Regenmantel/Raincoat "Luxurious Flowers" Ottobre Woman 5/2012/19

(scroll down for English...)

Hallo liebe MMMler,

heute wollte ich gar nicht mitmachen beim Me-Me-Mittwoch, ich trug an Selbstgemachtem nur meine Miette (wie eigentlich immer, eine geniale Idee, graue Wolle zu verstricken!).

Dann aber ging es nach draußen und ich warf wie eigentlich immer seit letztem Herbst meinen selbstgenähten Regenmantel über... halt... da war doch was... selbstgenäht!

Also präsentiere ich, acht Monate nach Vollendung, endlich meinen Regenmantel nach Ottobre 5/2012/19 (Winterjacke "Luxurious Flowers"). Die Bilder sind z.T. von heute und z.T. vom letzten Jahr.

Der Mantel war echtes Bedarfsnähen, ich hatte mir seit Jahren mit einem grottenhässlichen Regenteil vom Lebensmitteldiscounter beholfen und als der Reißverschluss kaputtging nahm ich das als Zeichen...

Die Materialien (beschichteter Nylon, aufbügelbares Abdichtungstape, reflektierender Keder) bestellte ich bei extremtextil. Das war meine zweite Bestellung dort und ich bin sehr zufrieden. Es gibt zwar keine hübschen beschichteten Designerstoffe (mit denen ich auch kurz geliebäugelt hatte, aber: zu teuer und zu bunt für ein Basisteil), jedoch eine große Auswahl Funktionsstoff und Zubehör zu vernünftigen Preisen. Zum Reißverschluss muss ich anmerken, dass ich ein schicken Teil aus antikisiertem Metall gewählt habe, was ein Fehler war. Metall ist zu schwer für so einen Nylonmantel mit dünnem Baumwollfutter, ich hätte Plastik nehmen sollen.

Zum Schnitt kann ich nur sagen: Vorsicht vor der Kapuze. So lang und spitz dass Schneewittchens Zwerge neidisch würden und der arglose Träger im aufgesetzten Zustand nichts sieht. Vorne sind die Ende übereinander gekreuzt was bei entsprechendem Stoff und Futter hübsch aussehen mag, aber auch nicht wirklich praktisch ist. Trotzdem ich die Kapuze verkleinert habe, ist sie dadurch so weit, dass sie Wind oder Radfahren nicht stand hält. Hätte ich das gewusst, hätte ich eine elastische Kordel eingenäht, jetzt glaube ich aber nicht, dass ich alles noch mal aufmache. Vermutlich habe ich mir einfach ein blödes Schnittmuster ausgesucht.

(Selbstentworfene Innentasche)

Den Saum könnte ich noch mal absteppen, bisher ist er nur mit dem Futter verstürzt. Abgesehen davon finde ich den Mantel aber sehr hübsch und da ich meinen Kleidern eine treue Seele bin werde ich ihn bestimmt 20 Jahre lang tragen.

Die anderen Me-Made-Trägerinnen könnt Ihr hier bewundern.

Näht schön!

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Hiya!

A few years ago, it may have been after the huge success that were my unexciting brown linen skirt and my boring gray wool skirt, both of which I wore to death, I decided to sew what's practical for me. (When I don't want practical I sew pink! and! colorful! for DD, highly recommended :-) )

That includes not sewing what I can but have enough of, or where my fancy takes me, but filling the holes in my closet.

I did have a raincoat. Which was cheap, ugly, unflattering. When the zip broke it was the last straw and I decided to make another one. I researched pretty laminated cottons (sigh) but couldn't justify spending that kind of money just on the fabric. And who am I fooling, I'm much more of a solid-color person, except maybe in summer when my love of patterned skirts runs wild. And this is a raincoat.

When making DD's raincoat (still unblogged, what a shame) I ordered sealing tape, reflective tape and other notions at extremtextil which I highly recommend. They have all sorts of functional fabrics and materials for making outdoor/sports clothing, backpacks, tents, what-have-you. At moderate prices.

