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fabric suggestions? (Moderated by Deepika, Sharon1952)
Posted on: 8/13/10 0:13 AM ET
My 10 yo daughter has asked for a trench coat for the third year in a row. She also wants a more traditional or dressy winter coat instead of the sporty cheap parka I usually buy. Since it seems to be more than a passing fad, I thought I'd at least look into it. I have several patterns in mind, so that part is covered.
Now I need to find the right fabric. I looked around online for a bit before realizing I had no idea what I was looking for, other than color. I'm appealing to the PR Brain Trust for advice.
For both the coats (and possibly some for younger siblings maybe if I go crazy) I would want something sturdy and washable. My kids are still at the age where the sleeves get filthy and the coats will need to be washed at least once a month. I'm looking for something colorful and solid: aqua, pink, purple, yellow, something like that. The trench will be a lighter weight spring/summer coat. I'd love it if the fabric were a nice tight weave to function as a rain coat. For the winter coat I'd like something that mimics wool (I will never manage actual wool though; I'm sure the coat will go in the dryer, whether I mean to or not). And I'd like all this for a dollar a yard.
Gotcha!
I'm kidding, of course! But price is a consideration. These are two-year coats, not twenty-year coats, so I'd like to spend accordingly.
Any ideas?
Now I need to find the right fabric. I looked around online for a bit before realizing I had no idea what I was looking for, other than color. I'm appealing to the PR Brain Trust for advice.
For both the coats (and possibly some for younger siblings maybe if I go crazy) I would want something sturdy and washable. My kids are still at the age where the sleeves get filthy and the coats will need to be washed at least once a month. I'm looking for something colorful and solid: aqua, pink, purple, yellow, something like that. The trench will be a lighter weight spring/summer coat. I'd love it if the fabric were a nice tight weave to function as a rain coat. For the winter coat I'd like something that mimics wool (I will never manage actual wool though; I'm sure the coat will go in the dryer, whether I mean to or not). And I'd like all this for a dollar a yard.
Gotcha!
I'm kidding, of course! But price is a consideration. These are two-year coats, not twenty-year coats, so I'd like to spend accordingly.Any ideas?
Re: Kids Coats (posted on 8/13/10 8:12 AM ET)
How about cotton twill? I've picked up a bit of that from fabric.com with the thoughts of making a trench for my girls. It's not $1 yard but can be found with coupons for $3-4/yard. I love the laminate (again from fabric.com) laminates but of course that's a bit pricey (and I'm unsure how to sew it).
wool melton is a bit pricey but I bet it will be a deal of the day soon. And for kids coats you won't need that much.
I love this trench from ottobre in 2006

-- Edited on 8/13/10 8:20 AM --
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wool melton is a bit pricey but I bet it will be a deal of the day soon. And for kids coats you won't need that much.
I love this trench from ottobre in 2006

-- Edited on 8/13/10 8:20 AM --
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Too much fabric to count...
Posted on: 8/13/10 9:35 AM ET
In reply to mmmckay
How about a wool anyway? A good tropical weight worsted will wear like iron, wool resists dirt rather than absorbing it like cotton does, and this weight wool can span several seasons. Spot cleaning is easy. It has a nice tight weave and will handle a drizzle. I recently put a cut of this type of wool in the washer and dryer and it came out looking just as good. A plainweave is easier to work with than a gabardine. Banksville Designer Fabrics might have it in a color you want and the prices are good. Michaels Fabrics might also have some.
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Liz
thefittinglife.blogspot.com
thefittinglife.blogspot.com
Re: Kids Coats (posted on 8/13/10 9:47 AM ET)
Not knowing what your temps are like, we have made a couple of jackets/coats out of polar fleece now. I have done a couple with contrast collars and cuffs, matching hats, added fur collars, fur to the hat. I like it for warmth and for being able to wash when dirty.
I also found a mixed fibre large houndstooth in pink and white for my daughter. I am testing a piece in the washer - I usually hang these things to dry anyway - to see how it will fare.
The tropical wool or a twill would also suffice, but I would line in kasha for the fall or winter. That means finding a weight that will compliment the kasha lining.
Good luck!
I also found a mixed fibre large houndstooth in pink and white for my daughter. I am testing a piece in the washer - I usually hang these things to dry anyway - to see how it will fare.
The tropical wool or a twill would also suffice, but I would line in kasha for the fall or winter. That means finding a weight that will compliment the kasha lining.
