The Late Night Sewist

Hi!

The world has changed since my last post. Or maybe I just thought it had changed a long time ago but it actually hadn´t and what we are witnessing is proof of inability to change, to learn from the past? Nevertheless, utterly saddening, frightening and exfuriating times that I as many others never believed to be happening again.

As for many others, sewing is my therapy and I am working on one or another project all the time. Just did not feel like blogging about anything for some time. Maybe I will catch up, maybe not. Maybe the time for blogs is over anyway? This just reminded me that next month it will be the 10-year anniversary of this space!

Anyway, as it happens, I made another coat. But this time a super quick one, not like the last that required batting, quilting and what not. However, the road to this super quick coat was a long one as everything started from a feverish search for a not-too-sporty and not-too-complicated coat pattern that would be suitable for softshell. I actually wanted to make a softshell coat and I still do. But I made one in boucle, apparently… after having bought some boiled wool that showed up in completely wrong color and after finally settling with a cheaper and less warm fabric but in the perfect shade of pink!

As I was in search for a perfect pattern for softshell, one of my sewing buddies showed me this gorgeous Sew La Di Da Vintage pattern, the Rock Steady Coat:

I instantly wanted to look at least somewhat as cool as this woman (on the website there is a black version of the coat too) and I ordered some faux leather and boiled wool. As I mentioned earlier, the wool arrived in a completely unexpected shade of pink that just did not work for my complexion and did not match the faux leather I already had. So a small online fabric shop Kangahaldjas helped me out and the owner specifically looked up and ordered a boucle fabric in the perfect shade that also could be left with raw edges as per this style.

And I did it again – make a coat without ever having tried the pattern brand before and just crossing fingers that it would work out, which it did! There are minor issues with the instructions – like what to do with sleeve hems – the pattern markings seem to suggest they will be turned back, but the length of the sleeves would be too short in that case and also the instructions don´t mention anything about it. So I just left them raw as the rest of the edges.

The coat is unlined and maybe this the only bugging detail. While I like the raw edges on the outside, I would prefer the inside, especially around the neck, to look a bit more professional. But still, I honestly enjoy every minute I wear it. As my other sewing buddy, who jokingly called the coat Shaun the Sheep (she was not wrong), pointed out, one of the biggest Estonian newspapers wrote that a pink coat should be prescribed by doctors this spring. I can support this idea by saying that if you wear something you feel good in, it definitely helps a ton with dealing with the world, and in my case it happens to be this pink coat!

As you may noticed, I added the belt and belt loops to my version, but it looks equally cool when worn as intended, loose. I made the smallest size S/M and I love how it fits, not oversized as most of the stuff we see these days, but relaxed at the same time.

I also wore my coat in Stockholm about two weeks ago for a conference and following my traditions, managed to squeeze in a quick hop to downtown to a fabric shop.

As their website declares, Sidencarlson should be one of the oldest fabric stores in Stockholm. The small shop has a well-curated selection of fabrics, lots of them high quality wools and silks with respective price tags, but they also offer a range of simpler things and I grabbed some blue-white bengaline for a pair of stretch jeans one day.

The conference was a success as well, our poster was awarded as the best poster of the conference! And that was the creme de la creme of Scandinavian spinal cord rehabilitation experts!

Until soon!