Burda Style For people who sew

Description

McCalls 5480: Misses’ lined jackets and coat. Swing jackets A, B, coat C have raglan sleeve variations and back pleat; jacket A has lined patch pockets, pleated sleeves and sleeve bands; coat C has pleated sleeves and welt pockets; coat C length is 3" above mid-knee. I made View C.

I always struggle to find a coat that will fit over my crinolined dresses! This pattern is excellent for this purpose because of the back pleat and the wide hem, and it does not use that much fabric!

The instructions are very clear – and there are diagrams for each separate step which will be very helpful for beginners. If you want to attempt a lined jacket and learn the uses of stay-stitching, this is an excellent project. Another reason this pattern is great for a beginner is because the sleeves are not set-in, but raglan.

I love the sleeve treatment used in Views B & C. The extra bulk of the sleeve is pleated and a facing is sewn in to finish the raw edges and turned under. It gives a lovely, soft finish to the sleeve without the use of a visible cuff or band. I will have to remember this trick for dresses and blouses.

The welt pockets were a bit tricky, not because of the instructions (which are explained in great detail), but because of my fabric choice. My machine does not adjust to accommodate thick fabric (especially three layers of thick fabric).

Because I did not want the wrong side of my fabric to show, I bagged the hem as far as I could (the lining is not quite as wide as the coat hem and is meant to be finished separately and tacked together at the seams) and used my lining fabric to finish/cover the center raw hem edges, as well as adding a tack.

I used button kits to make self-fabric covered button. It really helps to use the eraser end of a pencil to “hook” a thick fabric under those sharp little spines that keep the fabric in place without killing your fingers!

I would highly recommend this pattern to anyone who wants a lined coat that will never go out of style. I am thrilled to have this coat in my wardrobe. It works perfectly for full-skirted, “New Look” fashions.

Material Notes

• Bella Notte upholstery weight cotton/poly with rayon embroidery *Zeus lining in camel (if you can get ahold of this stuff, I highly recommend it for lining jackets and coats) *Self-fabric button kit

Difficulty

Intermediate

Categories

Season

Spring, Fall

For

Women

Garment Type

Coat/Capes

Style

Classic, Vintage