Yep. I’ve had this song stuck in my head all week.
Guys! I’m almost done with my coat! 😀 😀 😀 We are entering FINAL COUNTDOWN phase – all the pattern pieces have been removed from their respective fabrics, folded & replaced back in the envelope, and my cutting table is (mostly)clean. I just have a bit more hand-sewing to do and then it’s time for a coat fashion show! Yay!
Here are some in progress pictures to get you pumped & ready…
Steaming the undercollar – I wrapped it around my seam roll & propped it up against my clapper. Doesn’t it look so smug & satisfied in that picture? How can a seam roll look smug, anyway?
Part of what has taken me so long with this coat is all the hand-sewing involved – there is a LOT. I pressed every seam open and catch-stitched down both sides. This really helps eliminate bulk, which is really necessary with fabric as thick as mine. I also beat the shit out of every seam with my clapper. That was fun.
Ever wondered what the inside of a tailored coat looks like?
Here ya go! I already sewed on the facing pieces, so no pretty padstitching pictures for youuu – but you can see how the front is interfaced with hair canvas. I told you – lots of handstitching! And look at my cute sleeve heads 🙂 I used Gertie’s tutorial for setting in tailored sleeves – I have done this before with my Lady Grey (and much success!). It is my favorite method for setting in sleeves and it makes everything easy easy! Got it right the first time, yeah!
Here’s the coat back – not much to see here, just a back stay. Boring!
Collar is looking good, thanks to all that padstitching.
And then topstitching. I was a little apprehensive about doing this – I think topstitching can really make or break the look of a garment. Usually the latter – sometimes it looks kind of cheap. But I like the way it looks on the coat, which is good! Don’t wanna rip all those stitches out, el oh el.
So that’s where we are as of today! I actually dropped the lining in the coat yesterday afternoon, although you can’t see it from the pictures – all I have left is more hand-stitching. And sewing on the buttons. And then I’m going to throw a hissy fit because this whole week is going to be a balmy 60*. Lovely, but coat-wearing weather it is not.
One last thing…
Look who is coming home with me today 🙂
WE ARE IN LOVE.
LLADYBIRD 
I don’t know which is more beautiful…your beautifully tailored coat or that gorgeous little gem in the black box ;p Congrats on both!!! Can’t wait to see the finished coat and the kiwi lining 🙂
Incredible job Lauren, truly, its beautifully made.
Oh my Lordy. You
Oh Lauren, sorry about the comment fail just! Crappy iPhone feed reader!! Anyways, what I was going to say is …. Oh Lordy! Surely you were the cutest stylish tailoress in a previous life? How impressive? To show all that detail and it’s perfect and difficult and tricky? Yay! Give it some 80s soft rock!! If it was me I’d be ” living on a prayer”… Enjoy the last bitty bits 🙂
Oooh, you’re almost there with the coat…how exciting! And congrats on the Singer, I think I’d be in love with it too if it was mine ;o)
OMG love that song.
OMG I adore your coat… it is so gorgeous… I dream of the day I can make something so beautiful… way to go!! 🙂
That coat looks all kinds of complicated and beautiful. My virtual hat goes off to you.
Holy crap, coat looks fab! And welcome home to your new baby!!
That is a fine looking coat. Can’t wait for the fashion show.
Your coat looks so great! I have a pattern for a coat that I really want to use, but I haven’t gotten past the fabric purchasing stage of things. There are too many choices!
This coat is gorgeous! I’m so jealous of your mad padstitching skills. 😉
purty, purty….LOVE the collar…..almost as much as the new machine! 🙂
Vintage machines are great. I have one that is about 30 years old and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Your singer is beautiful.
Amazing coat!
Oooo! Fun post!
I just finished rewatching all of Arrested Development and they couldn’t have come up with a better theme song for GOB. Maybe you could dance around in the coat like GOB doing a magic show…
The coat looks AWESOME! You made the right choice on the topstitching, fab, fab!
And, so glad to see that your new machine is in the house!
I love those collars! The whole coat looks great – I can’t wait to see the finished article.
OMG! It’s looking gorgeous. I am so jealous of your beautiful tailored coat and your patience with all of the hand-stitching. And, yay for you getting to bring your Featherweight home. 🙂
Dude- that Singer is hot! Loves it so much 😀
And your coast- totally inspiring. Is making me want to have a bash at one for this winter!
Eek your coat looks amazing! I can’t wait to see it finished up and the top stitching looks really professional and not cheap at all. I have yet to venture into tailoring, looks HARD.
It really isn’t hard at all! It can be difficult to determine when and where you should apply certain tailoring techniques, but as long as you have a good pattern that includes instructions for tailoring (or a good book, or a good teacher!), then that’s not even an issue. It is mostly just slow with a lot of hand sewing 🙂
That Singer is EXACTLY the same machine I learned to sew on so many years ago.