Ze Coat, She is finished!
Step right up, ladies and gent (there is at least one gent reading out there, I think?). You’ve borne with me through I don’t even want to count how many Springy Coat posts this month. And now, here we are, at the end of April (how did that happen?) and, at last—the Springy Little Coat is done!
At this point you’ve probably heard everything there is to hear about the construction of this coat. So all I’ll say is that I used seam-binding on the shell hem, stretching as I sewed, which worked fairly well for pulling it in (the joys of an A-line hem), then handstitched. For the lining I did a blind-hem (just for fun… I suck at machine blind-hems). I didn’t quite get my lining length vs. shell length right—the lining was a bit long—but I’m not going to complain at this point. (And better too long than too short, right?)
I also gave in and hand-stitched the lining at the cuffs. I know, not the point. But with my cuffs, it just seemed awkward, bulky, and likely to screw up to do it by machine.
Then I dug out all the coordinating (and some not-coordinating) clothes in my closet and played around in front of a mirror.
A lot. And since I’m not nearly as good as Patty at picking the one or two absolute best shots, I will hereby subject you to a crapload of them:
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- Ze Coat, She eez feeneeshed
If I get my way, I will get better (outdoor!) shots this weekend, and subject you to those, too. I think by Sunday it should be warm enough to wear my coat out of doors. For now, it’s snowing again. (Obviously my strategy of invoking spring through sewing has failed. I should just cave and start making sweaters and snowsuits.)
Incidentally I’ve decided (along with most of the rest of those in the RTW sewalong, no doubt) to enter my Springy Little Coat in the PR Lined Jacket Contest, so if you’re a PR member go ahead and vote (ideally for me, but y’know. May the best jacket win and all that…)! Fortunately for me, Patty’s coat, which is almost a dead ringer for mine, can’t receive votes as she won the wardrobe contest in March.
For that matter, if you’re a Canadian, you have some voting to do, too—Monday, peeps! I happen to live in the Prime Minister’s riding, so I have the rare privilege of actually voting directly for (or, as the case may be, against) him—although since he’s pretty much guaranteed to win his seat, it does make it seem a bit pointless voting for anybody else. The joys of a parliamentary system.
Tanit-Isis Sews 
I advance voted last week because we’re off to sunny Cuba on Monday, and I DID NOT WANT TO MISS THIS ONE! Oh boy, if Harper wins another minority I’ll be pissed at all the young non-voters out there. anyhoo…
Great jacket. I don’t yet have the skills to tackle that kind of project – maybe next year. I’ve been seeing a lot of empire waisted coats on the streets of Montreal this year, but they are usually gathered under the empire seam and a bit too baby-doll for my liking (not to mention too loose and the cold wind blows right up them), so I really like your version much better.
Hope you’ve seen the last of the snow out west!
ME, TOO! Although I don’t see enough Liberal support out here to put them back into power (but then you Easterners do outweigh us…) and I can’t picture the NDP sweeping it either, so another Conservative minority may be in the cards. Bleh. So done with them.
My first “grown-up sewing project” was a jacket for my daughter. They’re actually not that tough—coating fabrics are lovely to work with, and Kasha lining is not nearly as annoying as regular lining fabric. You should totally give one a try!
Aaaah! It’s so beautiful! Well done! Love everything about it (particularly the colour, which looks awesome on you.)
I voted in the advance polls on Saturday. My riding is neck and neck… with the party I would have preferred to vote for running very far behind, and one of the parties I can’t stand threatening to win. Ugh, deciding to vote with your principles or vote strategically is a toughie!
True, dat!
OMG. Love it!! So glad you’re entering it in the PR lined coat challenge–you definitely have my vote! I absolutely love the coat with the pink cloche hat! Such a fabulous coat!!!
Hee! I thought of you when I was taking that shot :D. Thank you!
SUPER-cuteness. OMG when do you sleep??
(I totally don’t get the whole parliamentary system at all… I was totally confused by the NZ political system- where it is AGAINST THE LAW to not vote! awesomeness- and I don’t understand the British system at all either…. saying that, I’m not sure I 100% get the US system, but I at least have some sort of grasp on it.)
