Colette Patterns: 1010 (Lady Grey)  - Type:Coat/Jacket  | | Viewed 335 times
| 17 more reviews | Review rated Very Helpful by 20 people | | Reviewed by: | Lynnelle | 
 | About Lynnelle | | MI USA | | Member since: 4/8/07 | | Reviews written: 63 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 54 people | | patterns reviewed: 57 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 11/17/12 8:34 AM | | Last Updated: | 11/20/12 7:56 AM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Colette Patterns Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Highly Recommend | | See other patterns in this category: Coat/Jacket | Available for sale on PR: $20.00 (See envelope)  | | | | Fabric: | Wool Coating [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Updated 20 Nov 2012 I added a few more thoughts in the construction area of the review.
Pattern Description (taken from Colette Patterns): Short wrap coat with princess seams, perfect for between seasons. Has a very wide collar, 3/4 length sleeves that look wonderful with bracelets or long gloves, and fullness at the hem. Coat is fully lined. Closes with one internal and one external button, and includes wide self-fabric tie belt.
Pattern Sizing: The pattern ranges in size from US 0 - 18. Based on my full bust measurement, I sewed a slightly altered 14.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? I think so!
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, the instructions are standard, straightforward, and easy to understand. I sewed the coat using a combination of the pattern instructions and Gertie's Lady Grey Sew Along (see "Tailoring the Coat" below).
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I'm not into vintage fashion at all, but I love the style of this coat. I think the full lower half and wide collar are really cute. I also love that Sarai (founder of Colette Patterns) drafts for curvier figures.
Fabric & Notions:- about 3.5 yards of wool coating (90% wool, 10% nylon)
- about 2 yards of flannel-backed satin lining (52% acetate, 48% cotton) from Vogue Fabrics
- light-weight hair canvas from Steinlauf & Stoller
- fusible interfacing for the facings, collar, and hems
- small piece of pre-washed muslin for back stay
- walking foot to ensure even fabric feed
- silk thread for all hand sewing
- 90/14 universal needle
- twill tape to mark lapel roll line
- 2 11" by 2" strips of bias fleece for sleeve heads
- serger & thread
- shoulder pads
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I cut a straight size 14 and made a muslin to assess the fit. I was pretty pleased with the fit out of the envelope and only had to make a couple of adjustments:
back - I made a 3/4-inch swayback adjustment and folded out a 1/2-inch in two places at the upper back. (back pattern alteration)
front - The front was too long, so I took out some length below and within the lapel. If you look carefully, you can see where I pinched out the extra length in both places. (front pattern alteration). A similar alteration was made to the front facing as well.
The sleeves are supposed to be 3/4-length, but because I'm proportionately short, they look full-length to me. I probably could have shortened them and removed some of the fullness, but I didn't. I figured that since I will wear this coat over fall-early winter clothing, I will need the extra room.
Tailoring the Coat: In October of 2010, Gertie hosted a sew along on her blog. The sew along lasted for about six weeks and provides invaluable information. I followed her instructions extensively and found them very easy to understand. Here are some of the steps used in tailoring the coat:
Construction: The construction was very straightforward and quite simple. All raw edges were finished first before sewing the seams. Lining seams were sewn first and serged together. I used a walking foot to sew both the shell and lining.
Pocket Bags
The pocket bags are a bit long and tend to hang below the hem. I hand-stitched the bags to the nearest seam allowance. One pocket still tends to dip below the hem, so I will probably just make it smaller by serging off some of the length. My hands are small so I don't think I'll miss the extra room. I knew from following Gertie's sew along that the pockets were low. I thought about moving the pockets up during construction, but they seemed to be too high for me. If you sew this coat, keep this in mind and perhaps give yourself an extra inch or two in length before cutting out your fabric or devise some other plan to handle the pockets.
Belt Loops:
Initially, I sewed the belt loops onto the back of the coat. I moved them to the side because I didn't like how the loops stuck out at the back. The loops still "bubble out" at the side, but it's less noticeable. If I make this again, I will shorten the loops a bit and maybe add some interfacing for stability.
Shoulder pads:
I couldn't decide if I wanted to include shoulder pads or not. I have meaty shoulders already and wasn't sure if the extra fluff would be a good thing - especially since this is to be worn over other clothes. Eventually, I settled on a thin shoulder pad (about 0.5-inches thick) and think it looks okay. I compared this shoulder pad to that of a RTW pea coat that I own and find the thinner pad looks better.
Would you sew it again? The coat's design is rather distinctive, so I will probably not sew it again. I like the un-hemmed length better, so if I make it again, I will add an extra two inches to bring the coat back to this length and make it in a lighter fabric suitable for spring.
Conclusion: I highly recommend following Gertie's sew along to properly tailor the coat. There is a lot of hand-sewing, but it is well worth the time and effort.
Extra Photos:
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18 Comments
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Gorgeous coat. You inspire me to actually try this. Thanks for such a thorough review.
11/17/12 8:41 AM
The coat looks great! And you are gorgeous!
11/17/12 9:15 AM
Great looking coat!
11/17/12 11:20 AM
Excellent review. Gorgeous Coat! Love the sleeve length with longer gloves,
11/17/12 11:56 AM
Gorgeous, gorgeous coat! You look stunning in it!
11/17/12 2:38 PM
Beautiful work!!!
11/17/12 3:12 PM
What a project...and such a thorough review. The coat looks great on you too!
11/17/12 5:08 PM
Great review and love the coat.
11/17/12 5:51 PM
Love your coat - looks so good on you
11/17/12 7:05 PM
Great looking coat!
11/17/12 7:50 PM
Congratulations!!! It's stupendous and way ahead of winter:)
11/18/12 2:31 AM
Thank you so much!!
11/18/12 8:01 AM
Beautiful! The gray, the length, the collar and belt...it is so retro and feminine.
11/18/12 11:10 AM
Beautiful!
11/18/12 11:31 AM
Nicely done.
11/18/12 5:10 PM
Very nice.
11/18/12 8:08 PM
Wonderful coat!
11/19/12 11:25 AM
Inspiring :) quite beautiful!
11/20/12 3:38 PM