Vogue 1128 finished

Last night I went to a sewing group meeting (a member is married to a local pastor so we meet in the church basement, hence the drums in the background - and mainstream churches are wondering why they are losing congregations). While we talked I finished sewing on my giant snaps and snagged one of my cohorts to take a picture. 

So this is the unfinal pressed version but you get the idea:

Side view showing how the pleats out of the yoke and at the hem work. You can see I lightly pressed these to reduce the bulge factor, not sure if I will leave this the way it is or steam the pressing out.

The effect of the pleats on the profile of the coat. Actually fairly practical as this would reduce the draft up the backside factor that is particularly relevant to dressing for my climate. Not sure if the sleeves are as wide as this looks or if it was our camera angle - very clear view of how dropped the shoulders are and how wide the sleeves are when you lengthen them. Personally, since I am anything but and inverted triangle, I have no problem with garments that make me look like one.

Of course it isn't too useful that I have my hands in the pockets, but this is one of those cozy sort of comfy coats that you would do that in. I see this coat and this pose and reflective of how I will really wear this - in front of the diary counter at the Superstore talking to someone I haven't seen in a long time.

In the end I went with just the giant snaps and no buttons. 

This fabric is loosely woven (I fused light weight interfacing to the whole thing - now that was a fascinating exercise - think that's why they invented TV), soft and heavy and I think the big snaps, which I feel have been too heavy and a disaster on everything else I have tried to use them on, are perfect here.

I am going away for 10 days to the US in a few days and have a lot to do before I leave town. I will post later about the challenges of packing for travel if you are me and will try to do a proper Pattern Review of this pattern before too long.

Now to answer some commenters.

Calypso a TNT is a Tried and True pattern. This means if you kill yourself making something fit you should use that pattern again to try and recoup some of that investment and to avoid wasting good sewing time fooling around on the unfun part.

Petunia re this coat and adjusting it. These pictures will probably answer your fit questions. My general sense of it is that because this shape is so distinctive and oversized it is best just accepted as is. Fitting changes would IMO be lost in the volume. Shoulder pads for example would not be helpful given how undefined the shoulder line is, and actually looking at the side view here, the bubble factor is lower hem more than over my rear end so maybe pressing the pleats down was not necessary.

What do you think?

As promised, sort of

Consistent with a life time of over promising and under-delivering to myself as a sewer here is my status report on Vogue 1128.


Hem pinned up but not done, snaps and faux buttons still on the table and not on the coat, but otherwise finished.


I really like it in a costume character way. Due to operator precision this is hanging crooked on the hanger and so the welt pockets in real life are in fact more level, no small surprise to me.


I was totally taken back to see that I executed these two vertical welt pockets very well. The secret is the fabric of course. Choose something with the texture of a living room rug and no one, including yourself, will be able to see any mistakes. Put that one away for future reference.

I would have liked to have finished this today, but sometimes life, just like some of the people in it, doesn't seem to be listening.


Not to worry, a new week ahead.

Progress report Vogue 1128

You might want to book off tomorrow night.


If all goes well I will be posting pictures of my rendition of Vogue 1128.


I will be for ever grateful to Erica Bunker for testing the waters on this one.


Much to discuss. First of all if there was an Olympics for "Pattern photos that provide none of the information a sewer really needs" there would definitely be a gold medal for the folks at Vogue for this one as pretty as it is.

This coat has three really notable features:

1.  It is really wide. I am making a 14 and I'm not really. I wanted a coat I can layer to wear while traveling and if I am cold I can layer my spring coat, old winter coat, and bathrobe under this, and could probably also fit in my suitcase - although of course I will never get that through airport security. Oh the old days.


Hell I could even fit Mr. Rascal under there but he would never have the sense to be quiet.


I am perfectly fine with the wideness I should add. I am getting pretty fed up with slick looking coats that fit more or less like the notorious sloper.


I mean who needs a coat that you have to suck your stomach in when you wear it ?


A person wears coats when it is cold, grey, and you more or less wish you were somewhere where you didn't have to wear a coat. To my mind a winter coat has to be comforting, morale supporting, and reliable.

A winter coat has to be On Your Side.


I feel this coat is going to do that for me.


What's working up is what I would call a Dad's Coat. I think you know exactly what I mean.


2. It has really short sleeves, much disguised by the pose. I have to say 3/4 coat sleeves are a dumb idea. They might work with a outfit you would wear to a Royal Wedding, if your forearms are you best feature, but for the kind of weather you need a coat for they suck. I mean you can wear those long gloves, which I own because they were on sale, but those only really work if your garment underneath is sleeveless, well and I am not Kim Novak (please see previous post and pictures.)

And the sleeves of a work blouse and a cardi don't look the best as an alternative - hanging out at the end of a 3/4 sleeve, and only confirm for anyone left wondering that you are not Kim Novak.


All of this is to say I added 6" to the bottom of the sleeve pattern.


3. There is a tuck at the yoke and again at the hem on each side of the back which makes the back of the coat a little like a cocoon coat. 


Or it can make you look like you have the world's most giant bubble butt.


I have sort of pressed these into flatter tucks and we will see what I think of this in the light of day.


That would be tomorrow.

I have to say that despite all of this I love what I am seeing so far.