Silk dupioni hanging from my apartment’s picture rail. That’s one way to avoid folding it up to deter the wrinklies! Three cheers for historic interiors.

Of Sew-Alongs and Sewing Meetups
Oh, and I’m also participating in the Sew Sexy Sew-Along being hosted by Clio of Clio & Phineas, Lisette of What Would Nancy Drew Wear?, and Wanette of Sown Brooklyn! My sew-along track record is the pits, but what the heck – why not?! I plan to make a Sewaholic Cambie/By Hand London Charlotte mash-up using red silk dupioni (seen above), which I have already dubbed “the Charmbie”. If I pronounce it with a French accent, will it sound sexier? ;)

Also, a meet-up happened! Lladybird was in town and a whole bunch of us gathered on Saturday to shop the day away in the Garment District. I feel like I should do a post about that, but how about I just officially endorse the wrap-ups of the day written on Peter’s, Aleksandra’s, and Lisette’s blogs?!

Anyway, I figured I could share a Wearing Yesteryear post for March 2013 (no finished projects for February 2013, alas). Yay, a freebie post for me! And this is one I’m very excited to share…

The Sabrina Coat

Blog Debut: March 25, 2013
Pattern: McCalls 5717
Worn In: Late fall, winter, early spring
Wearability Meter: Very much so!
Lessons Learned: This was fun, so make another one :)

Okay, so I really love this coat! The whole tailoring process was really fun and a great learning experience. I’ve found that I can wear this coat in temperatures ranging from the 30s to the low 50s F (~0-10 C). One of my favorite features is the length of the coat, which covers knee-length dresses and skirts. Makes for a nice clean finish I think!

Everything seems to have held up well over the past year. This winter has been COLD so I spent most of it in my goose-down coat, but I’ve definitely worn this baby enough times this season. I had used a flannel-back satin lining to give a bit more warmth to the coat. Originally I wasn’t sure if it was going to make me super hot, but now I know I could stand to add a layer of interlining if I wanted to make the coat even warmer.

I’d love to make another coat in a slightly more casual fabric. Oooo, temptation! But, for now, I have some spring projects on the mind. Are you getting ready for some spring sewing? Or autumn sewing for those down under?

(Random note: WordPress has changed the look of the smiley emoticons. The :-D one looks kind of strange!)

I finished! I finally finished! It’s so surreal after months of working on this (and having the fabric for well over a year)! My tailored wool coat based on McCall’s 5717 was finished a few days after the official first day of spring, but winter decided to hang around so that I could wear it. This is the first time in my entire life I’m grateful that it’s still cold. :) And where better to celebrate than at one of New York City’s greatest gems: the one and only Lincoln Center.

I call this coat “Sabrina” because, after watching a ton of movies during this coat project, I remember attaching the flap pockets to the coat during Audrey Hepburn’s Sabrina. And she’s classy, which is what I was aiming for here. So…there you go, a name was born!

To see all posts in this tailored coat series, please click here. Otherwise, the curtain’s up so let’s get on with the show! Oh, and please pardon the photograph-heavy post – I’m just completely over the moon about how this coat turned out and the fact that it’s actually done.

So, here I am at Lincoln Center, as happy as I can possibly be now that my coat is finally a functioning piece in my wardrobe. Is there really anything that beats seeing your hard work hanging there in your closet alongside the rest of your clothes/coats? Well, besides actually wearing it around town, that is! I will try to control the exclamation points for the rest of this post, but I can’t promise. ;)

As you may remember this is a modified version of McCall’s 5717, view C. I nixed the ruffle at the hem and instead elongated and widened the skirt pieces to just below knee length. Funny, but when I had the coat on the dress form there were a number of folds in the back skirt. In the photo above you can see that this disappears! Perhaps when I turned the hem up 2″ it changed the drape or perhaps I fill out the skirt differently than the dress form. :) To be honest, it worked out for the best – I like the look AND it’s much less fussy sitting down on the subway (especially when someone could easily sit on extra fabric!).

By the way, I had originally put hair canvas at the hem, but I found that it completely messed with the beautiful drape of this fabric. Though I really didn’t want to have to undo a week’s worth of evening cutting/hand-sewing/etc. I didn’t come this far to go half way, no siree! Knit fusible interfacing proved to be a much better match for the fashion fabric. Phew.