So I ordered a waterproof, breathable nylon in a pretty rust color, reflectice piping and seam sealing tape. For the lining I used a dotted cotton in the front/back/hood and slippery rayon lining in the sleeves. Sadly, I bought a regular (metal) zipper which is really too heavy for this material and drags a bit alough it's pretty. On DD's coat I used a heavy duty plastic zip which was a much better idea.

(self-drafted pocket inside)

The pattern is Ottobre 5/2012/19 (winter coat "Luxurious Flowers") which I mainly used because I had a deadline (travel) coming up and wanted to get going instead of searching my 101 pattern magazines. I'm not sure the asymmetrical shape is so great, and I have to issue a warning: the hood as is is huge. It hid half my face and had a longer tip that snow white's dwarves. It was strange, unpractical and unflatterin. Although Ottobre recommends this pattern „also“ for outdoor/functional fabrics there was nothing functional about the hood.

I redrafted it which is okay. It doesn't fix the basic shape which means the end of the hood cross in the front and fall apart when you open the coat which shows rather more of the lining than I find pretty. Also, this construction makes the hood a bit loose. When it rains and there's a wind or I'm riding my bike the hood won't stay on. I should have added rivets and a drawstring (like in DD's raincoat – this makes me realize what a well-thought out pattern THAT was – also Ottobre, by the way).

Last of all, I should have added a seam at the hem instead of just bagging the lining. It balloons a bit. I may go back and fix that; I doubt I'll fix any of my other complaints.

All that said, I love my raincoat! It's a shape and color I love, it's comfy, I think it's flattering and I plan on wearing this for 20 years at least!

See more German participants in Me-Made Wednesday here.

Happy sewing!

Girl's Coat "St-Germain" Ottobre 4/2010

The coat is finished, and if it's all I do for Kids Clothes Week I'll be quite satisfied (though I have more plans, of course).

It's supposed to be a fall jacket; while fall temperatures can vary quite widely here (right now it's like summer), I thought a corduroy jacket with rayon lining alone wouldn't cut it. So I went looking for a quilted lining in pink or purple. When I didn't find one I just bought some cotton fleece and made it myself!

(The fleece cost about as much as all the other coat materials together; these are department store prices and fabric market prices for you!) Quilting was quite fun, but also more time consuming than expected. DD was a bit disappointed the fleece side wouldn't show in the finished coat!

The sleeves are lined with regular lining fabric. I did NOT understand Ottobre's instructions for machine sewing lining and sleeve shell together ("sew sleeves hand in hand". Huh?) but figured it out by pinning them together, turning them through the gap between lining and shell, and sewing. Oh, for a three-dimensional imagination! (I'll order one next time around.)

Details: I'm quite proud of the well-rolling collar. Unfortunately the colors don't show truly; the buttons are the same color as the coat, and sewn on with the same pink embroidery floss as the "poinsettia flower".

Happy (little girl's) sewing!

Kids Clothes Week Challenge

Kids Clothes Week is upon us, and just as well, since I'm still working on the girl's coat. My mojo is low, so little girls' garments are definitely the way to go if I want to have any hope of finishing!

(I also have a navy blue suit cut out. Spend two weeks working on navy blue fabric in grown-up dimensions? Not a flower, polka dot, playful detail in sight? No-o, at least not until the endless rows of PTA meetings and the endless succession of flu in this household have subsided. Then, I might reconsider.)

Have a look what some motivated moms finish in a week's worth of sewing kid's clothes for an hour a day! Me, I hope to finish the coat. Also, I'm toying with sewing some cyclamen pink corduroy cropped pants to go with it. Not that DD needs pants!

(The coat in yesterday's state.)

Funny how I love sewing kids' pants and have put off sewing mine for about half a year by now... I just realized. Might be the lack of cyclamen pink in my wardrobe.

I'm still following Self-Stitched September, I'm just not motivated to put up the row of blurry mirror pictures right now... Or to take better pictures! (And I love taking pictures! Just not of myself, apparently.)

