A "Cocktail" for Talea - Burda 9301

Cocktail anyone?  My statement coat - a cocktail of fabrics and notions!  Every girl needs at least one! I Thank God that I have other coats to wear!  I won't tell you how many times I put it aside to do "other things" sewing and non-sewing related. 

The best pics (below) were taken in the sunshine before I added the fourth set of toggles.  I couldn't decide between three or four but when I actually wore the coat, I realized that I needed to add another set.  The pics in the snow are bad...just bad - the exposure is off, they are a little blurry, and what can I say?  It is what it is.

  The coat is pretty warm.  I made it large enough so that I can layer if necessary.  It was 24 degrees when these pics (in the snow) were taken.  My head was cold (I eventually put on a hat) and my hands were cold (I should have worn gloves) but other than that I was good!  

The military style of this coat drew me right in.  I included every detail except for the top-stitching - my fabric doesn't lend itself to "the look" that is accomplished with the top-stitching - and the buttons on the sleeve.  Side bar:  Have you ever forgotten to add or omit a detail?  You have it in your mind and at some point, usually when its too late, you remember it?  Okay if it hasn't happened yet - just wait.  The one thing that I wanted to do was to make the pocket "open".  My intentions were to stitch the pocket flap to the pocket front so that it would not be a part of the pocket's functionality...but I FORGOT TO DO IT!

 There was nothing too terribly difficult about the construction of this coat.  The collar construction was interesting. The upper collar is stitched to the facing while the lower collar is stitched to the coat.  The difficulty came with the top-stitching of the leather.  In a word: painstaking.  Once leather is pierced there's no turning back so if you don't get it right the first time shame on you!  The world and all who dwell therein will know your little secrets.  

 It was a good thing that I used re-cycled leather and had plenty on hand to practice...and oh how I practiced!  By the time I got to the leather toggles it was a little better.  Notice is said "a little".  Stitching leather is no joke even with a Teflon foot, proper stitch length and the best type of thread.  I definitely need more experience in this area.

Buttons, buttons, buttons!  I could not decide on a button closure and my local fabric store was not any help at all - pitiful.  The decorative buttons that I did decide to use were in Virginia's stash.  Had I gone with a button closure, I would have had to order something online.  I guess it's not so bad after all, I don't think buttons would have done for this coat what the toggles manage to do for it.  They add an element of "play" and give the leather accents some balance. The button in the back may be temporary.  I'm not really feelin' it.  Only time will tell.

So glad this project is complete.  A preceding post talked more about the fabrics that I used for this coat.  You can refer to it here.  Although we are now in the month of March I feel as though I will get a fair amount of wear out of this coat before the Winter "season" - or plain ole' cold weather - comes to an end.  

Until next time...PEACE AND BLESSINGS!