Fall/Winter Coat Sewing Plans

I know the first official day of fall might still be a bit too early to be thinking of fall clothes here in North Carolina but a girl can dream, right? I do still have a few summer projects to finish up and post, but I\’ve been watching lots of Korean dramas recently and it seems like every single character in every show has an extensive wardrobe of gorgeous coats, so I\’ve been dreaming of coat sewing! I have a few projects I\’d like to complete this fall, before it gets really cold, so that I can wear my completed garments all winter:

1. A spring/fall transitional trench. I snapped up the Deer and Doe Luzerne Trench coat immediately after it was released but it took me a while to finally make it–in the same fabric as the sample, oops! I love blush for fall and this trench was such a pleasure to make. Kicking off my coat making wonderfully, it\’ll be on the blog Monday!

2. A warm camel coat with a faux fur removable collar. I have all of the fabric and notions for this… I plan on using view 1 of the Waffle Patterns Bamboo Coat, which is an absolutely gorgeous pattern. I\’m surprised I haven\’t seen tons of them, but perhaps that will change this year? I hope so! I want to add a self-fabric tie belt to nip in the waist and a removable faux fur collar in homage to my favorite 60s Lilli Ann coats.

3. A streamlined coat in a fun color. Two years ago(!) I made my pink bow coat and I want to make another coat with the same type of feel–just a super cute, simple coat in a pretty fabric. View 2 of the Bamboo is perfect–shorter, with bracelet-length sleeves and a collarless neckline–so I\’ll use the same pattern here, too, and use it to practice the trickier sections of that pattern: the lined vent and the hidden button placket. I love the yellow they used in the sample, but I don\’t think quite that much yellow will do me favors, so I\’m still looking for the perfect fabric for this coat. Any suggestions?

4. A 60s-inspired faux fur coat. There is a stunning leopard print faux fur at Mulberry Silks that has been tormenting me for ages and I think it\’s time I just buy. the. fabric. already! This would also be a candidate for view 2 of the Bamboo… I\’ve never sewn with faux fur but I\’m always up for a challenge, especially if there is a leopard print coat to be had… (The one in the image is a J. McLaughlin coat worn by Atlantic Pacific here.)

5. A chic draped jacket. I stumbled across the Eagle coat pattern by Vanessa Pouzet, a French pattern designer, and immediately bought both the pattern and this fabric to make it in. I\’m hoping this won\’t be a very complicated project, but should have great results. (This pattern is pretty similar to the Lisette B6244 coat which I bought last year and intended to make, but I\’m really thrilled I never got around to it because this new one is lined, which is a nice touch.)

6. A navy blazer. I guess I\’ll just keeping putting this on fall lists year after year until I actually do it. If I can dip my toes into hand tailoring for my camel coat, hopefully I\’ll feel confident enough to tackle a blazer? I\’m not sure why this seems like such a scary project!

And what else will I be making besides coats, coats, coats? I actually want to boost my knits skills a bit as well and make a few waterfall tees since I like my first one so much, and maybe a few other simple tops? I\’m sure a dress or two will sneak in as well… What do you have planned for fall (or spring if you\’re in the southern hemisphere!)? Something ambitious? Something fun? A bit of both?

xoxo,

allie

ps: really it\’s only 4 patterns though so this is a littttle bit more feasible than it may appear. maybe.