Colette 1010: Lady Grey coat

Every time I sew a Colette pattern I wonder why I don't sew more of them, their block fits me perfectly. Case in point - I made a sz18, petited the bodice and added 2" to upper back width (I went a little overboard actually and could have gotten away with about half that I think). I also played with the armholes a bit. I've found a lot of coats I've made have been very binding in the armholes, I used to think it was the arm and back needing more width but I don't think it is. I reckon its to do with having forward shoulders, I need the armholes shifted around a bit, more at the back and less at the front. After I had constructed the bodice muslin I put the coat on and marked where I wanted the armhole to be, and trimmed off about 3/4" at the front. It worked a treat and I have a lot of movement in this coat so it will be something I do to every jacket I make now and its stopped the bunching I normally get at the front armhole.

Fabric is a wool blend suiting from Lincraft. Its a herringbone weave with a dark brown and a light blue that almost looks green in the light. It was really tight to fit it out of the material amount I had, I only had a bit over 2m and the recommended amount is 4m. I did have to piece the back and the belt is a real mish-mash, all the left over scraps I pieced together then fused. It worked out surprisingly well and if you don't look too close its not even noticeably that not all the piece run in the same direction.

Its all fusibly tailored, I used armoweft and fused the front, side front, facings and upper back plus all the hemlines. The lining is sunsilky and a left over scraps for the arms. I haven't done a jacket with a free hanging lining before, came up surprisingly pretty.

I used bias binding and piping for the edges (it was from the Alannah Hill outlet in Melbourne).
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I was disappointed with the pockets, they are quite small and mine hung down under the lining (I had to tack them up). If I made it again I would change the pockets, maybe make them square and secure them into the front seamlines, or do single welt pockets.


I've had a bit of a blogging break, unintentional and it stretched longer than I thought. I tend to get a bit wrapped up in my hobbies and with blogging its easy for me to fall into the trap of sewing because I blog instead of blogging because I sew. So it was nice to remind myself that's not what blogging is about and to have some unpressured sewing. I do think I will start blogging more of my wadders and muslins that didn't work out, just as a reminder to myself of what works and what doesn't.
I'm glad to be back again though!