Victory Is Mine

After six months of sewing, procrastinating, applying to grad school, going to a convention, getting sidetracked on numerous other projects, and co-authoring a novel-length fanfic (my nerdiness knows no bounds), I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED THE COAT.

Everything was pretty much hunky-dory after I finished re-fitting the midriff and setting in the sleeves; I top-stitched the front edge, which keeps the edge from rolling and makes the lapel look extra sharp:

One of the last steps was to do the bottom and sleeve hems. I'd already pressed up and tacked the wool, so in theory all I had to do was sew the lining in place. Unfortunately, something I should have taken into consideration was the bulkiness of the Thinsulate. Because the hem on this kind of coat drops down and has a little extra folded up underneath (so it doesn't pull weirdly when you wear it), the Thinsulate would have to fold back in on itself at the very bottom. This was not a good look, as I found out when I turned the coat:

Uh oh...

There's your problem.

The Thinsulate is lofty and kinda thick, so creasing compactly is not something it does well. It caused the hem to buckle and poof outwards instead of hanging straight down.

My solution: trim the Thinsulate (not the purple lining) two and a half inches above the raw edge so that the only part that has to fold is the brocade. The Thinsulate doesn't unravel, so it's fine to just hang down inside the lining. That length made it hit right above the pressed-up edge of the wool, which was perfect.

Some careful trimming and hem-stitching later, my coat was nearly done! The only thing left after the hems was to attach the buttons. I bought these cool little guys waaay back at the beginning of my project:

I'd toyed with the idea of putting these on my black wool melton coat, but they didn't have them in the right size. This time, I thought they'd compliment the black and white well, although I had misgivings since they were kind of busy. But my dad convinced me that they were cool and would add an interesting feature. There are three large buttons up the center (not double-breasted!)

You can see here that I did machine-stitched buttonholes instead of the really difficult buttonholes that I put on my melton coat. These were fast but nerve-wracking because if you mis-cut them, your coat is RUINED FOREVER. 

(probably not, but it seems that way when you're about to take the first snip.)

I made sure to make them large enough, because the aforementioned melton buttonholes were definitely on the skimpy side. It always hurts my fingers to button that coat, but these fit the bill (and the buttons). The little black button you can see on the right, above, is an anchor for the button to keep it from pulling through the fabric. Definitely worthwhile whenever you sew on shank buttons, and particularly for loosely-woven fabric like my boucle.

So, are you ready for the big reveal, dear reader? I know I am!

What? I always sway my hips while taking off my coat.

Front view! 

Back view! It makes my shoulders look extra-wide because I didn't take in the sleeve seams after I fitted it. Oh well.

With scarf! Probably how I will be wearing it 90% of the time this winter.

So, it's done! I know, I can hardly believe it myself. But I now own THREE nice peacoats to wear to school, so I need never complain of having nothing to wear.

BONUS: After finishing the coat, I decided to make a new purse to replaced the one I sewed a year or two ago, which was wearing out at the seams and the magnetic clasp. I used the same pattern but picked out a sturdy peacock feather print canvas for the exterior, which should give me some extra life.

 

Peacocks have kind of been my thing ever since I  played Griffes's "The White Peacock" and apparently claimed it as my  piano piece soulmate.

I really love this bag because it's very comfortable to wear and has lots of space without seeming ENORMOUS. The two sides of the bag are actually large zippered pouches, and the space between them has a third compartment that closes at the top with a magnetic clasp. I really like this middle compartment for keeping my keys, cell phone, and other things that need to be within easy reach.

Such as lip gloss. You never know when you're going to have to whip that stuff out.

Also, SUPER SWEET POCKETS. Look at those awesome little guys. There's a wide flat one, and a pleated narrow one that is perfect for my gadgets. Never again will my cell phone float freely about the abyss that is the bottom of my purse!

The inside of the zippered pockets has lining like the middle. I was really fortunate to find a lining fabric by the same designer as the canvas, so it has a very similar color scheme (muted grays and warm taupes) and compliments it really nicely.

Those heavy-duty metal zippers were a change from the polyester zippers I had on my old bag. I wanted something a little sturdier; the problem I found with these, once I had installed them, was that they were incredibly sticky, to the point that I was worried about bending the teeth out of shape if I tried to force it. However, I did a little googling and found that running a candle over the teeth a few times will help lubricate them, and that seemed to do the trick. Now it zips pretty easily.

So, to recap my sewing adventures this year (in approximate order finished):

• Pajama pants for my brother
• Milk stand cushion for my brother
• Apron
• Cotton goodie bags for the Christmas cookie exchange
• Pajama pants for my sister (two pairs!)
• Stargate jacket
• Matching pants
• Boucle peacoat
• Boucle hat (which I will probably never wear, but at least it matches my coat)
• Peacock purse

What a lineup! Looking back, I sort of wish I'd made a formal dress or two to wear to recitals and things; I have a lot of patterns I've accumulated over the years but never bought fabric for. I guess that will be next on my sewing wish list!

It's a good feeling to put a bookmark in my sewing progress and enjoy what I've created. I've got one more month before I move to Idaho in August, and I'm not going to spend it sequestered in the sewing room (though I may be giving tips to my sister, who is embarking on sewing her own long peacoat!). But I'm glad I've been keeping track of my progress. Narrating the steps as I sew makes me think more about what I'm doing, and it makes me focus on doing the best job I can instead of working too fast and getting sloppy. Overall, I'm very proud of the work I've done this year, and I can't wait to see what's waiting just around the corner for me!