Finished project: Simplicity 1254 - Leanne Marshall coat

I just looked back through my post archive, and the last "Finished Project" post I've written was back on...November 4th, and that one was for my daughter's Halloween costume.

(Side note: I did get just an email from the designer whose pattern I tested back in November with the final version of the pattern, among other things, but I'll be blogging about that later.)

In any case, here it is...the coat project that wouldn't end:

Simplicity 1254, the Leanne Marshall coat!

Simplicity 1254 - Leanne Marshall coat

The coat isn't without its issues, but I do really like it.

Yes, my face looks extra pasty/blue. Apparently, my husband's DSLR didn't know what to do with so much blue from the coat, and it overcompensated with whatever autocorrection it applies. We tried fixing it in a photo editor, but weren't able to do so in a way that made us both happy. Yes, that means that we pulled out the "real" camera for a "real" photoshoot for this one. Want proof? Here's the obligatory back-against-a-fence/wall-and-looking-to-the-side pic that is required in sewing blog photoshoots:

Against the fence

Yes, I am aware that my hem could use a good pressing. Trust me, I pressed the crap out of it; what I really needed for this project was to invest in a clappwer, which I will do before attempting to make another coat.

Pattern Drafting Notes/"Does it look like the envelope?"

I found the pattern to be well-drafted in that everything lined up as expected; however, you can see from the photos that the coat on me has more flare at the hip area than indicated in the line drawing and envelope photos. I actually took the hips in a small amount on this final version, so without that adjustment, the coat would flare more. This doesn't really bother me, but I wanted to note it in case you're looking for a sleek, slim-fitting coat.

Simplicity 1254 envelope

Additionally, the oversized collar turns out to make a not-terribly-functional hood:

Collar-as-hood

 When I'm holding it in place, you can see how large and floppy it is:

Yes, the hood is this large

This will do in a pinch on a super cold/wet day if I'm caught off-guard, but clearly, this coat will not serve as an all-weather outerwear garment.

Fabric and Notions Used

• Coat shell: Wool flannel from Fashionista Fabrics (sadly now-closed). Melody from Fashionista even thought there was likely a bit of cashmere blended in here, too. As to be expected with this fabric type, this stuff sewed/pressed like a dream (my bulky hem, aside). I've had this fabric in my stash for probably ~5 years, and until now, I'd never felt that my skills or that a pattern was worthy of it, so it was a big deal for me to cut into this and make something out of it.
• Lining: Poly charmeuse (this design sold out) from Gorgeous Fabrics.
• Interlining: Flannel-backed Tricot interlining from Gorgeous Fabrics.
• Zipper: YKK two-way separating zipper from ZipperStop.
• Interfacing: This stuff from Fashion Sewing Supply.

Pattern Sizing and Alterations

This pattern is drafted with less ease than you'd typically find in a coat pattern. As drafted, it has 3" of ease at the bust, instead of the usual 5 1/2" (per Fit for Real People). If you plan to make this and are not already at the top of the size range, you might want to size up for this pattern. I did make a muslin, and below are the pattern alterations that I used for the final coat. Note that I am 5'2" tall and typically shorten tops/blouses/sleeves by about 2" in most patterns.

• 1" broad back adjustment
• 2.5" princess seamed FBA (Fit for Real People method)
• 1.5" Full bicep adjustment (Fit for Real People method)
• Shortened sleeve length 1/2" 
• Shortened coat 2" at lengthen-shorten line
• Interlined the coat by underlining the lining pieces with interlining
• Trimmed undercollar piece by 1/8" to help the roll line
• Used a magnetic purse snap as the collar closure

None of these alterations are terribly unusual for me, but I rarely need that large of a full bicep adjustment in jackets. I also usually need to shorten jacket sleeves by more than that. Takeaway message: the sleeves on this run slim and short. Everything else fits more or less as expected.

Some sewists on Pattern Review chose not to interface the upper collar piece (as directed in the instructions) because they were afraid that it would affect the drape of their fabric/collars. I did interface mine. Looking at my collar, I think that the interfacing does help give the collar the shape on the envelope and does help keep the collar from flipping up.

Here's a view of the coat from the back:

Simplicity 1254 - back

Also, if you're wondering if with that collar, the coat can be worn open, I think that it can:

Simplicity 1254 - worn open

 I really don't think that the collar looks all that bad when the coat is open.

Pattern Instructions

Yeah, so the instructions for this coat aren't great. This coat is rated as "Easy" by Simplicity, and I'm guessing that's only because the coat lacks things like bound buttonholes, welt pockets, and lapels.

This was my first real coat, and if I were to ever make it again, I'd probably find the construction pretty easy, but making a muslin didn't save me from a lot of confusion on some steps. As one of the reviews on Pattern Review noted, some steps in the instruction are super-detailed, whereas others gloss right over important details. For example, understitching the collar seam gets an entire step to itself, but assembling the entire lining and starting to bag the lining is also written as a single step. A number of us on Pattern Review found both the zipper and bagging-the-lining instructions to be pretty confusing.

