It's getting warmer and warmer day by day, but spring seems staying far away from us. I wanted a new spring coat to cheer me up, and sewed two copies in a row. I mean, I sewed two coats from one pattern, and the first one turned out to be a failure and second one successfully became my spring coat.
The first
I sensed that it was going to be very unsuccessful from the beginning. It sounds very silly, but it is true. Though this mint green fabric had a right thickness for spring coat, I knew it was apparently springy (well...I'm not joking or rhyming). I just loved this color too much! What I did was wishing it OK, instead of being clever. I sewed it into a boxy coat, and the result was a disaster. It didn't seem that disastrous on a hanger, but it started barking its true meaning on human. It was like a shape-memorized very boxy container for human torso. I also thought I looked like a mint-green tin robot. (My daughter said that I looked like an astronaut in it, but I suspect she wanted to mention space suits.) I'm laughing at myself seeing that I just couldn't avoid the whole process to make sure of the consequences.
I assume that it is good to share my failure that had caused by a bad choice of fabric. You have to see it to minimize your possibility to look like this, don't you? My suggestion is that if you doubt whether your fabric for coat is soft enough, you'd definitely better stop.
The second
So I came to my stash again, and after a long thought, I picked up this linen for the second attempt. It was a very heavy linen canvas, with generously flowing texture. By then, I became to hate all springy things in my stash, and naturally felt like choosing the softest fabric among all my coat-weight fabrics. It was a small piece of linen with a big pattern, which was a present from my friend Kapo, who is always bringing me one new fabric after her holiday. She is so nice. She is super nice. I can bore you by telling this thousands of times. Maybe now I have to have my own holiday to get her something nice.
Thanks to its softness, this time it made the coat very wearable. It slightly but naturally follows the shape of body and looks more decent as a garment, in my opinion. I couldn't care about the layout of print pattern, because of the size of fabric, but I am quite happy with the result in the end. I also chose a set of pink delicate shell buttons for it from my drawer. They were a part of swapping gifts from
Mimosa some years ago. Thanks Mimosa, now they are on my brand-new coat!
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spring coat(s)
pattern: 3023(boxy half coat: discontinued) from
anneecotton* size 40(down graded to 38)
pockets: modified (narrow double piping pockets to wide single piping pockets)
mint green coat
cotton/polyester blend, light weight, chambray twill, soft but very springy. 2.2cm buttons.
salmon pink organic pattern coat
linen, heavy plain rough canvas, soft, wobbly and flowing texture. 2.5cm buttons.
Both are fully lined. Mint green one has a closed lining.
Lining of linen one hasn't been closed at hem.
Linen coat has a narrower overlapping at front center (by 3cm).
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notes
*Always choose softer fabric than what she'd think appropriate.
*Never listen to yoshimi for her favorite.
Have a lovely week!
Much love,
yoshimi