While I wait for the remainder of my corset hardware to arrive in the mail, I’m making my 3-year old Nels a coat. I know, odd considering this weather, eh? The thing is, with my Wardrobe Refashion commitment I have to think a bit ahead on the family’s raingear – especially since I live in about the rainiest damn place, ever.
And before I get to my sewing work – speaking of my Wardrobe Refashion project, I made a little tool to track what clothes I need to sew and what I’ve finished.
Download a blank template here: [ pdf ] (2 pages)
So on to today’s work. Last fall I fell in love with this zip-back parka:
(shoutout to Ottobre Design, my favorite Euro pattern mag. For $40 a year I get more patterns than I could ever hope to sew – in all sizes for children and women.)
I’ve always loved zip-back coats because they are cute as hell and, well, that’s a good enough reason, eh? I also could just picture Nels’ little gnome-face poking out of this hood and him using the front pocket to carry things – his favorite pastime is foraging on our many walks.
Here are the fabrics I’m using – from left to right, a yummy Malden Mills fleece (color “chili”, 100 wt), a super-soft Alexander Henry bullfighter’s cotton, and an awesome, supple middleweight twill that is also weatherproofed (but you wouldn’t know it to feel it). The coat will be lined with the bullfighting print which is underlined by fleece.
Cutting. A rotary mat and equipment make for fast cutting. I don’t pin since my tracing medium is cloth-like (and slightly “sticks”) and because I’m rather experienced and find I don’t need it.
It takes 27 cut pieces to make this coat! Just something to think about the next time you want to say, “Oh, you should MAKE THOSE and SELL THEM!” Because if I did *that* in any quantity, I’d find no time for anything else, let alone sewing my children’s winter gear.