As promised last week, here is one of the garments I completed at my recent sewing retreat. Now, let me just say that I sewed up this jacket five years ago and have been wearing it for all of that time but it never had a closure! Here's the rest of the story:
I try to not wear black. I don't succeed in that goal because black is just too convenient, especially for travel. My leather jacket is black. I wear black pants and shoes. I even own a black dress or two. But I really look better in navy blue or brown. So a few years ago I decided that I needed a brown outerwear jacket to go with my ever-increasing brown wardrobe. I found this piece of heavy wool coating at G Street Fabrics. I bought the buttons there, too, unique wooden ones with a curved shape (they cost more collectively than the fabric did). I used Louise Cutting's By Popular Demand pattern, a pattern I had used before, but cut a size larger for wearing over street clothes. I used a satin coat lining with a flannel back for extra warmth. I added interior pockets and changed the patch pockets from the pattern into a rounded shaped. I laboriously topstitched every seam. When it came time to make button holes I balked. The fabric was much too thick at the center front for a machine-made button hole. What to do? Well, for several years I did nothing. I simply wore the coat open. I finally decided the answer was large snaps with the buttons sewn on top. So this past weekend, while I was at my sewing retreat, I sewed on the snaps and buttons. I like how the shape of the button is mimicked by the pocket.
What I was unprepared for was how warm this jacket is now that it is closeable! We have been having some extremely cold weather here in DC and this jacket is the best! I can't believe I waited 5 years before finding out what a useful jacket this is. And stylish, too. I'm happy.
