Saturday, April 13, 2013

Minimalist coat

I really did not mean to go off the radar for quite so long.  "Stuff" got in the way of normal blogging interaction, and the longer I stayed away, the more difficult it seemed to get back to "normal" - whatever that is.  Once again, I'm terribly embarrassed, because I did not reply in a timely fashion to the Cennetta's nomination for a blog award.  Thank-you so very much for the honour.  Now it's far too late to continue that thread and I apologize for being such a dud.
I must have the blogging mentality now well ingrained, because despite the lack of posts, I did photograph almost all that I sewed during my absence from here.  Shall I start at the latest ?  (Well, the last that was actually photographed.)

My UFO coat from last winter.  I desperately wanted to make a double-cloth wool coat when I used to do alterations years ago, because altering the seams done in this style is absolutely NO FUN, and I wanted to see what it would be like to put something like this together from scratch.  Somewhere down the line I did acquire a remnant.  It sat around for a while (like a few years), and last year I finally started on it - rather late in the season.  The weather warmed up and I abandoned the project, thinking that I'd be much more "moved" to work on it in cold weather.  One thing and another, and this poor coat was not getting the attention it needed.  Besides, it's not really a "dead of winter" kind of coat - more of a "it's really cold, but not quite cold enough for snow" kind of coat.  By the end of February I decided that it was "do or die", and if I didn't get a move on it, this coat would once again get packed away for the summer, and I was really determined not to pack up any winter UFO's this year.  So, despite lack of enthusiasm - because any project that drags on far too long just isn't all that interesting anymore - I did finish!
Ah - pattern used - um - some combination of these two  - extended to full length.  I only had a remnant, and I was determined to get a full - length coat out of it.  Talk about zero-waste cutting!  This is all one layer -- no lining -- no facings.  And to make up for the lack of collar - I "just happened to have" a suitable piece of challis for a scarf.
So - a few more pictures...
no scarf view
back view
I was not going to mess with buttonholes or any other closures that could potentially mess up this coat!  Snaps were the order of the day - sewn very carefully through only one layer so's not to show on the outside.
Only downfall of this coat - no pockets!!!  Oh well, life just can't be perfect, now can it?
What took so long?  ... construction details to follow in the next post (yes, I took pictures!)  This post is long enough for my first post in over 3 months!!!
Oops!  Almost forgot - I do have a picture of "coat in action".
Trying to teach Mum to take the pictures - this one's not too bad, she only cut off my head

19 comments:

  1. Wow! This is stunning! I love the simplicity of the coat.

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  2. Welcome back, and a superb, stylish coat.

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  3. What a lovely streamlined look - it looks so different to the patterns pictured - looking forward to your construction post.

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  4. That's a very nice coat. And perfect for cool spring/fall temps.

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  5. It's very elegant! Sort of minimalist chic! It must be very warm too.
    Nice to have you back:-)

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  6. Now that is an elegant coat! I agree with the snap closures. Why are the scary buttonholes always the last to put in?

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  7. beautiful coat I bet you gets loads of wear from it.

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  8. Gorgeous coat! I don't think I've even seen double cloth, but it seems like it would be very interesting to work with.

    I've nominated your blog for the Liebster Award! Don't worry if this one slips by you too... I know I've let them slip by myself. You can find the details here: http://itsasewinglife.blogspot.com/2013/04/spreading-love.html

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  9. You sew beautifully Irene and glad to see you back online. Love your coat but I do hope it warms up soon :)

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  10. This is just beautiful! So elegant. Sometimes simple is the best!

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  11. Such a beautiful coat! Very high end--reminiscent of Eileen Fisher. I bet it is wonderfully comfortable and luxurious to wear.

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  12. I love that coat, so elegant and minimalist ... I feel that you have been away from blogging ... I missed you ... Hooray for a UFO least in your sewing cave ....

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  13. It may be a minimal piece, but it is perfection in every way!

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  14. That is such a beautiful coat, Irene. I love the lines of it. A classic for many years to come!

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  15. Nice coat. O really, really like it! I also made a coat with snaps, and then sewed huge buttons on for decoration!

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  16. That should have been "I", not "O"!

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  17. Irene, The coat is beautiful. I love the simple classic lines. Great staple for any wardrobe. Don't feel embarrassed about the award or the long period of time away from blogging. We all have our moments. I just had one. ;-)
    Welcome back!

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