Depending on how this coat turns out, I may well invest in one of those Tailoring books. I did go to tailoring classes many years ago, but I was too impatient at the time... For now, You ladies, Sigrid's blog, and the Readers Digest book are filling the gaps in my knowledge.
I did some work on the coat last night, and immediately started to question the instructions...
The pleats are constructed first, and I did the first panel, before thinking - what about the hem? I think it will be far more difficult to press the hem in after the pleats have been 'set'. What's the thinking on this? I don't mean stitching the hem, just pressing it up.
The fabric is behaving OK up to now, after interfacing all the pieces, and the pleats seem to be holding well,
but, I have overlocked all the way around the pleat pieces to stop them fraying. I intend to overlock all the other pieces as well, as it makes the fabric easier to work with, and should stop the fabric stretching out. I'm also more convinced than ever, that using giant press studs is the way to go - I really wouldn't want to attempt bound buttonholes on this one!
These preliminary jobs are tedious, but essential, I do see that, but I'll be glad to get on to some real sewing!
Jessie