Vogue Patterns: 8720 (men's coat and belt) - Type:Mens - Jackets  | Viewed 54 times
 Work in Progress | 1 more reviews | | Reviewed by: | thimbledore | 
| | About thimbledore | | MD USA | | Member since: 1/17/07 | | Reviews written: 5 | | Sewing skills:Advanced Beginner | | patterns reviewed: 4 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 12/13/12 3:52 PM | | Pattern Photo: | 
Vogue Patterns Pattern Info | | Pattern Rating: | Recommend, with Modifications | | See other patterns in this category: Mens - Jackets Mens | Available for sale on PR: $20.62 (See envelope)  | | | | This is a work in progress. thimbledore is currently working on it, but still wants to share it with you. Please feel free to comment on this. | | Fabric: | Wool - Double Faced [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Pattern Description:
A very stripped down trench coat style, missing a lot of the stylistic touches of a traditional trench cost - no shoulder tabs, no gun flap, no collar strap. But it's exactly what Dan wanted, so if he's happy, I'm happy! The guy on the envelope looks like a cartoon spy (or a flasher), but don't let that put you off. 
Pattern Sizing:
I haven't sewn much menswear - Dan is pretty slim and easy to fit, so I could do a size 40 right out of the envelope.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yep! Pretty much.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
They were okay for the most part. ALTHOUGH, ugh, the portion about putting on the pocket welts was awful. It was unclear which end should be up. I messed up 2-3 practice ones and ended up just following the directions in my Reader's Digest sewing guide.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
One thing that bothered me was really just something you'd find on ANY raglan sleeve garment. The sleeves get attached quite late in the process, so it was hard to gauge fit during the assembly process. We could hold it up and get a sense, but we never REALLY knew how it would hang once assembled.
And personally, I dislike that the pattern was missing so many classic trench features. But that's a matter of personal taste; I can't really fault it for that.
Fabric Used:
THE BEST FABRIC. We bought a lovely black (expensive!) Armani wool that's smooth on one side and has some diagonal striping on the other. I arranged it so the diagonal stripes would show on the collar, pocket welts and belt loops. It looks so swanky and has some subtle added interest! I was going to draft a lining for it, but it turned out plenty warm, so I'll likely skip that.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I did add a few stylistic and/or functional touches to the design.
1. Bound buttonholes rather than machine-worked.
2. Hair canvas reinforcement of the collar for a nicer fold. That didn't work well; since the fabric is so thick, the collar points are bulky and not quite behaving. I need to go after 'em with some serious steam.
3. To make the diagonal stripes look better, I turned the upper collar into 2 pieces rather than 1 on the fold.
4. I also drafted a welt pocket for his iPod into the facing.
5. This is hard to describe, but rather than sewing the side seams of his pockets completely together, I bound off a 3.5" opening along the side seam. (I'll take pics of this for clarification). So now he can reach into his coat pocket for things, but he can ALSO put his hand through a gap at the back of the coat pocket and reach on through to his pants pocket. No more opening his coat to get out his wallet in freezing temperatures!
Post-production issues to be addressed:
Unfortunately, the collar is itchy against the back of his neck. He's asked if we could put in some softer fabric in just that area; I'm toying with the idea of how we could do it and not lose the nice look.
Also, the lining of his iPod pocket is slippery and when he's draped the coat over the back of a chair, the iPod can easily fall out. I need to devise a quick and easy closure of some kind - snaps? Zipper? Frog?
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
If my fella wanted one, I would totally sew one in a thinner raincoat material for spring/fall. It seems well suited for narrow-hipped men. He looks suuuuuuuuuuper handsome in it, especially when paired with his bowler hat. ^_^
Conclusion:
Photos to follow. ^_^ | Buy this pattern for $20.62 List Price: $27.50 Add to Bag  |
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