I really love how the lapels just stay in place thanks to the pad-stitching that I did. Even when you flap it with your hand it falls right back into place. And the collar stand holds its stance as it should, which is pretty exciting, I must say. :)

The finished coat is a size 10 at the bust and a size 12 at the waist/hips. Several inches were added at the hemline to allow for walking ease, and I’m happy to report that after a few subway rides and even a couple of bus rides, I’ve been able to walk, sit, and skedaddle comfortably.

Oh! And speaking of which, I’m so glad I kept the front flap pockets in; in the three days that I’ve worn this coat I’ve found them quite handy for holding my phone. The square pocket is much more suitable for it then the in-seam ones, and the flap closure provides extra security, I find. Doing this also leaves the in-seam pockets open for keeping my hands toasty. Win-win!

Travertine (the stone behind me) makes for a very clean background in which to see this coat, does it not? Since the pattern didn’t come with loops, I used instructions in the ever-so-helpful Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Sewing. Seriously, that book is amazing! FYI, what I keep calling loops are referred to as “belt carriers” in the book, which actually seems to be the correct way of saying it.

I’m so incredibly relieved that I went with this black flannel-backed satin lining instead of the hot pink I had originally bought. Yikes, I would’ve been sooo bummed with that one! I love that black goes with everything and is a much better complement to the fashion fabric. I tend to like my linings to fall into the background rather than make a statement, though I dare say this one has a nice presence with its shiny self. :-D

The lining was completely hand-stitched (except for the center back and princess seams). I attached the lining to the facing and collar with short invisible stitches, though I first pinned and then basted the lining in place to make sure everything was smooth. Boy, that took a lot longer than anticipated! It was really relaxing though, especially as I was working through episodes of Frasier at the same time. :)

The lining hem is also attached with invisible stitches and features a jump pleat that provides extra lining fabric at the bottom for ease. The sleeve lining was attached to the main lining with fell-stitches; Tailoring said to wax the thread and double it up for extra strength, which makes sense considering that this area receives a lot of stress. It felt really good covering up all the innards of the coat after seeing them exposed for such a long time!

The center back pleat on the coat was formed by first basting the pleat shut and then pressing the fabric to create the pleat. Then I was able to try my hand at the feather-stitch seen above! I remember first seeing it in Tailoring and really looking forward to trying it. I’d recommend practicing first on some lining scrap; if you’re like me, it took several tries to get it looking like it did in the book. :) I used a thick thread (not quite as thick as top-stitching thread), which was recommended.

I also decided to add a hanging loop. Since the pattern didn’t come with one and I wasn’t sure exactly how I should go about it, I ended up using the pattern piece from the Minoru Jacket by Sewaholic Patterns. Hey, it helps to have a healthy pattern stash even if you don’t get around to sewing them up right away, isn’t it?! The in-seam pockets are from the Beignet Skirt by Colette Patterns.

I used four of these anchor buttons that I bought on Etsy. My original inspiration was my grandfather’s World War II U.S. Navy pea coat – turns out there are tons of these buttons for sale. I really love the subtle detail they bring to the coat. They’re not obvious, but they have a nice story.

The buttons are attached with the same thick thread that I used for the feather-stitch. (I went with bound buttonholes, which I talk about more here.) I decided to form an anchor shape with the thread to mirror the button anchor – it wasn’t until later that I realized the thread itself looks like rope! On the other side of the facing, I attached plain black buttons so that the thread isn’t putting stress on the fabric each time I button the coat.

Just a quick shot of my me-made dress inside the lobby of the Metropolitan Opera House (Moonstruck, anyone?!). When I first made this Vogue 8379 wrap dress, the oncoming hurricane prevented me from going outside to photograph it. I thought it would be nice to show you what it looks like in better light!

I’m actually working on a purple/blue version of this dress next. An easy project to follow a complex, time-consuming one.

For the record, materials used were:

• Italian herringbone wool, 4 yards (Gorgeous Fabrics)
• Flannel-backed satin lining, 1.5 yards (B & J Fabrics, 525 Seventh Avenue, NYC)
• Black cotton batiste for the back stay, .5 yards (also B & J)
• Black U.S. Navy anchor buttons, 4 (Etsy)
• Sleeve heads (Steinlauf and Stoller, 239 W. 39th Street, NYC)
• Shoulder pads (thrifted)
• Hair canvas interfacing (A Fashionable Stitch)
• Knit fusible interfacing for the facing, upper collar, and sleeve and skirt hems (in my stash from Joann. Note to self: keep this stuff around!)

[Update: Read my review of the McCall's 5717 pattern on PatternReview!]