For lack of anything else, here's some of my coat progress so far:

In the lower right you see the dotted poplin lining peeking through the welt pocket. DD was a bit disappointed in my color choice, so I decided to try a little decorative hand embroidery on the lapel facing. It looks like a poinsettia, doesn't it? Completely unintentional.

Not pictured: Shell and lining are done, now onwards to the finishing.

Happy sewing!

Self-Stitched September 7-9

(Self-stitched: blouse, skirt, blouse.)

There is sewing going on here, really.

But first, there were some festivities to get out of the way. Dear company, fun parties, my 40th birthday. I hadn't been looking forward to it, exactly, but I had a fun time and got spoiled. And, as they say, getting to 40 sure beats the alternative!

While I'm glad I have a life, and people in it, that take up my time, I'm always happy to be through with the hoopla, clear off the dining room table, and get back to sewing. Anybody else feel this way?

I meant to get to the Trench Sew-Along, finally. Then I was struck by Trench Fear. Then I decided to cheat a little and get started on this:

Trench style girl's jacket from the current Ottobre issue.

Stay tuned!

Dress BWOF 5/2009/117 and Coat BWOF 9/2007/105

The dress is done, the coat is finished, and here's proof:

I had both finished just in time for the wedding yesterday, and the road test went very well. I'm usually cold in spring temperatures unless I wear a sweater and pants or boots, but the coat and dress were warm and cuddly (and unbelievably comfortable; I almost felt like wearing sweats!), and not too warm for dancing either. Hooray for real wool fabrics!

The dress went together well. I had reservations about the cut-on underarm gussets, but I can usually make myself bite the bullet by telling myself "If others have done it, so can I", and it often works! I had the hardest time with the fabric, the green wool knit rolled like crazy along the edges, and the lining was so stretchy it was hard to decide on a cutting line at all. Considering the very imprecise cutting I'm surprised it looks as it does (and should). Maybe knit is just very forgiving.

I cut it out like the pattern said which called for a back zipper (in a woven), not daring to cut the back on the fold. (Would've saved myself a lot of pinning...) When Jenny sent me the link to her gorgeous dress which was also in a knit and cut on the fold it was too late. But I knew it could work in a knit and it wasn't just in my head!

I had to pin like crazy (hand basting would have been better but that's really my last resort), and triple checked for leftover pins before I sewed the hems and closed up the gap between the fabric and the lining... What can I say, at dinner last night I felt something poking me and actually found three more pins (that I had to wrestle through the knitting loops of the lining, in a cramped toilet booth, no less!). Another sewing war story to tell.

I cut the dress one size smaller than usual and adjusted at the side seams for width. I took it in a bit more on the bodice, but the skirt was fine.

Final notes on the lining: I underlined the dress; I think a real/separate lining wouldn't work with the surplice bodice. The inside isn't so pretty now; there's a lot of bulk in the seam allowances as is (with folds and two overlapping front parts), and I didn't want to add to it by binding the seam allowances.

For anyone interested in this pattern who doesn't have the magazine: German Burda has a free download of it this month as The Selfish Seamstress has noted.

Finishing details on the coat: These were the best snaps I could buy, and I decided to use them for the time being. (They were prohibitively expensive, over 5 euros a piece, which was probably more than I spent on the coat fabric, although I don't remember exactly.) Gwen is right that self-fabric covered buttons would look best, but I just didn't have it in me to add another labor-intensive step to this outfit. I might still do it, but will realistically be more interested in making something shiny and new!

(The picture looks as if the pattern/embroidery repeat doesn't match. It does match when closed - it fell crooked in the picture.)

Digs asked a question about the coat fabric. No, I didn't embroider it myself. I wish! I adore embroidery, and not necessarily the machine kind, but I lack the patience to do a lot of it. So I need to go to fabric markets and score cute pre-embroidered fabric! Speaking of which: Today is the year's first fabric market! Wahoo!

