Home My makesOutwear An elegant blue coat – self drafted

An elegant blue coat – self drafted

by Ladulsatina
20 comments
An elegant blue coat – self drafted

Two Sundays ago I took advantage of the autumn weather still mild to show my new coat off for a stroll downtown in Monza and a visit to Vivian Maier’s exhibition at Arengario (a beautiful exhibition among other things!).

I’m very proud of this coat seen that it’s been the first one I’ve sewed up! I made it last May and it was the final project of the first year of the professional pattern cutting course I’m attending at Afol Moda in Milan. Since I started to sew, making a coat has always been my dream, so I chose this garment as year-end project.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat

I had been in need of a medium-weight elegant coat, that I could wear both in autumn and in spring, for a while. After a long research for styles and silhouettes, I came across a Vanessa Bruno Athé’s coat (see here and here), as I liked its silhouette very much. I tried to re-create this model fitting it to my body shape, altering some details, such as the sleeves/shoulders and the front and back bodice. The bodice has cuts both on the front and the back. It has side seam pockets, pleated sleeves (each sleeve has four pleats on its head) and a mandarin collar.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Front

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Side

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Back

I had to design and draft the pattern and then sew the garment. I traced the coat from a block pattern of a dress without bust darts and I added 2 cm of ease allowance to each side (8 cm tot.). The original coat has a looser fitting, but I preferred a tighter garment that follows my body shape better in my case (I don’t think that a looser fitting coat like this would have been good on me). Then I altered the bodice, the sleeve and the skirt. I fit the pattern with the help of my teacher and then I sewed it at school.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Front seam side pockets

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Front details

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Back

After having visited three fabric shops in Milan and the Brianza area, I chose this piquè wool (95% wool, 5% elastan/spandex) in blue and anthracite (I wouldn’t know how to define this colour because it changes according to the light). I bought it at Beviltex Tessuti in Verano Brianza (MB). It’s a beautiful light soft falling wool.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Front and fabric

As for the lining, I bought a black medium-weight cupro at Beviltex too.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - Front and lining

I bought the metal snap fasteners in a market stall. I used a medium-weight fusible knitted interfacing to reinforce the facings, the front band and the collar. I added a wool shoulder roll to support the sleeve cup.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - metal snap fasteners

I’m very happy with how it came out, simple and elegant at the same time. Exactly the kind of coat I was thinking of and I needed.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat

Here I coordinated it with a red scarf and an olive-green jersey dress I designed and sewed up in the last few days.

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - outfit

In the end, here I am in front of the Arengario before visiting the exhibition!

Ladulsatina - Sewing - I make an elegant blue coat - outfit

You may also like

20 comments

mokosha 7 Dicembre 2016 - 17:06

that’s one gorgeous coat! so many interesting details.. and it fit’s you like a dream

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 10:32

Thank you so much! 🙂

Reply
Beth (SunnyGal Studio) 7 Dicembre 2016 - 17:23

that is so pretty and suits you perfectly.

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 10:32

Thanks!! 🙂

Reply
Colette 8 Dicembre 2016 - 0:20

Lovely design – it seems to have both vintage style and modern lines but you’ve made them work together wonderfully ;o)

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 10:35

Thank you so much!! 🙂 Yes, I tried to have a not so vintage style for this coat, a mix of vintage and modern lines as you said 😉

Reply
Lisa 8 Dicembre 2016 - 12:38

Wow! Well done! That’s a beautiful coat and the fit is just right. I’m so impressed that you drafted it yourself.

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 10:38

Thank you so much! 🙂

Reply
Kaci 8 Dicembre 2016 - 18:09

Gorgeous!

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 10:38

Thanks!!

Reply
Fabric Tragic 9 Dicembre 2016 - 9:07

Really beautiful!

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 10:39

Thanks!!

Reply
Sil 13 Dicembre 2016 - 13:54

This looks amazing! It is so well-made and neat. I love the fabric. Everything is perfect.

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 11:04

Thank you so much! 🙂

Reply
Clemence 14 Dicembre 2016 - 23:49

Beautiful coat.
It looks so professional, and very chic. My favorite part is the seam detail right above the chest, near the shoulder.
It fits you so well, it really looks like it was made for you!

Reply
LaDulsaTina 15 Dicembre 2016 - 11:05

Thank you so much!! That is my favorite part too 😉

Reply
HEATHER 26 Dicembre 2016 - 4:50

I like your coat better than the inspiration piece! So lovely. The collar / shoulder detail is so lovely.

Reply
LaDulsaTina 3 Gennaio 2017 - 14:43

Thank you so much! 🙂

Reply
Juls 5 Gennaio 2017 - 1:59

Oh wow I love the details of the coat, the pleats at the back, the piecing of the shoulders. I can’t wait for the day you come up with your own patterns range for us to sew….

Reply
Juls 5 Gennaio 2017 - 2:03

PS. Isn’t Vivian Maier’s work fantastic. What a sad story in many ways….

Reply

Leave a Comment