To finish bagging my lining, I ended up using this tutorial from Grainline Studios, which I found very helpful and less confusing than the Simplicity instructions:

Sewing Tutorial: How to Bag a Jacket Lining

What's great, though, is now that I know how to bag a lining, I'll always know how to apply this to future projects. I hate hand-stitching, so even if it wasn't without stress, I'm very glad to have learned this technique (finally).

Here's my flashing-the-lining shot:

Simplicity 1254 - lining

Final Thoughts

I'm not going to lie; this coat was a huge PIA to construct. Part of this was my own doing by underlining the lining with interlining to make the coat warmer (and trust me, it's very, very warm). However, I really love the final coat, even though I suppose you could make the argument that it makes someone my size look like a giant blueberry (but really, who gives an F? I like the coat). I'd never be able to find a dramatic coat like this in a bright color like this in my size in RTW.

Sneak peak: Simplicity 1254 - Leanne Marshall coat

I know that this coat saga has probably seemed like this at times:

However, this morning, I finally finished my coat! And I finished it just in time to fly down to Southern California for a work trip tomorrow morning, where I most certainly won't be wearing it in the 80 degree weather that's forecast for the time that I'm down there.

I've already informed my husband that we're doing photos when I'm back in town on Sunday (and hoping to maybe even get him to bust out the DSLR for this shoot), and I'll do a full write-up on the pattern (including lessons learned, tips, etc,) but until then, here are a couple of very poorly-lit dressform photos from my sewing room. Yes, I had to lighten the hell out of these photos to show ANY detail, but I figured that these were better than nothing. Also, my dress form isn't padded out anywhere near to my current size--the coat fits me much better than it does the dressform:

Poorly lit/overexposed coat on a dressform

And a poorly lit shot of the oversized statement collar/hood:

Poorly lit/overexposed collar/hood

Overall, after a lot of frustration with how long construction took and some confusion over some of the construction steps, I'm very happy with how the coat turned out. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how ridiculously warm interlining the coat would make it, and given that it's a pretty dramatic style, this isn't quite the "everyday" coat that I was hoping for. BUT, I did need a warm coat for the days where we have highs in the 30's (which seemed to happen a lot more frequently last winter than have been happening this winter).

Which leads me to my other sneak preview...since I publish my pattern posts on Fridays, yes, I have seen, fell in love with, and already ordered the Grainline Studios Cascade duffle coat. I think it looks like the perfect everyday coat/jacket for me, and I've seriously planned four different versions (combining the different lengths and hood/collar options) in my head. I really need to take a break from the involvedness of coat sewing for a little bit, but I'm already thinking that I'll be doing one or two versions of the Cascade later in the winter or in early spring.

In Progress (part 2): Simplicity 1254 - Leanne Marshall coat

So, I finally have the muslin photos of my Leanne Marshall coat that I said I would take!

I took this set of photos on Sunday. Note that these were taken after I took the hips/bottom of the coat in by a few inches (just guessing at how much to take in).

Leanne Marshall coat muslin - front

In this shot, it does look like there's some pulling across the bust. I can assure you that there should be more than enough ease through there, so I'm thinking that it's just the way that I'm standing, possibly. To be safe, though, I'll add a tad more room through there on the final coat.

And here's the back:

Leanne Marshall coat muslin - back

Here, you can clearly see that I need to let the hips back out a touch, at least in back. I think I overshot how much to take them in by. I wasn't getting that pooling/swayback wrinkling before I took the hips in. Good thing that this is a muslin, right?

I took a couple of photos with the hood up, as well.

Coat muslin with hood - front

Coat muslin with hood - back

I'm planning to make the following changes to my paper pattern pieces before cutting my coat fabric and lining:

• Full arm/bicep adjustment for the coat's upper arm.
• Let the hips back out a bit, especially at the back/high hip.
• Add a touch more ease through the bust. I'm still not convinced that this is needed though, based on how the coat looked before I set in the sleeves. I suspect that the pulling here is either caused by how I'm standing or the tightness of the sleeve.

Another thing to note is that I messed up inserting the second half of the zipper. The instructions tell you to place the zipper tape 1/2" away from the "edge". At that point, without having inserted a lining in my muslin, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to insert it 1/2" away from the folded edge of the front or from the fabric edge itself minus seam allowance (what would be the seamline between the self-facing and lining.) I guessed and went with the fabric edge itself.

You can see here what this produced in the next two (poorly lit) photos.

Here's the zipper all zipped up. Looks okay, doesn't it?

Coat muslin zipped up

But then here it is with the top flap pulled aside. You can see that my goof created a second "top" flap over the second/right side of the jacket/zipper.

Oops!

So, if you're making this coat and have gotten confused on this step, the "edge" refers to the folded edge, which I assume will be more apparent once you've got your lining in.

Next up, another round of pattern alterations, and then I'll cut and construct my lining/interlining.

In Progress (part 1): Simplicity 1254 - Leanne Marshall coat

As I know I mentioned in a previous post, I put aside my other two in-progress projects to jump on the Simplicity Leanne Marshall coat bandwagon. My muslin is well underway, and while I wouldn't normally post a progress post this early in a project, I know that a lot of others are working on this coat right now, and I wanted to share how the fit was going in my muslin, in case it helps anyone else out.

