Hey, everyone! So here’s my finished wool coat, Burda 8292. You can read more about the materials I used in this post. I’m so glad to have it finished! And, hey, spring’s late start around here turned out to be my gain, as I’ve been able to wear this coat over the course of this past week. The red pops against the snow, too! There’s a silver lining to everything, it seems. :)
I’m really happy with how this turned out. I think the design is very me, and I could definitely see myself using the pattern again at some point. Perhaps a springtime version? These photos were taken out on Long Island this past weekend. Yep, it snowed about 3-4″ there! What a difference an hour’s train ride can make (NYC wasn’t hit that hard and the snow had melted by the time I got back, if it ever stuck in the first place).
After making a muslin of the top half of the coat, I went with a straight size 10 and made no alterations to the pattern itself (other than the modifications I made based on the Tailoring book recommendations mentioned in my earlier post). Well, I guess I should say that I did sew the sleeves at a 3/8″ seam allowance since I decided to interline them and wanted to make sure I had enough ease there.
The only adjustment I made was to switch out the placement of the pockets. I loved the location of the originals, but the pockets themselves were SO small that they were unusable. My hands couldn’t fit in them. I can see why they were designed the way they were in order to fit in the front panels, but if I can’t fit my gloves/hands in them – especially while waiting on a cold subway platform – they’re pretty much worthless!
I found/marked the collar’s roll line when I made the muslin. Tailoring doesn’t have this kind of turn-down collar available as a photo example, but I found Sewaholic’s post on padstitching a similar collar. I’m pretty sure I could’ve figured it out, but it’s nice to have some visual clues.
I love the feel of the lining. As opposed to my first tailored coat, I relied more on the pattern instructions this time around (rather than just the Tailoring book). One of the things it said to do was machine-stitch the lining to the coat. You know what? Easier. Faster. Looks just as good, in my opinion. The hem and sleeve hems were hand-stitched, however.
While I used sleeve heads to provide support at the sleeves, I decided not to use shoulder pads. Guys, I know they’re recommended for coats, but I already lived through the ’80s and ’90s – shoulder pads give me the willies! Plus, the ones I bought made me feel like a Romulan when I tested them. No go.
Here you can see the smaller buttons I used on the back-side of each main button on the front.
I like that this pattern’s front panels come with attached facings, which means you just need to fold them over rather than attach the two together and trim down the seams. No biggie either way, but this was faster. I also think it’s helpful when working with thicker fabrics.
To make this coat a little warmer, I interlined it with lambswool. This definitely added some time to the overall project, but I love how warm it keeps me. Since spring has been slow to turn up this year, I’ve been able to test this coat’s “warm factor” now rather than next fall/winter. It passed with flying colors. :-D
I basted the lambswool to the lining pieces, then sewed the pieces together, and finally trimmed the lambswool to reduce bulk. I also trimmed them so that when I turned up the hem and sleeve hems, there would be no additional bulk.
Here’s the coat before I attached the lining, which shows where I put in the new pocket pieces. Just a note, I didn’t end up using the pattern’s pieces since they were so small. The ones I used are from the Colette Beignet skirt, which for whatever reason has been my backup when this kind of thing happens. I tacked the pockets to the seams so they stay in place. If you’re going to sub in new pockets, just make sure they have enough clearance and don’t extend beyond the facing’s seam allowances!
You can see the hair canvas interfacing that was hand-stitched to the front panels. For the facings, I used Pro-Weft Supreme Medium fusible interfacing from Fashion Sewing Supply. I also used this product for the pocket pieces to give extra strength.
As with my last tailored coat, I added a hanging loop. I generally put both of these coats on hangers (because I’m so proud of them they deserve the extra TLC, even at the office!), but it’s always nice to have the loop in case I’m at a restaurant or something where only a hook may be available.
This pattern comes with a back facing, which you see here.
This photo also shows one of my catch-stitched pleats. I really wanted to use the feather stitch like I did with my other coat, but for some reason I couldn’t get my head around it this time around! Tailoring mentioned you could use this stitch too, so I gave in and went with this one. I liked that the coat back lining piece came with a built-in pleat (that you sew at three different points).
I bought five of these buttons from M & J Trimming in the Garment District. The buttonholes were professionally done at nearby Jonathan Embroidery – the lady made these in under a minute! My machine makes buttonholes, but not ones with a keyhole. Plus, with this particular fabric I just didn’t want to risk messing up on these. For $1 a buttonhole, I had someone else do it instead. It was really neat to see her make easy work out of this oh-so-important step!
Well, that’s my coat story. Any questions? Some in-progress photos can be found on Instagram (#burda8292).
Can’t wait to start my next project – something springy. :) Hope you guys are up to good things lately!
Your coat is gorgeous!
Thank you, Faye!
romulan. HA! i’m with you there.
but i’m seeing red for various reasons. terrific coat! terrible spring! i want red! i’m sure i can think of some other reasons, but i haven’t had enough coffee yet.
Seeing red…now how didn’t I think of that?!
Oh wow! This coat looks amazing Amanda, I love all of the small details you added. Thanks for sharing the “guts” of your coat – I haven’t tried interlining with lambswool yet – I’ll have to remember that, not to mention adding it to the lining instead of the coat. Genius! :D
Thanks, Liz! Interlining with lambswool isn’t hard, just a bit time consuming. Worth it though! You can totally tackle it. :-D
Really beautiful coat, Amanda! The details are wonderful. It’s those little things… just super!
The details are often the best part of the project!
This is beautiful! I’m so impressed. One of the best things about sewing your own coats is that you can pick bold colors – your red is fabulous. Great work!
Thank you! I was really excited about the red. It’ll keep me cheery next winter, or as cheery as you can be when it’s frigid and icy out!
Beautiful coat and I love the color on you! No doubt of it’s seasonal appropriateness as the snow whips around -perfect background. I know what you mean about the shoulder pads, but give the really, really thin ones a try. Even if you have broad shoulders, they still create a nicely defined shoulder.
I will have to give the thinner shoulder pads a try next time! Though I did use them on the coat I made two years ago. Oh well! Great seeing you last night. :)
Your coat turned out FABULOUSLY! I think you found exactly the right red fabric for it. I really like the style lines in this pattern. They’re very flattering! Excellent work!
A week after our trip to the Garment District I managed to find this fabric sitting in Mood! It’s nice how things have a way of working out. :)
Wow!! This is so beautiful!!!!!
Thanks! I’ve gladly put it away though in hopes for warmer weather ahead. *crosses fingers*
Beautiful! I’m curious about the center back seam. Was that something you did to help the tailoring?
Thanks, Laura! Yes, I added in the center back seam following the directions in the “Tailoring” book. Apparently one of the things it does is help with the illusion of height, though I didn’t really need that. I think it’s also helpful in making alterations if necessary. Hope this helps!