The Sewing Place

Pauline Alice Quart Coat

Ohsewsimple

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #60 on: March 05, 2020, 12:09:11 PM »
I often had people complain about patterns and the lack of info regarding interfacing. They thought the pattern should tell them exactly what to use.  I had to point out that the pattern companies have no idea what fabric you will be using or indeed the effect you want.  Two people could use a blouse pattern, one using crisp cotton and the other a soft viscose.  You wouldn’t use a stiff or heavyweight interfacing on the viscose but it would be ideal on the crisp cotton.  Of course, there is always the possibility that you want a stiff collar on the soft viscose and therefore the heavier weight interfacing would be ideal.   :)
Patterns are a starting point and it is up to us to decide what to use to achieve the desired effect.  And that means sampling, sampling and sampling. 

Elnnina

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #61 on: March 05, 2020, 12:49:08 PM »
Jessie why don't you take a trip to a shoe shop and ask if they have any boot boxes - I have an Ecco boot box size 59x36.5x11.5cms that I spotted on the shoe box discard heap and asked if I could have it - specifically for putting work in progress in, it keeps it all in place until I need a certain piece and there is no risk of it getting lost, crumpled or anything else, and it sits alongside my cabinet.  You might find that they also have some smaller but deep boxes with an attached lid (Padders) and that is also a useful size.

b15erk

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #62 on: March 05, 2020, 13:03:00 PM »
@Elnnina , that's a great idea about the boot boxes, I use plastic shoe boxes for projects usually, but this project is just too bulky.  It's gone on the list!

I've also just received my Tailoring book, so I won't be relying on Google for help quite as much!

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

dolcevita

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #63 on: March 05, 2020, 13:07:03 PM »
You can make a wearable jacket or coat just by following the instructions.  Tailoring, even of the speed variety, is an altogether different order of magnitude.

You are determined to press on and it will have least have been a learning exercise.

Wearable, yes.  Worth wearing? Questionable. 

The use of interfacings isn't, or shouldn't be, a tailoring thing.  A quick search for versions of the coat show many examples, most of which would benefit from interfacings regardless of whether tailoring techniques were used.  There are drag lines from the neck going down the front, saggy hems, lumpy hems, floppy looking fabric bagging out and so on.  I daresay that the ladies who made their coats are rightfully proud of the effort they put in to produce their garments, but a few additional lines in the instructions to encourage the use of modern fusibles in addition to the basic materials could have made these coats look terrific.  As they stand, many of them are wearable - they keep the person warm, the closures work and they look more or less like the design.  If you saw the same standard of finish on a RTW garment, however, it would be rejected in short order and deemed not worth wearing. I support Jessie's comment that the instructions are lacking, but also think that any coat pattern should include information on using modern interfacings as vilene is a complete cop out these days.

« Last Edit: March 05, 2020, 13:08:47 PM by dolcevita »

UttaRetch

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #64 on: March 05, 2020, 13:16:20 PM »
I have made two coats which are both wearable and have been admired.  I am perfectly aware that there is a difference between sewing and tailoring, but from the point of view of the pattern companies a wearable garment is the aim.

dolcevita

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #65 on: March 05, 2020, 13:23:28 PM »
I disagree.  If a wearable garment were the aim of the pattern companies, they would not give instructions to press seams, understitch, trim and clip seam allowances, etc., or use interfacing at all where heavier fabrics are recommended, since none of these are necessary to produce a wearable garment.  As it is, they do make all these recommendations and, often, make a specific recommendation for vilene or similar interfacing.  This is not a question of tailoring, just laziness of the pattern companies/designers in not updating their advice to reflect the changing materials available.

b15erk

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #66 on: March 05, 2020, 13:36:32 PM »
I think what I want to achieve is a 'proper' wearable jacket.  I say I haven't made coats and jackets before, although I suppose I have in a way, but all of them have lacked the well finished look of a good quality coat. 

I have seen your coats @UttaRetch , and they are beautiful, and benefit from not only your patience and attention to detail, but to the quality of fabric which you have used.

I have now received my Tailoring book, and that will be my reading matter for the duration of this project!  ;) :)

Jessie

Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

UttaRetch

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #67 on: March 05, 2020, 14:09:15 PM »
I am going to defer to your expertise on the sewing front @dolcevita since I don't the energy to go back and forth on the subject of what is or is not a wearable garment.

toileandtrouble

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #68 on: March 05, 2020, 16:25:06 PM »
I found a jacket in the 'reduced' section, with one sleeve lining twisted right round, so you couldn't get your arm through. Does that count as a wearable garment?
Yarn down:  1000g
Fabric down:  29m

b15erk

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #69 on: March 05, 2020, 16:28:43 PM »
I found one of those a few years ago @toileandtrouble - the salesperson couldn't see the problem as it looked OK until you tried to put it on!

There's more to this coat making business than meets the eye!

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

UttaRetch

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #70 on: March 05, 2020, 16:29:44 PM »
I found a jacket in the 'reduced' section, with one sleeve lining twisted right round, so you couldn't get your arm through. Does that count as a wearable garment?
No more than a trouser leg that was sewn shut at the hem.  What is your point?

toileandtrouble

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #71 on: March 05, 2020, 22:05:08 PM »
@UttaRetch My point is that being commercially produced does not guarantee wearability.  I think my Quality Control is a bit better than that.  And my buttons don't fall off.
Yarn down:  1000g
Fabric down:  29m

b15erk

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #72 on: March 06, 2020, 09:20:39 AM »
There has been progress!  :)

Well, as much as there can be when I only get an hour or two after work to sew.  I attached the front and back as I wanted to check the fit, and as far as I can see, it's OK.  This cheered me up, as I expected it to be far too small.  I think I may have to either alter, or make a bigger pair of shoulder pads, as they don't seem to be making a lot of impact.  We'll see.

The pic I've attached is the front facing and first lining piece.  I'm delighted with how this looks, but the lining is a slippery as a snake, and is going to have to be beaten into submission.  The spray starch has been used liberally!  ;)

I did have a go at doing the lining pleats, but I was too tired to wrestle with them for long, so I'll resume the battle tonight.  Pleats are not my favourite thing, and slippy, slidey satin pleats are the very work of the devil!  :devil:

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

UttaRetch

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #73 on: March 06, 2020, 09:33:57 AM »
It's looking good @b15erk.  Keeping everything crossed for you.  :D

b15erk

Re: Pauline Alice Quart Coat
« Reply #74 on: March 06, 2020, 09:44:23 AM »
@UttaRetch , thank you!  It's given me a bit of a boost, knowing that the fit isn't too far off - I'll just have to cut out the lunch time biccie! 

I've decided to leave out the epaulettes I think, and I've already decided I don't want the zips on the sleeves. 

My new tailoring book is already showing up my lack of tailoring technique  ;), good job I've decided to treat this as a learning exercise!

Jessie

Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.