Step 2: I hate muslin

Reasons:

1. it's got wobbly edges.
2. it won't just sit still while you cut it, especially if you lack a proper cutting table and are crawling around on some crappy laminate floor.
3. even without obvious signs it throws little bits of cotton up in the air, and my poor eyes and nose wouldn't stop itching.

Anyway, I've managed to prepare a toile of the Poiret coat. The assembly was unusual but very easy. It's one of those patterns where you look at the pieces and think...'what the hell?'  but then with one line of sewing it magically works. Even with some initial shortening just to fit it on the muslin, the coat in its unaltered state drowns my teeny frame:

Now, this would be perfect for some leggy model, but it's a little overkill for a shortarse. So I put it onto Betty and started to adjust one half of the muslin. My idea being, if I can get one half perfect I can then draft a new pattern on paper from that half.



So you can see, that I have adjusted the right-hand side of the coat and ended up adding a very long dart just between the armpit and bust. This was necessary to get the coccon shape and draping I wanted from the front to underneath the bum. Many thanks to Richie for holding the sleeves out and posing in the background (x).

So when everyone is striking at school on Wednesday I intend to take in my toile, undo it and mark it out on thin paper ready to cut my fabric. My next big challenge then is the collar and finding the right faux fur that won't aggrevate my eczema, but will feel snuggy and lush.

Cheers ears xx

Step 1: Turn Around....

Okay, so as always, I love to give myself a challenge, and really work myself to the bone. And therefore, I've decided to do a mix of machine and hand embroidery to decorate the back of my coat. I've actually been inspired by projects the students are doing at my school. My year 9 group are currently making photo frames inspired by Gustav Klimt's patterns, whilst my colleague is looking at Karen Kamenetzky with her GCSE students. Without knowing it, these inspired me and that's when I doodled my orginal design (whilst in a meeting, but it's okay, because apparently doodling can help you retain information).

Here's a couple of examples of my inspiration:

So I decided to be good and prepare properly, rather than trying to wing it, because I trust my gut instinct, and my gut tells me that if I take my time this coat could be the best thing I have made to date.





So only a small sample, but it's something I can see myself just keep adding to; a perfect example of the more the better methinks.

Next to do:

1. pick up Betty the mannequin from my parents'
2. Get some musling for a toile
3. Get some wadding and silk for the luxury lining

If only I didn't have to work full-time, sigh...