Finished: Red Coat (McCall's 7058)

Get the flags out, I've finally finished my red coat! I first blogged about making a red coat back in November, having been gathering supplies to make one for a few weeks before that. As is often the case, it wasn't the main sewing of the coat that took so long, it was the final fiddly jobs (plus a break for Christmas.) It's been a frosty week in the UK so the timing couldn't be better for a warm, winter coat!

I didn't want to spam you with tons of photos and text, so for those of you who are interested there's a more in-depth post to follow, with links to all the tutorials and resources I used. I've also kept a record of how much the various materials cost me for this project, which I'll be including too. In the meantime, here's my coat in all its finished glory!

The pattern I used is McCall's 7058: a classic, princess seamed design with several different length and style options. I sewed a combination of versions B and C. Size-wise I cut a straight size 14, but shortened all the main body pieces (including sleeves) on the Petite lines throughout. This equated to two inches in total removed from each piece: one inch at bodice height and one inch at skirt height. Adjusting the pattern to the petite size also meant the pockets were in the correct position for my T-Rex arms!

Note: The fabric appears much redder than it actually is in these indoor photos because of the dreadful winter light.

I didn't make any further adjustments and the fit was more or less spot on. It's a tiny bit snug when fully buttoned up, as I didn't really allow for extra winter layers (duh), but I'm still really pleased with the fit. It has a lovely, nipped in silhouette.

The pattern instructions were clear and easy to follow and the main body of the coat came together very quickly. I only deviated from them at a couple of points: I chose not to include the back vents and I fully bagged the lining by machine rather than hand stitching the sleeve and coat hems. I'll include details of the lining tutorials I used in my next post. The lining pieces are separate and properly drafted with pleats to the centre back and hem. This makes a big difference when it comes to getting it on and off!

The main coat fabric is an Italian wool twill from Fabric Godmother (now sold out unfortunately). It was quite expensive (£26 per metre), but as it was reasonably wide and my pattern pieces were all shortened, I was able to cut out the whole coat from just two metres, yay! The quality of the wool is absolutely beautiful and I don't regret shelling out at all - it was worth every penny. I lined the coat in a contrast dusky blue lining fabric from Ditto Fabrics, (also sold out I'm afraid). All the main coat pieces apart from the under collar and sleeves were underlined with flannel for extra warmth.

I've only worn my coat a couple of times but I can already see it becoming a staple in my winter wardrobe. Despite the frumpy looking pattern, it feels really stylish to wear, it fits well and it's lovely and warm. It's also very me - I feel like I've owned it for years! I'm so pleased I went the extra mile when I was making it, I love it! x

Preparing for a red coat

Over the past few weeks I've been slowly gathering supplies for a winter coat, which I'm pretty excited about. I already have a gorgeous navy winter coat from Jaeger which I saved up for - I've worn it every winter for about five years and it's still going strong, but I fancy a change. I'd like a red coat, partly because I don't own one and I'd like to remedy that, but also because I need a coat to match my new red gloves. Only joking! (or am I?…)

When I was searching for inspiration I did spot a couple of very glamorous red coats pinned to my Red board on Pinterest, but they're both quite voluminous shapes, which tend to dwarf my petite frame. 

What I was after was a classic fitted coat with a collar, a bit like a longer version of this Modcloth jacket.

I found it in McCall's 7058. This pattern has a truly hideous front cover which does an excellent job of masking the classic, well drafted pattern within. 

There are plenty of options all based around the same princess-seamed shape: a short, Chanel-style collarless jacket, two hip length jackets (one belted, one hooded), two mid length coats and a long hooded coat (phew). I've decided to go for a mash up of views B and C.

Manju made a very stylish interlined wool version here and I've taken some great tips from her excellent review. My main coat fabric will be a wool twill coating from Fabric Godmother, which now seems to be sold out unfortunately.

It's a lovely bright red and feels very warm. I know Manju also interlined/underlined her version with pyjama flannel for extra warmth and I'm still debating whether to do this on mine. What do you think?

I'll be lining it with this Dusky Steel Blue lining fabric from Ditto which I think is a nice contrast to the red. 

I've also bought some good quality interfacing from English Couture and have invested in a tailors clapper for a professional finish on all those seams. I'm all set!

I did a tissue fitting and the size 14 seems to fit well. The good thing about this pattern is that there is a petite sizing option which I've taken full advantage of. Each pattern piece is shortened by a total of two inches: an inch at bodice height and an inch at skirt/knee height, which is a perfect proportion for my build. The sleeves are also shortened at two different points without affecting the shape of the elbow dart.

Now I just need to steam shrink my wool fabric and pre-wash my lining, then I can start cutting out (eek!) There's no immediate deadline to get this coat finished, so I intend to take my time over it and enjoy the process - I'll keep you posted on my progress! x