Good luck!
Re: Kids Coats (posted on 8/13/10 10:09 AM ET)
Lands End has some cute peas coats in bright pink fleece that I'm knocking off for my DGS. I think a fleece translation of trench might be cute as well. The fall Ottobre has a pea coat in finewale cord. I think a trench made in 21 wale would be cute as well as kid friendly.
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She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. Proverbs 31:13 NAS
Re: Kids Coats (posted on 8/13/10 10:57 AM ET)
A cotton twill, a twill is a weave, so it comes in many weights. You can treat it with a nikwax product for water resistance. Otherwise a poly microfiber would be durable and water resistant.
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My grandmother taught me to sew when I was 10, and I've been sewing ever since.
Posted on: 8/13/10 9:10 PM ET
In reply to mmmckay
Sometimes you can find water resistant poplin which would be good for a trench. I've seen it listed as "raincoating". For a nice winter coat, you can take a fabric such as velveteen or a nice corduroy and underline it with a warm material and line it as well.
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Kim
Posted on: 8/14/10 9:21 AM ET
In reply to mmmckay
How about a twill (maybe a blend for washability and wrinkle control) and a button-in wool or fleece lining? My trench is frequently warm enough to make it well into fall.
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wino
Re: Kids Coats (posted on 8/15/10 6:56 PM ET)
For Utah winters and playing in the snow, I am having a hard time imagining a trech coat. But, I understand that not all of Utah is as cold as some areas, and not all kids play in the snow every day. I lived in moderate Washington state when my son was young, and his thick sturdy Baby Gap lined fleece jacket was great for all but the coldest weather. If the jacket/coat has a way to close up the neck for more warmth, you could even build in a zipper that is hidden when the coat is closed. But, I'd pick a nonpilling, thick, and sturdy fleece over the bargain types for a winter coat. And, I'd line it but not sure with what. I have not made anything like this from fleece.
Posted on: 8/19/10 10:47 PM ET
Thank you for the replies! I could have sworn I'd written a second post for this thread, but it's not here. (On some other thread, there's a completely crazy nonsense post about the weather in Utah, I guess...
)
We always have two coats - when I have tried to skip the lighter one in the past, the kids end up freezing in sweaters or sweating in the winter coats. On the Wasatch Front where I live, we do have four seasons, with a snowy winter, but it is nothing like the verrrrry cold spots I've lived in northeast Utah/northwest Colorado, or the crazy Midwest ice storms I see on the news. We for sure need warm winter coats in Jan and Feb, but early winter and spring vary a lot. I get probably 3 more months of wear out of the lighter coat than the heavier one each year.
I'm very set on NOT using wool - yes, it is pretty and durable and water-and-dirt resistant, but when I read "spot cleaning is easy" I thought "famous last words!" I am sure you can handle it, but I am just as sure I can't (or won't!) and my 3 kids will have perpetually dirty sleeves (always more than a spot; I'm pretty sure they chew on them and then drag them through the mud when I'm not looking), especially when they want light colors. And I can say with 99% certainty (based on experience) that someone (cough cough DH cough) will put the coats through the washer and dryer, no matter what I say or do.
Thank you for all the suggestions. I will definitely look into some sort of poly blend twill for the trench coat(s). I've got some new ideas to mull over for the winter coat as well.
)We always have two coats - when I have tried to skip the lighter one in the past, the kids end up freezing in sweaters or sweating in the winter coats. On the Wasatch Front where I live, we do have four seasons, with a snowy winter, but it is nothing like the verrrrry cold spots I've lived in northeast Utah/northwest Colorado, or the crazy Midwest ice storms I see on the news. We for sure need warm winter coats in Jan and Feb, but early winter and spring vary a lot. I get probably 3 more months of wear out of the lighter coat than the heavier one each year.
I'm very set on NOT using wool - yes, it is pretty and durable and water-and-dirt resistant, but when I read "spot cleaning is easy" I thought "famous last words!" I am sure you can handle it, but I am just as sure I can't (or won't!) and my 3 kids will have perpetually dirty sleeves (always more than a spot; I'm pretty sure they chew on them and then drag them through the mud when I'm not looking), especially when they want light colors. And I can say with 99% certainty (based on experience) that someone (cough cough DH cough) will put the coats through the washer and dryer, no matter what I say or do.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I will definitely look into some sort of poly blend twill for the trench coat(s). I've got some new ideas to mull over for the winter coat as well.
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