Indie Pattern Month Amnesty & giveaway winner

Hello lovelies! I hope you’re enjoying the opportunity to revert to an old challenge – I am, especially because it means that I can share my (finally!) finished Deer and Doe Pavot from Indie Pattern Month.

This was a really enjoyable make until I ran out of steam – the pattern came together beautifully, it fitted me straight out of the packet, and it’s pink! I was making really good progress until I came to the end and couldn’t decide on how to hem the coat. Somehow, a simple hem scared the bejeebus out of me. Eventually, I gathered my courage and ran a gathering stitch along the bottom to pull the hem in a bit to make turning easier, and then painstakingly herringbone stitched it up.

The coat is made from a cotton wool blend – it’s got a lovely weave of baby pink, white and tan all together – so pretty. I bought it in the midst of winter and knew that it wouldn’t be warm enough for my liking, so I bought some pink silk to line it and flannelette to underline it too. Some would call that overkill, I call it toasty and warm – no biting wind can get me now! Despite all of these layers it’s not too bulky, which is pretty good, because Pavot is a very streamlined pattern, and noone likes looking bulky.

I added length on the skirt for extra warmth and added a pleat at the back too, just because. And because I added a lining I needed to draft that to fit with the yoke around the back, but It was so long ago that I don’t remember how I did it, sorry!

There are some whoopsies – I kinda forgot to refer to the button placement guide and did it myself, and as a result there’s no button placed at my bustline or waistline, so the coat pulls there. I’ve added a few hooks and eyes, and that helps but I think a few more will do the trick perfectly. We’ll call it good hand sewing practice, yeah?

I’m really glad that I finally got my act together and finished this coat. It was a lot of work but now I have a sweet coat to rock around in that sets me apart from the black-coated crowd. Next up is another indie pattern month make, so I’ll be working on that this week. I’m on a real ‘clear out those UFO’s’ kick right now (this happens every 6 months or so) so I’m trying to churn through these. Most of them just need a little bit of needle and thread time, I can’t believe I put them off for so long! Please, is anyone else out there like this?

 

And finally…. a big congratulations to Hep Kara, the winner of my Hummingbird Giveaway! It’s on it’s way to you – enjoy!