The Salty Knitter

My biggest sewing project in December is finally complete – I made a coat! Not just any coat either, but a coat that is fully insulated and lined, which is a really big deal considering it was my first attempt at coatmaking.

I’ve always felt that whatever your hobby, there’s always that one special ‘skill’ project. Usually it’s a highly intricate and involved project and its main purpose is to show mastery of a technique – which is why I call it a skill project. In sewing, there are several of these projects. Jeans would be one and bra-making seems to be another sewist dream. I feel coatmaking is part of the group too, because this was a really big project.

Big project or not, it was completely worth it! This coat checks nearly all my must haves.

• It is fully lined and insulated – so it’s warm.
• It’s insulated using Thinsulate – so it isn’t too bulky.
• The fabric is windproof and water-resistant, plus it is very washable.
• There isn’t a speck of velcro on it so it won’t ruin any hand knit scarves I might want to wear.
• Stylish

Usually when I go looking for a ready to wear coat I have to choose between practical & warm or stylish. Generally if it’s stylish it isn’t warm and it’s never practical. I need a coat I can throw in the washing machine and this one is exactly that. Still with all that, I didn’t set out this fall to make myself a coat, it just kind of happened.

The Fabric!

I came across the red soft shell fabric sometime in the fall for a bargain price of $6 per metre. That’s when I started planning to make a coat. I found the lining fabric about a month later, but didn’t get my Thinsulate until November 19th when Fabricland had a 55% of sale for Sewciety members. Considering the regular price for Thinuslate is nearly $30 per metre, it was worth it to wait for the sale.

The Pattern!

I used Vogue pattern 8884, view C. I left off the belt and the sleeve doo-hickeys. Not that I’m opposed to taking the extra time to sew details, but I knew that after the first wash those extras would be living in the bottom of my laundry basket, never to see their belt-loops again. I also shortened it by 4″ to the same length as view A. For size, I went with a 16 graded to 18 at the waist, but if I were to make it as an insulated coat again I would go with a straight 18.

I did cut a second set of sleeves, the first set were too snug. In all honesty the second set aren’t as roomy as I would like either, with the Thinsulate they could use another inch of ease at the bicep.

Cutting the pattern was nerve-wracking. There are a lot of pieces for this coat and tissue patterns are not my favorite. Keeping them safe from my cat meant a lot of extra vigilance. As an extra challenge, pins are a bit of a no-no with softshell fabric, they leave noticeable holes. This made transferring pattern marks a bit of a challenge, but I made it work. There were other challenges too with both the fabric and the Thinsulate, I talk more about that here – Coat making with Softshell and Thinsulate.

How do you fill your time in the winter?

I finished my fourth and probably final, for this year at least, Charlie Caftan this weekend. The fabric is a linen rayon blend which means embracing a few wrinkles. The ones you see here are just from putting it on.

The loose straight fit of the Charlie is not figure conscious at all, which is nice because then neither am I while wearing it, although I do wish I had raised the point of the v-neck just a bit. My body type is fluffy, not busty, so I find myself fussing with it often to make sure I’m not showing off my bra.

I’ve made this caftan in all of its versions, maxi with a gathered front and tie waist, mini with a gathered front and tie waist and the darted version you see here twice. I thought the rayon orange poppy’s were going to be my favorite, but while it’s wearable I wish I had saved that fabric for something else. The crisper linen blend works much better for this pattern than the drapey rayon.

I was determined that on this version I was going to have perfect corners on my front placket, but it wasn’t to be. Still the crisper fabric made it easier to be precise in my cutting and sewing.

That precision may not have given me a perfect placket, but my v-neck is nearly perfect! I used a tricot interfacing this time around and I will probably use it more often in the future.

I’m not especially a fan of side seam pockets, so I switched it up to a front pocket echoing the angle of the darts. Someday I’m going to sit down with some scrap fabric and teach myself how to make welted pockets.

It was a bit of a hoot wearing a dress to Canadian Tire to buy car parts. I surprised the older man waiting on me by talking about how satisfying it was to change the strut on my car myself. I know that particular Canadian Tire has, or at least had, a female mechanic but I guess he didn’t expect someone with painted nails wearing a dress to also work on their own car.

Speaking of nails, Joe Fresh nail polish for the win! Two coats of nude followed by one of Revlon clear and here’s how it looked after I replaced the stabilizer link on my car.

I hate shopping. I especially hate shopping for clothes. All clothes, any clothes, I hate it. I hate trying them on, I hate what the stores sell in my size and price range. But since I’m not a fan of running around naked either, I usually force myself to do the deed a couple of times a year. And you can tell by my clothes that I don’t enjoy the process.

This summer I’ve switched it all up and started sewing again after a 15 year hiatus. Now there’s a process I enjoy. Turning fabric into something useful and wearable.

But the start of my renewed interest in sewing had a rocky start. Initially I wanted capris and shorts. Two summer wardrobe staples. I made the trip to Fabricland and came home with a gorgeous linen rayon blend in navy & black along with a pattern for some pretty basic pants. Waistband, front fly, slash pockets – perfect for semi-casual type pants.

Aaaand the pattern was garbage. I made all of my fitting adjustments (thank you Curvy Sewing Collective – a fabulous sewing resource) and then cut my fabric for a pair of capris. While I was making my adjustments, I thought it a bit odd that as the sizes increased, they added length to the bottom of the front pants piece but on the back piece added it at the top. But what do I know about drafting a pants pattern right?

Turns out I was completely right and the pattern left me with two front legs and two back legs that seemed as if they were from two completely different patterns. Yay for expensive commercial patterns! Truthfully it also left me with a strong sense of deja vu, I am convinced this same pattern was my last incomplete project – 15 years ago. Which is when I put my machines away and got rid of my fabric stash. I wonder how many aspiring sewists gave up sewing on that particular pattern?

But it turns out the internet has made some big changes in the sewing world over the past 15 years. Sewing tips are at our fingertips, no more waiting for Nancy Zieman on PBS every Sunday when there’s YouTube channels and Blogs devoted to sewing. Even better are some of the patterns available on these sites. So I’m hooked on sewing again and loving the results that are coming out of my sewing machine. Expect to see more sewing related posts.

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