And, finally, over a year ago I bought McCall’s Sewing Book (published 1963) from the Strand Book Store just for the heck of it. I couldn’t resist the period writing (“…ill-fitting clothes lower [the homemaker's] morale and make her less able to cope with everyday trials.”). Anyway, I like this opening quote from the chapter on “Tailoring Talk”:

One of the biggest events in the life of a seamstress is the day she appears in a beautifully tailored suit or coat of her own making. She has a perfect right to be proud. Tailoring is not a hard task, but it is an exacting one. It takes time and attention to detail to tailor well, but the extra effort is rewarded by the overwhelming sense of pride one takes in turning out a truly high quality garment.

Well, I’d feel a little egotistical if I admitted this was “beautifully tailored” or a “truly high quality garment” but I loved the part about being proud and feeling like this was one of the biggest events in my sewing life. Not to be dramatic or anything. :-D This whole process has just been amazing; I learned a ton and had a lot of fun doing it, despite the amount of hours and head-scratching involved. Certainly a great way to start out 2013!

Where to go from here? A dress for spring, you say? ;) Why, I like the way you think. Have a good one, readers!

In any case, I wanted to dedicate a post to my adjustments to the armscye of the M5717 pattern that I’m using for my tailored coat. I had a hard time finding a tutorial in my books or online on how to do this, but I used a little common sense and bits and pieces of online information and went to work.

The problem? On my first muslin I reached up and found the sleeves pulling down tight on me at the upper arms. Through self-diagnosis, I figured out that this was due to the fact that the armscye was much too low (this apparently is a common issue with patterns – go figure!).

An article in Threads Magazine called “To Get the Right Armhole, Fit the Bodice” helped steer me in the right direction. I needed to raise the depth of the armhole, and here’s how I did it:

First, I followed the article’s advice:

Deciding where the armhole hits under the arm is partially personal preference. Remember that an armhole cut high up under the arm is generally more comfortable because it allows a greater range of movement in a garment with sleeves; this is often counter-intuitive to a beginning fitter. A sleeveless garment is only 1/2 inch higher under the arm than a fitted garment with a sleeve.

If the armhole is cut too low under the arm, add a piece of fabric and draw in a new depth; or make a note to raise the underarm a specified amount on your pattern tissue. If you hold a ruler under your arm as high as is comfortably possible, the underarm seamline should fall barely below where the ruler is touching the flesh. -Threads

Once I found the right height thanks to holding a ruler under my arm, I drew in the seamline on the existing pattern (seen above in dotted pencil marks) and then raised it an inch (seen in dotted red). I also added in the new cutting line seen in dotted blue. The double tracing wheel and wax paper were mighty helpful here! I then tried to blend the existing seamline and new seamline together; you can see the solid pencil mark meeting the dotted pencil mark on the pattern.

Now, keep in mind, I’m not saying this is the right way to do it! This is just how I interpreted the above mentioned Threads article since it didn’t give step-by-step instructions. I’m happy to say it worked like a charm! However, I think the angle I created might have added a bit more fabric to the back of the coat then was needed, but not enough that it greatly affects the coat. It’s something I would work on perhaps in another version.

I also raised the seamline on the sleeve. Once again, not sure if this is completely correct, but everything worked out in the end so there you have it. :) For the record, I raised it the same height (one inch) as the armscye.

Now when I reach up with this coat on there’s no pulling/tightness at my upper arm – magic! This is particularly important as a dutiful rider of the New York City subway. You just never know when you might get on a crowded train and have to hold on to one of the poles above your head. Having a comfortable reach is key. It’s also nice to avoid putting strain on the fabric and seams whenever possible!

Okay, so my goal is to have this coat done and photographed next Sunday. I’ve already asked a friend to help me take photos on that day so it’s extra motivation to get it finished! That, and the oncoming warmer weather. Sheesh, is it time to think about sewing spring dresses already?! :-D

So, yes, here is the coat with the belt, pockets, and fuller/extended/non-ruffled skirt. If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I’m working on a modified version of McCall’s 5717 – I decided to omit the ruffle and lengthen the coat to below the knee for a more classic look. It will also provide coverage to my longest dresses and skirts that hit just below the knee. I’m excited! I’ve already tried it on with heels. After all this time and thought, it’s such a natural high to see your vision come out as you had hoped. (There’s also a big sigh of relief that goes with it!)

What do you think of the mini model at left displaying its mini wool cape? It even turns around in the following photo of the back…

And here’s the back! You can see the fullness I added into the skirt; I started by adding width to the hem and transitioning it up to where the waist begins to flair out to the hips. I went back and forth deciding if I should add a back vent, but the great thing about taking public transit every day is you have a ton of RTW examples walking by you! There were many women wearing long coats with full skirts and no vent. I’m taking on so many new techniques, etc. during this project and so I felt a vent could be left for another creation. Besides, anything to keep out wind chill is just fine by me (ooooo, that can be rather nasty).

