Another Potential Fabric for the Lady Grey

Although this is a home dec fabric, it's not stiff or heavy. I bought it with the intention of making it into a swing coat, but still haven't found the perfect pattern. Hard to believe, considering I have at least half a dozen swing coat patterns in my stash. I wonder if it would work for the Lady Gray.

I think it's time for a little Photoshop magic to help me visualize.

And While We're On The Subject Of Coats...

I'm planning to participate in the Lady Grey Coat Sew-Along sponsored by the lovely and talented Gertie.

According to the pattern, I'll need 4 and 1/3 yards for this project. I have a few large enough cuts of fabrics in my stash that could work in this style.

The first one I'm considered is the brown and black houndstooth pictured below. It's a clearance wall purchase from Fabricland, so I don't know the fiber content, though I strongly suspect that it's acrylic. All of the examples of the Lady Grey that I've seen are solid color, but I don't see why it couldn't be made in a patterned fabric. What do you think?



The solid fabric is also a possibility, but I had originally intended to use that for another vintage inspired coat, Vogue 1083.

Why, oh why, are all my coat fabrics in the brown family? I'm trying not to buy new fabrics until I use up some of my stash, but I love how the Lady Grey looks in a bright color. If I found the right fabric I might have to break down and add to my yardage count.

Speaking of Coats...

I noticed that Vogue is retiring pattern number 1476, the Issey Miyake wrap coat, shirt and pants. It was first issued in 2001. I'm glad it stayed in Vogue's catalog for so long. When I first saw it, I fell in love with it, but wasn't doing a lot of sewing, so I didn't rush right out to buy it. I finally picked it up during a ClubBMV sale in 2008.

Judging from how often I see it being resold on eBay and other pattern sites, I'm guessing that a lot of people bought the pattern and later decided not to sew it. It's understandable when you consider that the coat requires about 5 yards of fabric. That can be quite an investment, especially if you wanted to make it out of wool.

Also, like many Miyake patterns, the pattern pieces and construction methods are unconventional. Vogue's Miyake patterns often remind me of puzzles or architectural constructions. Here's the cutting diagram from the 1476 instruction sheet:

Pieces 13 and 14 are taped together before cutting. This becomes the front, sleeve front and lower back sections of the coat. As you can see, it takes up almost the full width of the 54" or wider fabric. When I made this, I laid it out on the floor and checked my grain over and over before putting scissors to fabric.

Once I started to sew, I found it wasn't all that difficult, though I did have to read the instructions several times before and during each step. I find that when I sew the unusual Miyake garments, it helps to let go of what I know about traditional garment construction steps and operate with beginner's mind.

I made mine from a double-sided tweedy twill of unknown fiber content (probably poly) that I got in the clearance section of Fabricland. Knowing my fabric wasn't that expensive helped me get past any fear of mistakes. I love the way the reverse side gives the effect of a contrast collar and lining.

Even though it's unlined, this coat is very warm. And because it's such an unusual style, I see it as timeless.

Being such a dramatic piece, I expect to get comments when I wear it, and I do. Sometimes, they are complimentary, and sometimes they are, well... just comments. Let me add that I currently live in a conservative city where women my age don't typically have purple streaks in their hair or wear traffic stopping coats.

Last winter, I wore the coat while walking downtown. A conservatively dressed, elderly woman tapped me on the arm and said, "That's an interesting coat. You must be a foreigner." I just smiled.

A Brief History of My Life in Sewing, part 2... So Nice I Made It Twice

Shortly after I graduated from high school, I decided to make myself a coat. I fell in love with the long version of Butterick 4538, a reversible wrap coat. I bought ivory wool for the outer layer and rust wool for the reverse side. Instead of buying foldover braid, I made my own bias binding from black wool twill. The result was dramatic, to say the least.

You can probably guess what I'm going to write next. That's right! I could not find a photo of myself in that coat. (My family wasn't big on picture taking.)

I wore that coat for the first time on New Year's Eve. Still living at home, I told my mother that I was going to sleep over at my friend Lynn's house. That part wasn't exactly a lie, but before we went to sleep, we hopped into Lynn's car and drove into New York City to do some New Year's Eve clubbing at the Copacabana.

We checked our coats at the door and had a wonderful time, dancing the night away. We had so much fun didn't want to leave and were some of the last people to do so. It was around 4 AM when we went to the front desk to retrieve our coats. I handed the girl my ticket but she came back to the desk empty handed. Since the coat room was pretty empty by that time, it was pretty obvious that my newly sewn coat had gone home with someone else.

The loss of my coat meant I would have to fess up to my mother that I had lied about where I spent New Year's Eve. I ended up grounded for a week. It wasn't so bad. I used the time to cut and sew another coat in the exact same fabrics. I seem to remember that it looked even better the second time. Why not? I'd had a lot of practice.

A Brief History of My Life in Sewing, part 1

When I decided to start this blog about sewing patterns, I was certain that I had lots and lots of photos of myself in the outfits I'd sewn over the last 4 decades. After poring over every single print and negative in my possession, I came up with only a few faded, blurry memories. But I won't let that stop me from boring you to tears sharing them with you.

My love of fashion and sewing started when I was very young. Here I am with my younger brother. Notice the faux leopard clutch and the oh so fashionable Dr. Denton footie pajamas. (As you might deduce from the plastic rocket he's holding, my brother was the brainy one.) The year was 1963.

I learned to sew as soon as I was old enough to reach the knee pedal on my mother's old black Singer. I insisted that she teach me to sew teeny little clothes for my Barbie. Since my mother hated all things domestic, I learned more swear words during those early lessons than sewing skills.

Despite those early challenges, I persevered and my sewing skills were pretty darn good by the time I got to high school. I remember having no fear of sewing the welt pockets in a brown corduroy fitted vest that I made in my junior year. I also made matching pleated, cuffed trousers.

For the life of me I can't remember what pattern I used, but I loved this blouse that I made. How do you like those long collar points? (Circa 1974 - Please ignore the goofy hat and concentrate on the matching nail polish instead.)

Growing up, one of my favorite pastimes was flipping through the pages of the pattern catalogs at the local W. T. Grant store. My favorite pattern company at the time was Butterick. I was fascinated by the Young Designer line of the 70s. I loved Betsey Johnson, Gil Aimbez, Clovis Ruffin, Kenzo!

For my high school graduation in 1976 I wore Kenzo. I sewed the jacket and shorts from Butterick 4793 in a crisp white linen cotton blend. I added a red cotton tank top and rope espadrilles with a wedge heel and ankle ties, just like on the pattern envelope. (I made those pants, too, in black cotton, just like on the pattern envelope.)



I could have sworn I had a picture of myself wearing that outfit. Who doesn't have pictures from their high school graduation? Alas, the only photo I have of that momentous occasion is this one:

Cute, huh? But no Kenzo suit in sight. You can barely see the espadrilles peaking out from under my graduation gown.

What I remember most about that day, (besides finding out that I was one of the top 10 smartest kids in my graduating class - I guess my brother didn't get all the brains after all), was the reaction of my classmates to my choice of outfit. Over and over I heard, "Why didn't you wear a dress?" "Everyone else is wearing a dress!" My point exactly. I didn't want to look like everyone else. That's why I sew.