A final note: I'm finally getting to the point in my sewing where my fantasies and my abilities match up enough that the outfit I envision is the one I get to wear, like this dress/coat combo. A happy place!

And off I go... To market, to market!

Coat collar

The coat has been almost done since before the weekend - just handsewing the hems and closures are left. This is such a personal record I can hardly believe it! It certainly proves a TNT (tried-and-true pattern)'s worth (and the simplicity of the pattern didn't hurt either!). I'm tempted to continue sewing variations of this pattern into eternity - a jacket a week, now wouldn't that be nice?

Thank you for your nice comments on the pockets (I thought it might be welt pockets, but the translation software had me confused there...) and your vote of confidence on the collar. In the end, I followed my first hunch to go with the collar-less silhouette. This is the collar now:

Front:

Back:

This is how I drafted it:

First, I decided on the size of the neck opening. I wanted the neck to be 3 cm higher on all sides than the opening was when I had just sewn the front/back/raglan sleeves together. Since I have a rather thin neck, I thought this would leave the neck free, including the curve at the nape, so I wouldn't have to put a curve in the collar.

Then I decided on the width of the neck band; I thought 4 cm like the pocket flaps would be fine.

Last, the shape. Since I didn't want the collar to go up the neck, but to lie flat like an extension of the back/front/(raglan) sleeves, I basically just extended those pattern pieces.

How-to: Tape the front, sleeve and back pattern pieces together at the neck.

Put tissue paper on top; trace and extend the seam/front edge lines.

Trace new pattern 1 cm from neck seam line inside the existing pattern and 3 cm outside of it (= 4 cm neck binding). I cut this apart to make two pattern parts: Extension of the front/front sleeve pattern, and of the back sleeve/back pattern, to be cut on the fold.

Viola!

Full disclosure:

I should have added some width toward the top of the "collar"; it's a little tight at the back neck. I even considered this and noted it on the pattern pieces, but it's so hard to tell the exact fit with upper collar, under collar, facings etc. before the collar is sewn and pressed, and in the end I decided against it.

Also, I made the mistake of not grading the seam allowances at the meeting point of upper collar/under collar/facing. Since I interlined the front and back pieces with cotton flannel, that's a lot of fabric at that seam. I cut it all off too short to grade any more, so in combination with the tight back neck this gives me a little "hump" in the back. Nothing I am going to lose sleep over; just be sure not to make the same mistake!

I'm planning to put snaps on it for closures, not to disturb the clean lines (aside from the embroidered border). I have no idea what's on offer around here; I may have some shopping adventures to share next time!

Flap pockets and delusions of grandeur

I. The pockets

Considering that I don't even know the correct translation ("Pattentaschen" in German), I am extremely pleased with my pockets. Here is one, someone please tell me the correct term (dictionary says flap pockets, but the flap is stitched down on the short ends/open on one side only).

I consulted my Burda book on techniques (same wording as the Burda magazine instructions, but with pictures!), and fearlessly sewed/cut away. I'm still not 100 % sure I did the right thing with the itty bitty triangles, but it looks like it should.

Irrelevant story: About a dozen or so years ago, I sewed an anorak jacket for my now-husband. Which had the same pockets. Being 99 % self-taught, and only going by Burda magazine instructions at the time (I didn't even own a book on sewing techniques), I had no idea that these pockets were hard or difficult to do. Heck, I had no idea Burda instructions were hard to understand sometimes; if I got it wrong, I just figured it was my fault.

Well, long story short, I finished the anorak, it looked wearable but nowhere near as good as this, and I renamed the "Pattentasche" "Fluchtasche". Cursing pocket. Because that's what I did, a lot. I asked DH whether he remembered the jacket. He said, of course, the one with the "Fluchtaschen". He was duly impressed.

II. The collar

This success may have gone to my head, since I am now considering drafting a different collar than what the pattern has.

