ABOUT ME

I am Angela and I love to sew. I started sewing as a child and by the time I was a teenager I was wearing the very latest fashions to go out in. All me-made. I am passionate about reducing the amount of textiles sent to landfill, and encourage you to repurpose fabrics and clothes I started this blog in order to have a way in which to pass on my gained knowledge, and my professional knowledge to you, Sewing is empowering, you can save money by making items, make money by selling then, You can pass your knowledge on to others. What is there not to love? Interestingly I am a direct descendant of the Flemish weavers who came over to England in the 1300's. I find that fascinating especially as most of my family from as far back as I can trace are somehow involved in the manufacturing of fabric . . I have a degree in tailoring with a special interest in WW2 fashion.
Showing posts with label Coat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coat. Show all posts

Tuesday 20 February 2024

VOGUE V9341 Jacket Pattern designed by Julio Cesar

 Vogue patterns 9341 - Spring and Autumn 

  

This is a lovely sewing pattern as it is but when I saw it I could think of many different ways I could personalise it just  for me and to make it work for different seasons 


SPRING

For the first version I used a dark grey wool British Coating and trimmed the front of the jacket with a pale pink Tweed.  I made a matching Tote bag too 






AUTUMN

In the second version I used this rather gorgeous reversible Melton wool fabric, and for the front section  I simply used the opposite side of the fabric. The bag was made last year and it suits the coat fabric beautifully 








This jacket is incredibly easy to sew and if you use a boiled wool for example you  could consider not finishing the seams.

You could make the jacket reversible by a number of methods incorporating flat fell seams, or binding the seams with Bias binding.  These are called Hong-Kong seams. It is easy to make your own Bias binding 

Bias Binding maker

Or you can purchase it ready made  

Bias Binding

The jacket works out roomy so I chose a smaller size than normal. The short sleeves are not practical for where I live and so I lengthenced them. For the fastenings I used magnetic press studs, other choices include   buttons and buttonholes,  sew in poppers bag clasps and more 






I took a fair amount of time thinking about the placement of the contrast fabric on the right front and what other trimmings I could add.  




The pattern may be purchased from Jaycotts.co.uk 

 Vogue 9341

Fasteners can also be purchased from Jaycotts.co.uk 

There is a huge selection so enjoy browsing 

Various fastenings



 Enjoy designing your own special jacket


Angela 

Sewangelicthreads 

Tuesday 18 January 2022

My McCall's Cape in wool mix coating

 I am still working on my cape. I want to make sure that everything is perfect because on a simple garment such as this every mistake will be instantly visible.





The fabric is a wool mix coating. View it here Wool mix coating


It is on sale too! 


Monday 3 February 2020

The Tremont Jacket by The Sewing Workshop

This is a MCBN post

The Tremont Jacket by The Sewing Workshop




I love The Sewing Workshop Patterns. They have just enough difficulty about them to make you think, but are not impossibly hard even for beginners. They are edgy and just that bit different. I have made several of their patterns and wear each garment lots of times, I use  the patterns more than once too.

For this design I chose a Boiled Wool Fabric in cerise pink. This fabric is easy to cut and easy to sew and the best news is that as it doesn't fray you do not even have to worry about finishing the seams.






To find out how I made this gorgeous jacket and to view and order fabric and pattern please go to this link. The Tremont Jacket


Thank you for reading my posts. Please go to the bottom of my page and have my latest blogs sent straight to your inbox 

#sewangelicthreads


Thursday 7 November 2019

Stitching back in time to the 1940s , dresses and trenchcoats

The middle to late 1940s fashion: Dresses and Trench Coats 



A Jaycotts blog post.





It wasn't until 10:30 AM on 12 February 1947 that a relatively unheard of Christian Dior unveiled his "New Look"
Taking inspiration from flower petals he celebrated femininity with defined narrow waists and full flowing skirts. It was a defiance towards the rationing which had restricted fashion for several years.

 Before this monumental event though , and even when WW2 had ended,  we were still gripped by austerity and it was getting worse. We were encouraged to take two very worn dresses and coats for example and somehow make the best bits of each into one wearable garment. Shoe leather had run out and women's shoes were made with wooden soles which were very much hated. Everything was becoming more and more difficult and it seemed never ending, so the advent of a new fashion house really brought excitement to life.

If you are after a 1940s look then many of today's styles are very similar. Go for a low heel, preferably a chunky heel, a brogue or a wedge sandal and they will be fine.

One item which did prove popular was the Siren Suit, Sir Winston Churchill loved his and had one made from pin-stripe suiting (of course)


But the rest of us loved them too, they were designed to wear over normal clothes, or night clothes when the air raid siren went off. Air raid shelters were dirty, cold and smelly and these garments were very much necessary.

Today we still wear a type of this garment in the form of jumpsuits. Take a look at the pattern range available from Jaycotts Jumpsuit pattern




I have a blog post too An easy Simplicity Jumpsuit so do take a look at the tutorial. Did you see the Sewing Bee 2019 As one of the challenges was to sew a jumpsuit and they all looked fabulous.

