Bonjour Gerard mon cher

Hello again!

So after an epic break from sewing I got back into the swing of things last weekend when the urge just took me to make a coat. I had seen this pattern some time ago on the blog of Jolie Bobines - a lady with effortless classic style, and had instantly fancied having a go.



I'd been looking for a similar coat in the shops but to no avail so one weekend when the other half was away  thought I'd just give it a go. The pattern was simple to download and print - and only 6 Euros! 

The pattern pieces overlap so out came the baking paper and I traced my pattern and cut everything out. The sizing chart was very accurate - I should have cut halfway between Medium and Large however knowing it was an 'oversized' style coat just went for Medium.

A trip to Anglia Fashion Fabrics proved fruitful and they were very helpful indeed. I specifically wanted a herringbone fabric in black and white, and they found it for me in folders full of samples! Just by luck as well 2.5 meters were left on the roll, just right! I picked out a fantastic cherry red lining fabric for a bit of contrast.

The pieces were easy to follow and well marked - the handy French/English translation sheet was fantastic as all the pieces are in French. I'm not a stranger to French but had no idea about any technical sewing terms!

The majority of the time to make this coat is spent cutting out and interfacing the pieces. After that the construction of the jacket itself was not too difficult. Bearing in mind that this is the first jacket I have ever properly made the instructions must have been fine. The only scary bits were trying to figure out how to finish off the lapel when you add the facing, and then how to attach the lining to the jacket at the end. After a few quick consultations with You Tube it didn't turn out as challenging as you may expect. The lining is attached all around the front facings and collar facings. Its turned inside out and like magic, there is a jacket! The lining was hand-stitched to the cuffs and bottom of the jacket.

Its a fantastic pattern and so glad I tried it - feeling very proud of my new coat! I would definitely recommend this pattern to try out if anyone fancied a go.