The pattern is Burda 9/2007 no. 105 that I made this jacket from (there's a coat with basically the same pattern pieces; it's pattern no. 104). I put it on and took a picture to determine whether I'd like it in a coat. And I did not find the collar as bad when I had it on as expected. (The collar is fine; it's just my construction that was lacking.) Hmm.

The collar as you see is Peter Pan-like, and it might be a bit juvenile/playful for the embroidered fabric. After my last jacket went together alright, I would expect the collar to work out this time as well, but still. Here's the coat as it is now:

I'm considering adding a strip of fabric around the neck, like a facing, that does not stand up but just gives a nice edge. The shape would basically be a collarless coat. I think I could figure out the construction (I hope).

What do you think? Is it a good idea? Or am I losing touch with reality?

Happy sewing!

Fickle mojo

My mojo is fickle. My sewing ADD has something to do with that. Does anybody else have this problem?

I love planning a garment. What fabric, what pattern, what else to make that goes with it.

My problem: If I overthink this, the garment is done. If only in my mind, but it's done. And I lose interest.

So I'm trying to trick myself/my mojo. I'm invited to a wedding. I have spring fever, but the crocuses aren't out yet, and the temperatures are freezing. I have this lovely, flowery wool fabric, and this green wool knit that makes me think of spring meadows. Perfect.

(You've seen two of the fabric pieces before. I've contemplated a coat here, and a top here.)

I'm trying to go with the mojo that says, make a coat and a dress. I set scissors to fabric almost right after the thought. The coat is cut out, pockets are sewn, I'm trying hard to sew faster than I can think. Almost.

Next up: coat pattern and pockets.

P.S. Again, I find myself emulating a fellow sewer I admire. Last week, I looked at the beautiful coat Shannon made about two years ago. Now, I find myself making a beige coat (albeit embroidered) with a rusty orange lining. True story: this was the only coat fabric in my stash (about three years old) and the only satin piece long enough for a coat lining (originally bought for a blouse).

Monkey patch

When in doubt, sew kids' clothes! This monkey patch was inspired by my son's favorite soft toy, a monkey named "Charly", and is on its way to becoming part of a pair of boys' pants.

Thank you for the input on the coat. I had a good long look at all the material on The Great Coat Sew-Along (an amazing site; if you haven't seen it, go look!), and now I'm more motivated to make a coat than ever. But your comments were right; while it's a great pattern I'd love to see made up, my fabric may not be the best option for it. Or the other way around, I may need another pattern.

So I might:

a) get more fabric and make up the pattern in question,

b) search for a better pattern and make up my fabric.

While it's percolating, I'll plod on with the kids' fall/winter wardrobe!

Thoughts on coats

I bought this fabric for, oh, not pennies, but really cheap at a fabric market last year (I know, don't hate me!). It's a border print, shown folded in half; the other half is solid cream. It was intented to be a coat from the beginning, but I did not have the confidence or stamina at that point to make one.

So the fabric went into the stash, or "collection", as Carolyn calls it, which may be a better word, because a collection is enjoyed whether it is useful or not, and I certainly enjoy having beautiful fabrics even if I don't get around to sewing them for quite some time.

At this point, I have the confidence, and if I don't have the skill I know enough resources to look everything up (and then I have you, my sounding board and encyclopedia all in one!)

I'm just not sure whether I have the stamina. Now this is the first day of September, another glorious late summer day (and I'm sitting here thinking about coats - go figure!). Enough time to finish a coat at leisure and have some winter left to wear it. It's just that I'm not very good at repetitive tasks. That incudes looking at and handling the same unfinshed garment for too long. What to do?

All this doesn't deter me from considering patterns, of course. I really like Burda 9/2009 no. 102. It fits my requirements of a short coat (covering hips but not knees), and of corse I love the folklore/vintage vibe. But it's a three-and-a-half-dots pattern. Ouch! And I'm not sure whether the hidden folds would go well with a border print such as mine. Anyone interested to weigh in?

So how about it? Should I make a coat? Is anybody else planning one? I know there was a coat sew-along last year; too bad I'm late for that!