Our system is pretty simple (if not entirely satisfactory)—the nation is divided up into “ridings.” Within each riding, voters have their choice of candidates from several parties (there are three major and a few minor parties). Whichever party has the most candidates elected in various ridings forms the government, and the head of that party becomes the Prime Minister. Ideally that party will win more than half of the ridings, forming a “majority government,” and they are then able to win the votes in parliament because they have a majority of seats. However, the last couple of elections here, the Conservatives have won the most ridings, but never a majority, which means that if the opposing parties decide to cooperate against them, they can’t really get anything through.
The downsides of this are that you don’t get to directly vote for your leader, and that it’s entirely possible for a party to have a good chunk of popular support but not win a single seat if they don’t have a majority anywhere.
There was also a rather creepy period in the 90s when the “Official Opposition” (the party with the second-largest number of seats) was the Parti Quebecois—a party whose sole goal was, basically, to break up Canada.
On the up-side, since we don’t have set election dates, officials don’t spend half of each term in office campaigning—nobody knows an election’s coming until it’s called, usually with about 6 weeks lead-up.
Then there’s the senate, but I won’t even go into that…
Well summed. I’m still sitting on the fence on how to vote.
Lovely coat, it’s a job well done. The pink hat is quite complimentary.
your coat. is PERFECT. i love it with your blue lacey number! with the entire crapload, actually. the third one in is extra fabulous. did you make the top & skirt? have i already drooled over it?
Thanks! That would be the Corset-waist Circle Skirt and Sheer JJ blouse. Which may date from before we stumbled upon each other… Though I did wear both during MMM.
Congrats! It’s a splendid coat. You did a fabulous job!
Thanks!
Vote with your heart, honey! Every one counts. And so strange that you live in Harper’s riding. I suppose someone has to!
I LOVE the coat – especially with the cloche. Amazing work.
Yeah, i was pretty excited when I realized that. I would think there have been lots of PMs with ridings in Ontario, though… A western PM is a bit of a novelty 😉
Thanks!
PS: What a clear and simple explanation of first-past-the-post!
Oooo! Congratulations with the finished coat! It is fabolous. I will pop right over to PR and vote right this minute. You did an amazing job on this one. I love it so. And I really hope that you´ll get some spring-y weather soon so you can wear it out! 🙂
Thanks! Forecast is in low teens for the weekend, so I’m hoping… 🙂
that frightened me until I remembered you probably work in Celsius.
love the coat!
…alright so I´ll have to wait for Monday to arrive to vote. Will do so then! 😉
Nice !!!!! love the shot showing the lining with piping, very sharp.
and the pink hat view.
Thank you! 😀
Well I am just sitting here green with envy: the coat, your amazing sewing skillz, your handle on the parlimentary system, and that cute pink hat. That’s my favorite look, but the corset skirt is pretty great too.
LOL! Well, thank you. Especially that bit about the parliamentary system. 😉
Well done!
Don’t worry no one in America understands our political system either, and they keep insisting on trying to teach it to our teens!!!
I’m even amazed that we all ARE still able to vote these days!!
What’s next on your cutting table?
Thank you!
I still have the dress I posted about earlier this week to finish, and some non-selfish sewing I should really get to… So yeah, no shortage on the to-do list 😉
Wow. This is a very spectacular coat. I love the design. Has anyone ever told you you’re brilliant?
Aww, shucks. Now I’m blushing. Thank you!
Absolutely gorgeous! You do such beautiful work. The photo shoot is great, too. I love the lining shot with the slip dress. Cheeky!
Thank you! That’s one of those dresses that’s been sitting in the closet forever, rarely gets an outing, but I can’t quite bring myself to part with. Ah, well, at least it doesn’t take up much space… 😉
Absolutely gorgeous. Though I didn’t expect any less. I love the silhouette. So when are you going to put your patterns on paper and start sharing them with the world? 🙂
Oh, dear. Now there’s a scary thought… 😉
Thanks!
