I made myself a coat for spring, using McCalls 5525, view B and grey wool fabric, bought back in March on a whim. So, it took some cutting magic to get this coat out of the small amount of wool I had bought because there really wasn’t enough for this pattern! When I realised this and went back to the store to get some more it had all been sold and I needed to buy a small amount of a different grey wool fabric which I used for the under collar and front facings, you can probably see on the close-up pictures the different fabric on the under/in-side of the coat but I think it’s not so different as to stand out in an ugly way. Actually I think it worked out to be a blessing in disguise, because the second fabric is a much stiffer and thicker felted wool than the outer woven wool fabric, so I decided there was no need to interface, and I think it was the right decision not to do so. The weight of the two wool layers together feels quite thick and stiff enough…
I lined it with a purply-pink cotton poplin, which makes the weight of the coat perfect for Perth’s sometimes chilly but sometimes warm spring weather. I’m looking forward to wearing it more!
Details:
Coat; McCalls 5525 view B, grey wool flannel
Skirt; my own design, charcoal stretch jersey knit
Shoes; Misano, from Labels
Pattern description
Semi-fitted, lined, double-breasted jacket and coat have collar, lengths and sleeve variations, princess seams and side front pockets. Here I made view B with back vent, sleeves with button bands, topstitch trim and button closure
Pattern sizing
8-16, I made size 10
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
yes
Were the instructions easy to follow?
very easy
What did you particularly like or dislike about this pattern?
I loved everything about this pattern! I like that it is fully lined, not half lined as some coat patterns are; the inset pockets are in a good position on the front, and the one-piece sleeves are an easy feature
Fabric used:
Woven grey wool for the outer, purple/pink cotton poplin for the lining. Thicker felted wool fabric for the under collar and facings (because I didn’t have enough of the outer fabric)
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made the pockets slightly larger as I thought the ones in the pattern looked too small for comfort
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I highly recommend this pattern, the variations mean you can achieve so many looks from this one pattern and I do plan to try some of the others
Conclusion:
This is such a stylish and versatile coat pattern. The pattern is well designed; it went together very easily, all the pieces fitting together as they should with no difficulty. The one piece sleeves make this a breeze to sew. I made view B, and I particularly love the flattering asymmetrical collar, very “designer” and slightly retro. I think this view would work beautifully in heavy satin for an evening coat. I also particularly like the button bands on the sleeves of this view. I hand-tacked these bands to the sleeve seams to lessen the risk of them “rotating” around the sleeve during wear.
Today was meeting friends for morning tea, and another friend for a walk later (and afternoon tea afterwards, no doubt!) It’s a tough life. My office work can wait until tonight, methinks… and it would be a crying shame to waste a beautiful day like today. Of course if I said that every day I would get absolutely no work done whatsoever…! but meh.
