Nearly there

Well most of the paper patterns are traced off and I just need to cut them out. I still have to trace off the filler sections and then the foundation pieces. The foundation sections will take longer as I will trace them straight onto solufleece.
Well I thought I was nearly there, I so want to start sewing, I'm getting impatient. I know I have to get this part right or the whole coat could end up wrong, so its worth doing right.

Toile is finished

The toile is finished and one of my sewing friends has fitted it on me today. Only a few alterations so thats good. I just need to transfer them onto the pattern draft, tipex out the lines I don't want to trace. I can then recut the patterns pieces, and finish drafting the foundations.

Samples

The flame sample looks so much better with the background added.

Samples

I thought I'd better start doing some samples, here's 1 of the flame sections and a spiral flame section.

The design is drafted

Over the last day or so I've transferred the designs that I drafted on the skirt part of the toile to the paper pattern pieces.
I've drawn up the foundation sections; they are now ready to be transferred onto the stabilizer.
I still have some fine tuning to do on the top part which I won't be able to do until the coat has been fitted on me.

Toile

I've had a very productive day so far and managed to get the toile shell together before lunch.
I need to go back to my blocks and check the sleeves as they were a real pig to set in. There was too much at the head even for me to ease in, and with wading as well there will it’s even worse. If my block measurements are ok then it will be back to the books.

I still need to set the zip and the lining. Look at where I'm going and how to add pockets (set in or welted).
I have to add I'm still not convinced that a zip is going to look right, so will have to wait and see and mull it over.

When I tried it on it felt a little big, so I will ask one of my sewing friends if they will fit it on me. Then we should be good to go!

The final design

My final design as a pencil drawing.

Coloured to give an idea of what the coat might look like.

The Working Drawing.

My first designs

 My first designs for the front of the coat.

 Design of the front and several back styles.

Out of order

My next lot of posts will be out of order I'm afraid, I'm writing them in draft on my phone, then editing on my laptop at the weekends, when I can also scan in pictures etc. So my apologies everyone.

Designing the foundation sections

I had a really good day today down at sewing, and got a lot of basic ideas drawn up on the toile.

I'm drafting the design using tailors chalk, and actually learnt something new as well. In all the years I've been designing & sewing I never knew how to get rid of chalk lines. I sussed it today, a damp cloth. Just how stupid is that! Something so simple. I love it when I learn something new, now matter how small or insignificant.

Sorry the photo is lousy, you just can't see very well what I've drawn.

Some of the ladies down the group thought that I was working on the actual garment, and were quite shocked when I said that it was just a mock up which would probably end up in the bin when my coat is finished.

The Pattern

It’s been years since I've cut a pattern, I just can’t for the life of me remember how to draft silly things like collars. Where do the seams on a fitted jacket sleeve lie. Oh help I just can't remember, well back to the books I go! I’m glad that I kept all my college work now; I knew there was a good reason for it and that I’m not just a hoarder!!

It’s now drafted after a couple of attempts and the pattern pieces are cut; now it’s time to do a toile. Here goes nothing!!

The Idea

Well after over a year in the designing, I'm nearly there. The basics are done although I still need to decide how I want to fasten the coat, I keep changing my mind!

I love the great coats from the late 1800’s. I trawled through the net for images & drawings of coats from that period and also looked at modern copies. I also searched for collars, cuffs, pockets, sleeves and coat lengths. Everything I found was a little fussy for the type of patchwork I had in mind, it was all food for thought so time to start designing and simplify things.