A new raincoat

[dolcevita]

I finished this a couple of weeks ago, just as the weather dried up. I don't think it's rained since.

It's an Ottobre Woman pattern, from the 2/2015 issue, design no. 20, the Wear Everyday coat. Ottobre made theirs in soft shell fabric and that will be my next one, but I needed a new lightweight rain coat/jacket and had recently bought this fun fabric. I think the fabric was from Croft Mill; it's a soft knit on the back with a light PVC coating on the outside. As it's showerproof not waterproof, I didn't bother with taping the seams for a waterproof finish, but I did do a Hong Kong finish on all but the sleeve and armhole seams. I put a small sleeve header in as the top of the sleeves were collapsing in a little, but I'm going to alter that slightly to make them a little less poofy but still supporting.

I love the pattern, I love the fabric, but it wasn't the best combination for pattern matching. Princess seams at the front and a curved centre back seam meant I needed to choose at what point to have the pattern match, as it would only be at one point. I also slipped up on not accounting for the width of the zip when cutting the fronts but, hey ho, it was too late by then. I used red bias for the insides to pick up on the red of the lips in the faces and of the whole garment construction, applying the Hong Kong finish to the insides was the most laborious part.

I've a few things on my to-sew list, including a number of UFOs that I want to finish, but I've got some gorgeous cobalt blue soft shell from Driessenstoffen on a shelf destined for this pattern. It's a really nice, practical design but with some nice elements that stop it from being boring. As with many of the Ottobre patterns, it has a great size range, from 34 to 52. Highly recommended.

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[Tamnymore]

Wow fantastic @dolcevita . And beautifully finished inside too. Don't worry - it's bound to start raining again soon so you can road test it.

[Acorn]

Very nice indeed!   

[wrenkins]

Oh wow!  I absolutely love that! That fabric is amazing and it suits the coat perfectly.

[annieeg]

Really stylish (   )

[BrendaP]

Wow!  There's a lot of skilled work in that.  Wear it with pride when the rain comes.

[Ohsewsimple]

What a great piece. 
I know what you mean about the Hong Kong finish.  I did it on a linen jacket and made the binding first.  I was so glad to get to the end!

[Lilian]

Wow! That is fabulous, you are so skilled  Love the colours.

[mudcat]

That looks so fun to wear on a drizzly day.  Fantastic rendition.

[Ploshkin]

That's brilliant and the fabric is perfect.  You probably won't have to wait long to wear it (unlike my sleeveless top, still on the hanger).

[snoozi soozi]

Very stylish I love it. I've seen the fabric and wanted it but I know I'm not brave enough to tackle a jacket 

[Gernella]

That is very nice, in fact it's gorgeous.  Love the pattern as well, will really stand out on a rotten rainy day.  Love it.

[SkoutSews]

Oh my word! Beautifully sewn.

I agree with you about the seam binding. I'm planning to line my jacket instead, partly to avoid the dreaded binding.

[Nevis5]

Wow, that is so lovely, @dolcevita  !  I'm sure it won't be long until you have a chance to road test it.  I've never done the bound seams thing but they do look great.  I suspect I'm just too lazy 

[dolcevita]

Thanks, all. It's a fun coat and, not surprisingly, the weather forecast is for no rain for the next two weeks and 25C on Tuesday. Still, it needed making and the pattern is all adjusted for the soft shell version.

If anyone wanted to have a go at making this sort of jacket/coat, it's a decent pattern to start with as it's unlined (you can just overlock the seam allowances rather than using binding) and there's no collar to fiddle with, just the hood. Even the pockets are reasonably straightforward, as these things go, as they are in-seam ones with no plackets or flaps to mess with. Polar fleece would do for a practice run, too, as an inexpensive option rather than plunging straight in with soft shell.