Beautiful coat and it looks just as good on the inside!! Very impressive…
Pretty pretty pretty! Nice work, isn’t it great to be finished?
I was also relieved when I realized I’m not competing against Patty. 🙂
Thanks!
… of course there still remains the problem of competing against you. 😉
Well, I wasn’t going to say it, but yeah… There is the problem of competing against you, too. I’ve never won a PR contest and swore off them forever, but here I am again… Not a bad little prize for a cash-strapped sewist, either…
And of course, bragging rights… 😉
Hehe :). There are some other nice coats, too. I’ve only ever entered one before, the children’s sewing one last summer… which obviously I didn’t win either :). I figure I won’t go out of my way for one, but if one coincides with something I want to sew anyway, why not enter?
You know, I like how so much we’re on the same wavelengths (like you suggesting the drafting diagram I was planning to use for the riverbends top…) and come up with completely different stuff. I enjoy this.
We’ll see how I feel when you beat me at lined jackets… heh heh heh.
Beautiful, beautiful! You have a dancer’s way about you… (ha, it’s a language I know from being married to one). I love the one with the lacey dress peeping out, with the pink cloche and smokey eyes. Sweet and mysterious…
And now, I don’t know how I missed the PR contest (hmmm, thinking if I can get it done in the next day). I don’t want to compete against this, though!
Thank you :D. That makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, severely lapsed in the dance department as I am.
See my above comment about competing with Steph. 😉
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! You did a great job, my favorite pic is the one with the pink hat, I also love the back. It looks fabulous you should be very proud of yourself 🙂
Well done! It’s a fab coat and I think as far as the photo shoot goes, you’re just missing one that suggests you are about to flash us and one with stolen watches pinned to the lining. har har har
Yes, please vote.
LMAO. That did occur to me…
Psst! Hey, kid, ya wanna buy a vintage sewing notion?
I really love the back vent and the matching sleeve pleat – those are lovely details. Oh to have the figure to pull off a babydoll coat! It’s very cute and young and fresh – I’m sure you’ll get lots of wear out of it – when the weather indulges you.
Hmph. I can totally see you in a babydoll coat. Possibly with a doily on the shoulder. You could do it! 🙂
Congratulations! You’ve produced a beautiful coat. I love all the little details. The style looks wonderful on you. May you have the chance to step out with it on and show it off to the world soon.
Thank you! Fortunately the weather improved over the course of the weekend—I got to wear it out and about on Sunday! 🙂
Wow, very pretty! I really like it paired with your lace dress and the pink cloche hat… 🙂
I love your coat! usually making wintery things makes it hotter here, but maybe that doesn’t work where you are. I’m making summer clothes; therefore, cold snap this week
Yeah, I think I need to make some sweaters. Sewing for warm weather has been a total bust so far…
Hat picture is my favorite! Great coat!
yay for FO’s!!
Oh crap, I forgot to comment on the actual entry! I ADORE your coat, you look absolutely lovely in it! I didn’t think that light colours would work for you, but I was totally wrong. The light coloured jacket really emphasizes your facial features!
I’m torn between yours and Stephs in the contest at PR. And that’s not personal bias showing up, either, I really like both of yours best!
Haha! Don’t worry, I saw your other comments, too 🙂
Thank you!
Steph’s is awesome, too. There are some great coats in there 🙂
AMAZING!! it’s so gorgeous and still twirly too 🙂
This is the cutest coat ever – the buttons, priness, seams, collar, pleats – all are wonderful. Now you need some weather to enjoy it!
Thank you! See above about the improving weather—although who knows whether it’ll last…
This coat is absolutely lovely! Brilliant work, as usual.
All the photos are great – no wonder you couldn’t choose just one! Your coat looks awesome – isn’t it great to be able to make exactly what you want?! You’ve done a great job on it, and thanks for being an awesome sewalonger!
Sherry, I can’t thank you enough for leading this sewalong—I know I’ll be referring to those posts probably for every jacket I make from now on!
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