It’s done! Well… Almost!

Perhaps you recall, before Christmas, I was working on my pea coat.  Well I am back at it again and really close to finishing!

I really like how thick this material is (wool Melton) and with the right needle and thread and some pressing, it’s so easy to sew and the seams lie so flat!

So here it is!  Dolly is looking good!  Needs some work still: hemming sleeves and the bottom.  I want to hand stitch in some shoulder pads, the facing has to be sewed down, top stitching where the pins are, toggle closures put on… Getting close! Getting close!

I only noticed after it was done.  The collar is not the same on both sides – I checked the pattern and my cut pieces twice.  I figure it is supposed to be that way to make it easier to fasten the toggle closure across to the left side (I have always called them “frogs”, not sure why.) – sound right to you?

Of course now that I am so close to finishing I have decided that no coat of mine should be without a back neck facing – don’t know why the pattern was made without one, doesn’t make sense to me!  So my two apprentices, Simon and Sophie, and I draw one up using the back neckline of the coat.  We will piece something together – that is if my apprentices don’t tear everything up first!

And here we have it… back neck facing done, all assembled and attached to my coat…. So much more to my liking!  Perhaps you can see in the end I made the back neck facing a bit shorter.  I had cut it on the fold when actually the back was made up with two pieces sewn together – oops!  That’s ok, I just pinched the excess and sewed up a seam there.  Now it fits perfectly!

And of course now that I am so close to finishing I have decided that no coat of mine should be without a quilted lining.  Apprentice Sophie is nowhere to be found, so Apprentice Simon leaps in to help out.  I cut the fronts, back and sleeves out of some black quilting and carefully measure and cut some of my front and back lining off so I can attach it to the inside facing I already have.

And here is my quilted lining, ready to be attached to my coat!  Oh… Just in case I didn’t mention I am making view C of McCalls M6657.  An easy pattern but missing a back neck facing and lining.  It’s going to be a comfortable, warm coat.

Sunday I am meeting my sister at Fabricland – I think she would like a pair of yoga pants (maybe I should make myself some too?) in exchange for her buying me lunch! 🙂  I might check if there are any appealing knit fabrics too – I have a curiosity for sewing myself a sweater or a shrug.  Then there is the Christmas tree and other decorations at home to be taken down and put away until next year. 🙁

Is it possible to do a hundred things at once?

Maybe Sunday I will have a chance to finish my pea coat… Because after that is Monday and back to work I go after a long and lovely three whole weeks off! Should be exciting!

Stay tuned!