that hemline. I can't wait to see Cathy in this coat with her disco light ensemble. Have a wonderful photo shoot :)

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  2. I've been loving it through this whole series -- especially the spots. Kinda sad that it is "positively the PENULTIMATE faux fur coat post."

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  3. That coat kicks a*se. Absolutely love it. Am wearing a faux fur pimp coat, the collar is the biggest I have seen lol. The inside is fleece I think. The warmest coat ever.

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  4. The coat, like your cousin, exquisite!

    Do you think this might be her chance to sport a mood ring?

    As always, looking forward to a photo shoot of Cathy, the innocent bystanders who become a party to her adventure, and of course her co-star, New York City.

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    1. In that coat, maybe we should go to Jersey, he he.

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  5. Peter,
    Up until now I have not been a big fan of faux fur. I have been converted! I think snaps are the way to go for closure.
    Great work.

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  6. This has been a great vicarious experience. I'm gonna miss that coat. Can't wait to see Cathy in it. And Michael too, all dressed for the opera. Margaret Dumont would've rocked that coat!

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  7. I've loved reading about this-very, very informative. Maybe you could do one big nonfunctional button with a snap closure?

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  8. fur hooks! they'll disappear.
    and I had a little bottle of Charlie (with a foam tip applicator!) when I was in 4th grade. My poor mother...
    I love the coat!

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  9. I have three commercially-made faux fur coats (aren't I brave to admit it) and two of them have buttons that attach through short strips of (rounded) elastic that are sewn near the front edge of the coat, and the other uses fur clips that attach to thread-covered large eyes sewn onto the body of the coat. The button and elastic is my favorite closure, because it stays closed better and is fairly unobtrusive when the coat is open. Just some other finishing ideas for you to consider.

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  10. Peter, your coat is fabulous - I have to say, you are braver than I...I've been sewing for about 30 years, and I wouldn't want to tackle that beastly fur! After making costumes for a few years, if I never see faux fur again, it may be too soon! GREAT JOB!

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  11. It has been very exciting to follow this project. Your coat looks beautiful! I purchased some vintage fur a few years ago to make a reproduction of Tippi Hedren's fur coat for The Birds. I've hesitated to get started because I could see where the challenges lay in working with fur. Now, with all your tips, I'm ready to try it in at least a faux fur.

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  12. Fantastic job - congratulations. I have been following your progress and am impressed with how well you have done. You've shared some very interesting and useful tips. I can't wait to see more photos of this coat in use.

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  13. O-M-G!!!!! That looks absolutely fabulous! I really admire all the handwork and detail that went into this. The results are definitely worth it. I have enjoyed following you on this furry journey and look forward to seeing pics of both Cathy and Michael in this coat. I can’t wait to see Cathy in the full ensemble with the glitzy Liza outfit and headband.

    I had voted for cat fur at the hem, but I was wrong. I think it flows beautifully without it. I love it without a belt. My faux fur uses fur hooks that disappear into the fur, but they sometimes pop open.

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  14. I do like the idea of the turban and rhinestone ring to set it off.

    I still say there's something very "Dah-ling!" about the whole thing.

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  15. I love it. I think one of you really ought to wear it to do the groceries, with big sunglasses, and see what happens.

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  16. Another masterpiece! I don't know if I will be able to sleep tonight thinking about the reveal. Can't wait!!

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  17. With the right dress under the coat, you,ll need no closures. Some nice gloves and a pair of sun glasses and your cousin will be set.

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  18. Peter, what about those traditional fur closures that hide themselves in the fur? They are those large lapped hooks, that look like they are covered with some sort of cording.

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  19. All I can say is__ Huggy Bear.

    I like.

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  20. The only thing that will be better than seeing this eye candy on the dress form is seeing it on Cathy...with something equally fabulous underneath it, and of course, to DIE for accessories.

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  21. Two words....needle threader. lol

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  22. Love it, love it, love it. Everyone else has expressed my feelings so well.
    I hope you enjoy wearing it as much as we've enjoyed following it's creation.

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  23. GREAT COAT. I was quite amazed to see it; I plan to make one rather like it for myself! But it will be a LOT more outrageous...I have one of those "mink" bedspreads (king-size) in HUGE leopard spots and one in ZEBRA (have to make up my mind which to use for the main body) and I will be using a Sandra Betzina coat pattern to make a sort of "ethnic" style coat, with a "plastron" front, with shi-sha mirrors and assorted embroidery, beading, and tassels (all will be handmade by me)

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  24. Oh, and I also recommend those silk-covered 'fur hooks" for discreet fastening of your coat where it is needed most...You should be able to get them at the same place you got your "cold fuse tape"(and if I had been here when you wrote about it I would have known what it was!) I do belive they come in colours to match fur (although I don't know about "faux pink rabbit" fur; maybe one that goes on a champagne mink or blue fox)

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  25. Did you see that "Threads" article about "inlaying" faux fur? I doubt if you'd be up for something like that, but it would sure be an original way to put some cat fur along the bottom!

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  26. Now, now, don't laugh and mock about "Mood rings"-nowadays we have "mood fabrics" that change colour in the sun, and "mood thread" for your embroidery machine! It all was born in the seventies; I remember that decade well!

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