The Fabric

First up, though, here's the fabric and lining that I'm using for my coat. Apologies for the somewhat dark-ish photo, but as blog followers, you've probably picked up on the fact that A) I'm a crappy photographer who just uses an iPhone camera and B) the lighting in my sewing room (outside of the Ott lamp at my sewing desk) is crap.

Fabric for my Leanne Marshall coat...squeee!

The color is hard to see here, but the fabric on the left is a gorgeous wool flannel in a peacock/turquoise-ish blue that I bought from (the now closed) Fashionista Fabrics a few years ago. Melody told me that there's some cashmere blended in there, and I believe it. This fabric is SUPER soft. I've been waiting for the perfect pattern for this coating (and in reality, probably, to finally live in a climate where I wear coats), and I'm both super nervous and super excited to finally have a wearable garment from this.

The fabric on the right, of course, is my lining fabric. It's a poly charmeuse that I purchased during a recent sale at Gorgeous Fabrics. It looks like there's still 3 yards left, if you're interested.

I also purchased interlining (not shown) from Gorgeous Fabrics. It's supposed to be similar to thinsulate, but can be washed, dry-cleaned, etc. I will be underlining the lining with this fabric.

Why is this coat labeled "easy"?

I've seen some comments online wondering why Simplicity chose to mark this coat as "easy", especially since the zipper instructions are not supposed to be good. I've only worked through one side of the zipper so far in my muslin (they split up the process of doing each half), and while they don't produce the most professional-looking zipper as written (there's no facing/shield, as drafted), I didn't find the first half particularly confusing. In any case, I can see why this coat is labeled "easy", compared to other coat patterns:

• There aren't a lot of pattern pieces. It's basically the equivalent of sewing a lined, princess seamed dress.
• Inserting that zipper, even with possibly confusing instructions, is going to be way easier than either trying to do machine buttonholes on wool coating or attempting bound buttonholes.
• The hood/collar is pretty straightforward and is easier to attach than, say, doing a notched lapel collar, like on other coat styles.

Once I get the whole zipper inserted, I'm going to try to figure out how to add a facing and shield so that the zipper tape is nicely sandwiched in my wool in my final coat. Cathy on Pattern Review made this change, and I'll likely do the same for my coat. I think it looks nicer.

Preliminary Fitting Notes

I decided to muslin the whole coat. I've gotten burned in the past by not muslining sleeves, so I will be muslining both of those, too. I've found that you can't truly get a read on your arm mobility until you've got both sleeves in. I'm also going to muslin a single layer version of the hood/collar, just in case it looks horrible on me, in which case I'll scrap this coat and move onto a different pattern. So far, I have the muslin shell sewn up, and the sleeves sewn but not inserted.

Here are my fitting notes, based on my partial muslin:

• I used my own "standard" Big 4 adjustments as a starting point (FBA, broad back, petiting everything by 2 1/2", "just in case" 1" seam allowances on the sleeves).
• I have one half of the zipper inserted, as I've been following the instructions as written. Right now, my fitting observations are based on pinning the coat closed at the CF, but I don't expect them to change much.
• The bodice fits, as expected through the shoulders, bust, waist, and butt. My high bust measurement (43") puts me between a Big 4 20 and 22, so given that this was a coat, I went with the larger size as my base size (22).
• As the first few reviews/posts for this pattern have indicated, there's more room through the hips on this coat than the line drawings/pattern photos indicate. On my muslin, it has almost a fit-and-flare shape. I think kinda like it like this, but I think I'm going to take the hips in a bit on my muslin because although I like the look, it's not what I was going for with this pattern. I'm not sure if I'll be taking in just the front princess seams through the hips, or the side ones, too. I do need the extra room going over my big butt in back, though. The hem is actually hanging completely level, and I don't want to mess with that.
• Pattern length for the coat body runs as expected. My 2.5" petite adjustment will put the coat hem at a similar place on me as it is on the pattern photo for the coat view. Right now, it's just above the knees, but I suspect that with a 1.5" hem, as called for, it'll wind up pretty close to lower-mid thigh, like on the model.
• The sleeve, on the other hand, looks like it's going to run short and snug. Just from eyeballing it, I decided to only shorten it 2", instead of 2.5", and after sliding the muslin sleeve onto my arm, I suspect that I'll be adding most, if not all, of that length back on. My "just in case" extra large seam allowances aren't going to cut it here, either, if I wear this over anything long sleeved or with any bulk. I'll be doing a slash-and-spread full bicep adjustment before I cut my fabric. Unless you have slender arms, I highly recommend muslining the sleeve for this pattern.

If you're working on this coat, I hope that you find my observations useful in figuring out what adjustments you may or may not need. I hope to get my muslin finished/tweaked over the next few days, and will get photos over the weekend (the only time that I'm home when there's actually light outside for photos), so that you can start to get an idea of how this coat looks on a plus sized body.