Swing high, swing low

Hello, dear Readers :-)

 All the photos taken by my one-and-only Husband. You're the top, as Cole Porter sang!

Two months ago I was lucky enoguh to thrift over 8 yards of a beautiful dark navy corduroy. I've never been a fan of this fabric, as it brings back the memories of the children's clothes of the early 1990s, but there was something about this navy beauty that caught my eye. Maybe the colour, maybe the high pile that gives velvety feeling.

I managed to cut the fabric up efficiently enough to sew my Husband new trousers and to make myself something I've been longing to have - a 50s swing coat.

The pattern was Butterick 6288. Unfortunatelly, it arrived with two pieces missing - front and back of the sleeves. I was so irritated; it was stated in the auction that the pattern was complete. We've all been there, right? You get my frustration.

 Ahh, the joy of a swing coat.

 However, I liked the pattern so much I decided to draft the sleeves on my own, so few Threads articles later I had my sleeves' pattern pieces. To make the coat fit even more snugly at the shoulders (which is the only fitted part), I moved most of the sleeves' ease to the sides, instead of the top of the cap.

 Cozy cozy

The pattern is lovely; it gives this coat a full, sweeping line, which is all the swing coat should be about. I decided to make it mid-calf lenght and I finished it the way I like my clothes to be: with 7/8 sleeves turned back to be 3/4, with hidden closured and hand finishes. The collar and front facing were interfaced with canvas, pad-stitched to give them proper shape (you may have seen this step if you follow my instagram account).

The big button is only for esthetic purpose; the coat fastens with 7 snaps, each one covered with the lining fabric.











The lining itself has sleeves set in by hand and is hand sewn to the coat, but only along the collar and facings, with 'catch points' of thread along the side seams. The back and the botton of the lining has been blind hemmed and attached to the coat with french tacks, to let the main fabric drape freely.

I also made the sweat pads covered with lining - sweat is not a particulary glamourous subject, I know, but the pads will keep the coat from damage.

  

I hope you'll like it. Thank you for your feedback and all the positive energy you gave me by making me the winner of Pattern Review's 2016 Vintage Pattern Contest. Merci!