Monday, October 26, 2020

Wool Oslo Coat

 After a year of planning, sourcing, hemming and hawing, my hand-tailored Oslo Coat is finally here!

I had this coat on my 2019 Make 9 plan. It was the only project I didn't complete. I spent most of the fall of 2019 sourcing all the supplies (fabric is wool/mohair/nylon boucle from Fabric Mart), reading the books, making the plans...only to chicken out from the sewing. I know I'm not the only one who backs off from a project that feels too daunting. Fast forward a year, and my sewing confidence is higher, the timing is right, and the coat is complete.

I made a coat two years ago, but it has a hood and doesn't work that well with scarves. I have a decent collection of wool and cashmere scarves and it drove me crazy to not be able to wear them. I also didn't have a coat that felt nice enough for a dressy occasion. My husband made my day when I put the coat on with my fluffiest scarf, and he said that I looked like an old lady on the way to a funeral. Success!


The pattern I used is the Oslo Coat from Tessuti Fabrics. There are not a lot of reviews out there for this coat, but I read what I could. It seemed that nobody had any issues with the pattern and only recommended moving the pockets up (which I did). I love sewing raglan sleeve coats (like my Yuzu Raglan from two years ago) because you don't have to ease in a set-in sleeve. So, if you're trying to choose a pattern for your first coat, I recommend a raglan.

This was my first Tessuti Fabrics pattern and I have no complaints. The instructions were thorough, contained LOTS of real-life photos and finishing details for a great coat. There were no drafting problems, no mismatched notches, none of the frustrations I've encountered with more well-know patterns. I had my pattern printed at PDF Plotting in large format. I cut a size 8 for my bust of 33" and hip of 38". I'm 5'4" and made no length adjustments. The shoulders feel a touch narrow, but I believe that is because I put in raglan shoulder pads. I do not believe the pads are necessary, I only did it to get the full tailoring experience.

I took my time with this coat (hand-tailoring has a way of being time-consuming) but it was still complete in about 2-3 weeks. I did read one review that said the sewist finished the coat in one night! So again, I can recommend it for a beginner who doesn't want to take a ton of time.

The hand-tailoring aspect requires its own post. Despite a thorough explanation in the book I used, I still came across questions and had to make some things up as I went. It was a good experience and I'm pleased with the results, but I'm not sure I'll do it again! 

Initially, I bought a grey silk habotai for this coat, but halfway through the project decided it was too thin. I ordered this anti-static pongee from Vogue Fabrics, and although it is polyester *gasp the horror* it was easy to work with, actually feels less static-y, and of course the color is a gorgeously perfect match. 

I had fun adding some details but didn't go too crazy with changes. The pattern is so well done it didn't need much to make it special. The hem is even drafted with a purposeful pleat for movement within the lining, something I've never seen before.

I think this project puts me at five coats all-time, including a few for family members and not counting anything in the jacket category. To be honest, I have at least two more coats planned and materials already purchased! As scary as they are to make, how many other handmade items do you put on almost daily for months at a time? An investment of sewing time and money can net you a huge reward in terms of usefulness. If you've never made a coat, I challenge you to give it a try!

Read my post about tailoring techniques here, and supplies here.

2 comments:

  1. Your coat is gorgeous! I’ve looked at that pattern and would love to make one. I enjoy hand work so the hand tailoring you did appeals to me. I look forward to reading about it. You did such an impressive job on yours! The photos in the woods are beautiful too 🥰

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  2. Your coat is gorgeous! I’ve looked at that pattern and would love to make one. I enjoy hand work so the hand tailoring you did appeals to me. I look forward to reading about it. You did such an impressive job on yours! The photos in the woods are beautiful too 🥰

    ReplyDelete

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