The pattern doesn’t come with belt loops even though it provides pieces for a belt. I’ll be adding those so it has something to grab onto when I’m not wearing it. Hmm, curious omission by McCall’s!

Hem Modifications
So how did I modify it? The side front and side back pieces each were widened 2″ on the side where they meet each other (so I kept the seams where they join with the front and back pieces as is). This gave me 4″ of ease at the side seams. I also wanted to create the folds in the back for visual interest so I added 2″ to the back pieces on the side where they attach to the side backs (which gave me 4″ of ease total). There was a 1940s coat that Casey of Elegant Musings posted once that inspired this design change, but I can’t find it for the life of me. Anyway, it had a similar effect, which I thought was fun and feminine.

The most important part of this is the walking ease it gives me, as commenter wolferiver also pointed out on my coat intro post way back when in November. Can’t be walking/dashing up and down those subway stairs with a hobble skirt now can I?!

The coat front and back without the belt. I didn’t overlap the front pieces here so you could see the pieces in full view. Can’t wait to add the buttons!

Tack That Baby Down
One neat step that the book Tailoring recommends is tacking the neckline down to the facing. I wasn’t quite sure what this meant at first (and who knows if I followed exactly as they instructed), but by slip-stitching the inside neckline to the facing the under collar and upper collar are held together without any shifting. It really helps secure that area of the coat quite well!

And Then There Were Pockets!
The coat pattern comes with front pockets covered by tabs (do these kinds of pockets have a name?). I don’t find these pockets very practical because it’s a bit awkward putting your hands in them for warmth. In one muslin I took them out entirely, but in the end I decided to keep them to give the coat some added dimension below the belt. And just in case I wanted to use them for anything (might be handy for keeping my MetroCard safe and sound, for example) I made them functional too. I kind of doubt I’ll ever use them though.

Since they’re hidden by the tabs, I flipped the lining fabric so it peaks out a bit. It would’ve looked cleaner to have the fashion fabric line up at the edge, but they won’t be seen and I’d prefer to minimize bulk in this area. :)

I knew I really wanted side seam pockets so I took the pocket pieces from the Beignet Skirt by Colette Patterns and added them in at the same height as the tabbed pockets. To do this, I stitched the pockets 3/8″ from the raw edges so that the pocket fabric is hidden (same instructions as the Beignet pattern, actually). My other coats have side pockets that are slightly forward of the side seam so I debated creating angled welt pockets or the like. As with omitting the back vent, I decided to keep things simple for now – this being my first coat/tailoring project – and put them in at the side seams. They work!

All 4 pockets were tacked down to prevent them from flipping up, to the back, or wherever else they so fancied.

With those pocket photos you can even sneak a peak at the lining I’ve chosen for the coat: black Sunback lining from B & J Fabrics here in New York (I’ve seen it listed as Kasha lining elsewhere). It’s really, really great – shiny satin on one side, warm flannel on the other without any added bulk. I’m holding the fabric between my fingers in the above photo to show you how thin the fabric is. It’s still quite sturdy though.

It’s $10.95/yd and B & J carries a range of colors, including some prints. You may recall I originally proposed a deep pink color for the lining, but after changing my mind a few times I realized that I really want the lining to serve as a blank canvas to whatever outfit I’m wearing. If I’m wearing a busy print or a color that clashes with pink (and seeing as how I love red, this could happen!) I didn’t want the pieces to compete with each other visually. Plus, if you ask me, black lining with this fashion fabric is just so much more elegant!

I Can See The Finish Line
Up next: inserting the lining, hemming the sleeves and skirt, top-stitching, and adding the buttons!! I’ll be back with a post on how I altered the armsyce on this coat pattern for a more comfortable fit (I just didn’t want to squeeze too much into one post).

Right, well I’m off to the Garment District to pick up some top-stitching thread for this coat. It will probably be hard to see, but I think the channels will be a nice touch (and it’ll keep the edges in place).

Wow, a wool coat with a flannel lining all ready for…spring? Oh well, at least it’ll be ready to keep me toasty come next winter. Have a wonderful weekend, and happy March!

