Kinda late in the year I admit. I had plans to make this for Rachel way back before Christmas. Poor girl has 2 coats/jackets, both of which are getting a bit too small and one of which isn't all that appropriate for the weather we've been having in the 40's. She has a rain jacket that is lightly lined and wind breakers but nothing really really warm!
I am IN LOVE with the way this came out. I wish I had one of my own in fact! I will be making another though just because I have this thing about how long it takes me the first go around that I simply must do better on my time and now that I know how it all goes together I simply must do it again so that I won't waste all that knowledge, or something like that. It's strange, I'll admit. On top of that it would be cute made from so many different things and I envision lady bug applique on the back for some reason! I had wanted to line it in a cotton knit but my cotton watermelon knit hasn't come in yet. As it is (since I am a stickler for things that match) there isn't too much in her wardrobe that this will actually go with so I suppose it's a bit uni-functional but who cares, it's still stinkin' cute!
The inner is flannel and while I do love flannel, I do NOT love that it pills. However, being as how this is a jacket and it is not washed nearly as much as say, pajamas or a cloth diaper, she should get a lot of wear out of it.
I used a pattern (gasp) which is something I don't do often. And I had wanted to make it bigger than the size 6 on the pattern but fortunately I didn't have enough fabric because as it is, this thing will fit her for probably 3 years!
The outer is a soft dark brown medium size cord, the inner of course is flannel.
The pattern, McCalls something or other (maybe I'll do another post on the actual progress in sewing of this coat) had it made from fleece and it was unlined and since I don't recall making a lined coat specifically ever I had to think on things as I went to make sure I did it right. In the end it wasn't very hard. It did take me the better part of the day starting and stopping for life and ALL the top stitching required. I don't think I have ever done so much top stitching in my life, on one item that is. BUT, it is JUST darling!
The quick version of it is that I basically made the jacket twice, once in cord, once in flannel, pinned right sides together and stitched, turned right side out and viola, adorableness! The sleeves received a hem, an iron and a topstitching together once the whole thing was turned right side out. It still needs front bottons or toggles or something. I don't have any buttons big enough and I dread sewing the button holes because along the front there is a whole nother layer of cord and interfacing in the center because I didn't exactly know if the flannel would have been enough to stabilize it. In the end I have decided it would have been but hindsight is 20/20. This is reversible too. Rachel was not too happy with the fact the cute flannel side could not be worn on the outside when she first saw me putting it together but in the end I did succeed at making it reversible, which wasn't difficult, I just didn't know at the point I was at when I said I would see if I actually could do it...my brain wasn't allowing me to think that far ahead.
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