This past winter, I was lucky enough to find a collection of wonderfully soft, brushed wool-blend fringed scarves from Globetex. I previously shared how I used the camel-colored scarf to make a hooded coat for my son. Today, I’m excited to present a long coat I created for a very special client. The goal? An oversized, enveloping, and utterly cozy design.
Inspiration and Pattern Selection
The fabric itself sparked the initial idea. Its incredible softness, warmth, and sophisticated taupe hue inspired us to envision a long coat that was both light and luxuriously cozy. We debated between a wrap and a double-breasted style, but ultimately, a Burda Style pattern came to the rescue. It offered a single-breasted, buttoned coat with relaxed drop shoulders, perfectly capturing the desired aesthetic.
This pattern is full of thoughtful details: a classic turn-down collar, a unique one-piece front, set-in back sleeves, generously sized patch pockets, and a center-back vent. Unlined, this coat is wonderfully light, making it ideal for mild winter days or absolutely perfect for spring and fall.
Bringing the Coat to Life
Eager to begin, I prepped the pattern and cut out the coat pieces quickly. I even discovered a perfectly matching satin in my stash to create bias strips for finishing all the internal seams. Confident, I pulled out my bias binding attachment, which had worked well before. However, this time, the luxuriously soft satin proved to be my nemesis. Despite careful measuring, cutting, and what felt like miles of bias binding, the attachment simply wouldn’t cooperate. Wider strips? No luck. Starching the tape? Still no success. This seemingly simple technique almost defeated me.
Thankfully, encouragement from my spouse helped me persevere, and the painstakingly slow process of traditional bias binding began. I had to meticulously iron and crease what truly felt like kilometers of tape, then stitch it to the seam allowances – twice.
Despite the lengthy sewing process, I’m thrilled with the final coat. It embodies everything we hoped for: an enveloping, cozy, yet chic and lightweight layer to ward off chilly days. It’s a coat perfect for travel, for going out, one that feels like a wearable blanket and is sure to turn heads.
