Felted Wool coat is finished and warm for winter

Just in time for Winter I finished the coat!

I removed the excess cotton lining from the sleeves and finished by folding the silk up and over the cotton and slip stitched to the wool. This stoke of laziness gave me a warm inner sleeve as the silk falls gently around my wrist.

I created hoops of hemp thread for the hooks at the top and waist. They work really well.

This was an overly long project but worth every bit. The coat will keep me warm for our west coast winters!

Basted: The washed wool winter coat.

Basted: My washed wool winter coat. The beginnings.

The washed wool was a 4 meters of wool plaid found at the thrift shop for 10$. I washed it in hot sanitize cycle of my washing machine with the bath mats and slippers! This was done over two years and the material stuck around in the stash. I suspect that this winter will be cold and that I need a proper warm coat.

For the pattern, I am using the 1912 traveling coat. https://austerity101.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/now-for-my-jacket-2/ I really like the princess cut of the pattern. It is easy to meld into my shape. As I added greatly to the length to bring the coat to just above my knees I found that I was a bit short. So the under sleeves and front under panel are in the natural wool.

The coat will comprise of the washed wool in plaid and a natural wool also picked up from the thrift shop for a few dollars and washed the same as the plaid over time. I purchases some quilting cotton batting for the inner layer for warmth. The lining will be in blue sand washed silk. Again, a thrift shop find of 6meters for 20$.

When I put the cut wool pieces together and sewed them on they shifted. And that was with the walking foot in full gear! So, I pulled each seam apart and hand basted each seam so the plaid now matches at all seams.

The front opening is by zipper on the left side. Again this was had picked into place and topstitched by hand to keep it there.

So before I can add the interlining and lining, I will topstitch by hand all seams. This is to seal each seam with the overlap. It will add bulk that will be hidden once the interlining is in place. Then I will steam the seams. Then on to the interlining, lining, hood and cuffs.

Cape idea 2 – from a single piece of fabric and some hemp thread!

Cape 2 from a single piece of fabric and some hemp thread.

Hemp Thread – yes Hemp! It is .2mm and I think too big for my machines so hand stitching is in order.

Recently purchased wool plaid from the thrift store was begging to be a wrap. It measured 172cm long and 155 wide.

So, I started to fold at one corner 8 inches ( I use both metric and imperial in my sewing and cooking – it comes from starting my school years in imperial measurements and having to learn metric in middle school) from the raw edge and folded to the count of 10. Secured it with some pink hemp thread As this is only a test, I hand basted the raw edge of the plaid with more pink hemp.

Then I got another Idea and it was not to pleat the left side but to bring it up in a swanky way. To complete it I did a fast chain stitch on the left side to keep the folds in place for the drape of the hood.

So this is what I now have hanging out with Daisy (yes, I named the thing that pretends to be me for these photo shoot.)

The beginnings of a cape. It is asymmetrical but has a nice look. To finish this, I need to baste the bottom hem as it is the cut side of the fabric, craft an opening for the right hand and imagine a closure for the front.

But should I take the time to finish it or rip it apart and make a skirt? Or pants, or vest? you get the idea. Feedback is always appreciated.

I have already started a new one but it is only pinned. It is a dusty rose-pink from the 80’s, a woven silk with a very nice drape. It is my next part of the little sewing no cutting capes that bellow from my fabric stash.

The Kimono and my Daughter, a gift to her.

The smile says it all.

A gift for my Daughter – she said that I can take pictures as long as I don’t post to face book.

The look of happiness in her new Kimono

The sleeves do double duty as pockets. It was a fun project with a happy ending 🙂

The Kimono – the makeing

I had an idea that I could sew while camping so I started a Kimono.

I brought a bees wax candle,

thread, needles and sci ssors.

So once I was a bit rested ( a couple of days) I took scissors to cloth after measureing against my sholders. I added a couple of inches and it is was here that I made my first mistake – I did not give enough ease for this type of garment – I should have added another 4 inches for the extra ease that you want in a house robe. Oops but I carried on!

I next made a cut down the centre of the fabric to the just shy of the halfway mark of the full panel. This is where to cut a few inches on either side for the neck opening – a very long T cut is the finished result.

I slipstitched the side seams into two nice French seams and had the beginnings of a small kimono. I then remembered I needed two front panels – oh, the joy of being very tired.

This is where I made my second mistake.

I did not make the front panels long enough as they should be shy of the T top opening. Also, the angle was not necessary but this was how I made my first three kimonos of a Folkware pattern and the method stuck with me. Oops # 2

The distracting woods.

So I had to come up with a fix in the bush and this is what I did. I took a long piece (probably 7 feet) and cut it in half – Oops #3 – it should have been a diagonal cut but I was trying to make up for the first Oops.. So the final fix was cutting the a remnant, matching the pattern and slip stitching to keep it in place and I had the front almost finished.

Once home, I neatened up the panel fix seams with some folding and overstitching the neater seams.

Very time consuming but I was on holidays and had the time. Once home, over the next few days I finished what normally takes two hours on the machine.

Amazingly it still looks like a Kimono! I have more details on the collar and the sleeves as well as the finishing touches.

And if any one is interested I will do anther page to finish the job, just drop me a line in the comment’s to encourage me to find the time this week.