A Bright Basic: Sew Over It Anna Coat

I made my first coat!

As per usual, I finished this a few weeks ago and have been giving it a whirl to see how I really feel about it before writing up my blog (not because I haven’t had time to get photos, honest!). This is the Sew Over It Anna Coat from the Work to Weekend e-book. 

I had a little confusion picking my size for this as the fitting notes suggest you focus on getting the shoulder measurement right. However, I wan’t entirely sure where exactly to take the measurements – perhaps this is really standard assumed knowledge, but I would have found it helpful to have a diagram or description of which parts of the shoulder the points to measure between.

The rest of my measurements, weight distribution and fitting journey also left me undecided on which size to choose. I wanted to use the high bust fit and do an FBA as this has given me good results with other patterns so far, as picking a size based on my full bust tends to give me too much fabric in the upper chest. However, the points I ended up choosing for the shoulder-to-shoulder measurement (between the knobbly bits according to my helpful friend Heather via the SOI facebook group) put me in a size 16, which was also the size given for my full bust sizing and was only a size or two above my waist and hips.

I kept it simple and went for a 16 all over, even though my upper bust measurement put me in a size 10, reasoning the wrap style would be forgiving where I needed a closer fit. I also compared the finished coat measurements to the guidelines for ease given in Fit for Real People, and as there was 1-2” less ease in the pattern I figured it couldn't end up too huge!

Overall, it is fine, although I feel like it is too roomy in the upper chest and shoulders despite all that! It fits some thick layers underneath, which as an unlined coat that I nevertheless wanted to wear straightaway happens to be quite useful. I shortened the sleeves by 1cm, but I think next time I’d need to do a hollow chest and forward shoulder adjustment so could maybe leave the sleeves as drafted if the shoulders ended up in the right place!

The fabric I used is 100% cotton twill furnishing fabric called ‘Como’, picked up at a fancy shop called Pret a Vivre. I wouldn't normally shop there but noticed a £1 per metre sale which felt like the sign I needed to try coat-making. I also bought another 4 metres of the ‘Wheat’ shade of this fabric (this colourway is ‘Ember') so will have to get cracking on another coat soon… or make a sofa! 

With such a bargainous fabric I felt free to get making with a few more risks than usual. For one, I did not prewash the fabric (as it’s so thick and heavy I thought it’d never dry in the small window of inspiration I had). And another was to use the smoother ‘wrong’ side of the fabric for the outer, leaving the soft napped side inside. While I’m pleased that it has resulted in a deeper, richer colour being on show (and hopefully making it look less like an actual sofa when worn) having the texture on the inside does make it a little awkward when taking it off – it sticks to the sleeves!

I really enjoyed working with this, the fabric reminds me of a brown cape my mum once bought me from a second-hand shop that clearly had also been made out of curtains – it was so fun for dressing up and feeling glamorous when I was little! The fabric was so easy to work with and pressed well. It does crease quite easily - I'd ironed the coat for these photos but after sitting on the train to get out to the woods it already looks pretty wrinkly. 

The pattern also came together pretty quickly – although I did get a little confused about the inseam pocket instructions. I’m not sure if this was a different technique than my usual or whether I was having an off day but I assumed I knew what was going on and happened to get it very wrong – involving a lot of unpicking! I also got a little confused about the stitching for the collar and lapels - the photo for this step isn't as clear as it could be, especially for a first timer. I'd advise marking your stitching start and stop points well and taking it slow, otherwise you may end up with pulling at the intersections. 

For my personal taste I find the tie belt a bit skinny too – and it’s starting to look a bit mangled with wear already so I’ll possibly make a wider one. This time I would do a fold in and topstitch technique rather than turning the belt inside out though- what with the nap clinging to itself and the narrowness of the belt it was very time-consuming to turn the belt right side out, and came out a bit lumpy in the end.

While I have my criticisms of this pattern (it's not as user-friendly as it could be given it's supposed to be a simplified version) I do like the finished result and as a wearable toile I've barely taken it off! I'm not sure I need two coats of the exact same style so I probably won't make another Anna - I'd rather apply my new coat-making chops to something with a few more details.