Last weekend we had Monday off for Presidents’ Day, so I’d like to think I made our Founding Fathers proud by really hunkering down and getting some sewing done! I’m not sure what either has to do with the other, but, hey, it’s a free country. ;)

You can track my past progress here or continue full speed ahead to see this past week’s journey in photos…

The back stay in black cotton broadcloth.

Well, I’m happy to report that I made some considerable progress! I don’t think I’ve ever logged as many sewing hours as I have these past couple of weeks – this coat has really caught my fascination, t’would seem. Within a matter of hours, I went from having a pile of pieces to one almost-there coat. I think the moment I stopped for the night and put the coat on the dress form was when I was truly able to step back and see my progress. Exciting stuff!

The Back Stay
Above is the back stay in black cotton broadcloth as it now looks on the coat. A back stay is added to help relieve stress on the fashion fabric and broadcloth is one of the recommended fabrics, though you can also go with muslin or hair canvas. I found it easiest to create the back stay by placing the sewn together “coat back” on top of the broadcloth, and tracing from there (as opposed to creating it directly from the pattern pieces). Hard to see here but the bottom edge is pinked so a ridge can’t be seen from the right side.

Tailoring also suggests using stay tape at the shoulders to prevent stretching, which you can’t see here because I’ve since pressed open the shoulder seams.

Attaching the upper collar to the facing pieces.

Tailoring has you sew the upper collar to the facing pieces next, and I applied fusible knit interfacing to all three. I’m glad I took a photo of this part for future reference because figuring out how the pieces went together proved a wee bit tricky!

You might see some portions of the interfacing not completely fused in the photo. Well, I went back afterwards and gave it another press. Sheesh. The book says to fuse the entire piece, including the seam allowances, since knit fusible is lightweight and won’t add bulk. This step is part of the tailoring process (the pattern instructions don’t call for this).

Pad-stitched lapels and under collar are now one!

The under collar stitched to the coat back.

Oh, the happiness when I was able to machine stitch the pieces together and see a coat start to appear. There are a lot of steps before you even get to the machine that it catches you by surprise, or at least it did me.

After looking at some of my books, I’ve noticed that it’s not necessary for the chevrons to connect as you see here, though visually it pleases me. I just need to remember in the future to take long stitches for medium-weight fabric in order for the needed shaping to occur.

Lapels pieced together and pressed.

The collar after being pressed.

These two photos are so gratifying for me! The collar and lapels, attached and pressed. Did you notice my 1950s Rise & Shine Apron hanging in the background?

That Pesky Collar Notch
One part that was particularly tricky was sewing the seams nearest the collar notches (the part where the collar meets the lapels, as seen in the top photo). I did not do this as gracefully as I could have, but it’s my first attempt and there was a lot of fabric so there you have it. The notches were very bulky – even after I had trimmed and graded the seams – so I knew something was up. Sure enough, when I flipped the fabric inside out I noticed that portions of the seam allowances were caught in the stitching (it’s a three-way intersection so trouble could and did occur).

I simply unpicked this area. “Simply” is a deceiving word since it took some time to unpick; more like there was simply no way I was jeopardizing all the hard work I had put into my coat by ripping something out of impatience! I then machine-stitched as close as I could to the notches and hand-stitched the rest to give me the best control. That did the trick!

Oh, the Importance of Pressing
Let me tell you, lots of steam and the clapper are your friends when it comes to taking on thicker fabrics. Holding the clapper down until the fabric cooled definitely took some time, but the result is worth it. I can’t emphasize this enough – press your fabric with care and you will not be disappointed!

Case in point: after sewing the facing pieces to the front, the lapels and collar looked…meh. I rolled the seam lines to the underside and basted the edges with a whip-stitch.

Collar and lapel BEFORE being pressed – bulky!

Collar AFTER being pressed – satisfying!

Using the clapper to turn thick, flimsy edges into thin, sturdy ones.

This last photo really shows how effective the clapper is in getting a nice clean edge. Here we have the front piece with the bound buttonholes; the seam line is unpressed on the left and pressed on the right. You read about this result, but it’s still amazing to see that it actually works! The unpressed portion also reveals a wavy seam line because it doesn’t know where to sit.

The nice thing about this clapper is that it’s also a point presser up top. This came in handy when I was pressing the lapels and the collar, even though they all have rounded edges. There are just some places only the point presser can reach!

Next Up:
Setting in the sleeves. Also, I promise to show the full coat in the next post. I feel like these photos must not be very satisfying without seeing the whole thing, so I apologize for that. The truth? I’ve sewn the side seams and added pockets, but haven’t yet had a chance to press them; I just couldn’t convince myself to show you without pressing first. :)