Winter Coat: Vogue 8934

I turned to an out-of-print (OOP) previously used pattern for this project. This is my third version of Vogue 8934, and I think I can say I've finally made the coat of my dreams.

I went again with view B and adapted all the feature that I liked with the other version plus something extra. View B has lining as well as underlining. And I didn't forget those interior cuffs to help block out the wind. I even added a piece of chamois to the back underlining.

Where to begin? Let's start with the interior.

Elasticized cuffs added to the sleeve lining.

Like the others, I underlined this one. This time I underlined it with wool suiting fabric. Yes, it hurt to use the beautiful wool that I could have used for pants or a skirt, but if I'm going to stick to this natural fibre experiment micro-fleece was out of the question. And to be completely honest, with the improvements that I've seen with my sinus issues, I wouldn't even consider going back to using man-made fibres.  The fabrics used in this project are all natural fibres. The fashion and underlining are 100% wool and the lining is a 100% silk.

Wind blocking layer added to the back.

In between the underlining and the fashion fabric is a piece of leather that I recycled from a previously owned RTW coat. I hope that this will provided an extra barrier to the cold winter wind that blows in this part of the world. The real test will be to see how it holds up this week as the country is gripped by a cold snap. Would you believe that they said it is colder than Antarctica in some parts of the country?  How about if I told you that the Calgary Zoo had to bring their penguins inside because it's too cold?

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I digress... but it will be an interesting week to test it out.

There were a few challenges along the way.

I fell for these bamboo buttons but they were too large to fit into my automatic buttonhole foot. Thankfully, the vintage sewing machine that I picked up at a second hand shop was perfect for the job and it was just the machine that I needed to create the most beautiful buttonholes. I actually prefer the buttonholes from the vintage machine.  

Time also proved to be a challenge. I actually started this project back in early November when I started on the natural fibre experiment. I don't recall the other coats taking this long to sew. But to be completely honest I think it was more that my sewing mojo took a bit of a hit. I'm just thrilled that it is finally finished. Now I think I need to give my fingers a break from all that hand-stitching.  

The exterior wool and bamboo buttons are from Northwest Fabrics and the interior wool suiting and silk are from Mitchell Fabrics. All the fabrics were pre-treated prior to being cut out.     

The Stats:

Fabric:  9.6 metres (2.6 metres of napped wool, 3 metres of wool suiting, 4 metres of silk)

Interfacing:  1.2 non-fusible

Basting Tape:  1 metre

Buttons:  6 - 30 mm bamboo buttons

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 8934

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushions, scissors, measuring tape, ruler, measuring gauge, iron, ironing board, sewing machines, serger, walking foot, button hole foot, button hole cutter, hair brush (for hammering the button hole cutter), blind hem foot, silk thread, hand needle, heavy duty thread, threads for the serger, good tunes, and tea. Lots of tea.   

Happy Sewing!