Factories were still being run by women - it took a long while before the men came home and women were forced out of work.  Supplies were still not reaching us so even after WW2 had ended we were still very much rationed - we were short of everything. Even those tiny ends of thread which we cut off and throw away were kept and treasured.


Keep on reading..........

Tuesday 10 September 2019

This is how I altered a coat pattern to make a simple raincoat.

This is a jaycotts.co.uk  Blog post


First published 20/06/2016


I have wanted to make myself a cheery raincoat for a very long time but just could not find a pattern. In the end , determined to have my raincoat, I did some rather major alterations to an ordinary coat pattern. The pattern has princess seams which would have spoiled the rather beautiful pattern,  so they needed eliminating,  as did some of the shaping because I wanted a straight style. Do you want to make one too? There are some things you need to bear in mind,  but it's not that difficult I promise.





This is the finished coat.  I used a ripstop fabric in a very colorfully print called Ellies. I purchased it from WhiteTreeFabrics.com but do sadly this was the last piece. However I never like to dictate to you exactly what fabric you should use, we all have very different tastes. What you  need to look out for though is a RIP-STOP fabric or a showerproofed cotton. For the linings I chose a firm shot taffeta. With the raincoat outer being quite firm it called for a stiffer lining than normal. I chose a darker colour than my  main  fabric.



And yes, the rather cute 60s style fabric does have elephant's on it!








This is the pattern, it is Mccalls M7058 and you can buy it from jaycotts.co.uk  by clicking on this link  Mccalls M7058 at Jaycotts.co.uk
It is a lovely pattern with lots of variations to choose from. I wanted the style which has the hood, and as I bought the last of this roll of fabric there was only enough to make the mid-length version. Which was what I wanted anyway!




Sunday 6 January 2019

What is the difference between a Tailored and non tailored garment, in pictures


What is the difference between tailored and non-tailored garments?

Hello, this is here by request. I know I said that I wasn't going to write a blog for a few weeks as I am busy making a coat, but so many of you have requested to see some of the garments I made at college over 30 years ago, so here I am blogging when I should be sewing.

First of all watch my you tube video as much of the explanation is there and it saves me having to type when I should be sewing!



Direct link to video if it doesn't show is Tailored vs non-tailored



In this video you will clearly see the difference between a Tailored and non-tailored coat or jacket.

Here are close up photos of my ancient garments, fully tailored, totally sewn by hand, and which took six months to a year to make! However you can see how well they have survived despite being in a suitcase for many years.



This is one of my examination garments. I had to make a winter coat without using a pattern of any sort. The fabric is Mohair and cost me £80 which was an absolute fortune then. This coat is extremely heavy!





Friday 14 December 2018

A Semi-Tailored Coat




The  semi-tailored coat. 

I wanted to make a coat which would be smart and structured and last well. I immediately thought back to my days at college studying Tailoring and actually tried on a few of the garments I still have and noticed that after over 30 years they still look like new. They are timeless and hard wearing and that is what I wanted to achieve with this coat.



I think that you will agree that this coat fits the bill perfectly. It is a classic shape, it fits well, the colour suits me and I will be able to wear it  for almost any occasion.




So, what pattern did I choose? Firstly the pattern is by Kwik Fit and it has princess seams, a high neckline , button front and a vented back. If you want to make the shorter version you will relieve yourself of the need to sew a vent in the back, although it is honestly not difficult.
This is a wool blend coating which is a very reasonable price. Also  choose any sateen or satin though to contrast or match your coat fabric

I was just going to use it for facings but there was enough for the pocket linings and to line the front and back. The sleeves were lined in an remnant of ordinary lining fabric in pink. It is quite acceptable to do this, in fact if your main lining is not very silky you will find that an acetate or silk sleeve lining makes it easier to get the garment on and off.

You need an iron on woven interfacing




I cannot hope to show you how to properly tailor a garment in a blog post, it takes years to master the craft fully, but I will give you some hints and tips to supplement the pattern instructions so that you can make a semi-tailored coat.
What is tailoring? We think of men's suits don't we. But tailoring is the umbrella term used to describe the specialist stitches , methods and fabrics used to construct, or engineer a garment made to last. The horse hair interfacings and the pad stitches are used to put shape into the fabric which will last forever. This is all usually done by hand. If you are interested in learning a bit more do let me know.





Tuesday 5 June 2018

The simplicity New Look Denim Coat and Tote bag

The Simplicity New Look Denim Coat A MinervaCrafts Blogger Network Post


Label
Hong Kong Seam

I was watching the Royal Wedding and looking closely at what people were wearing. What struck me was that the best dressed and most elegant women wore simple A-line coats over a dress. The look is understated but very classy. That got me thinking that I don't actually own a summer coat and how useful one would be.

This is one of my most favourite makes ever. It goes well with trousers, jeans or a shift dress. The pattern comes with trousers top and skirt too and the outfit can be made very smart for a wedding or more casual for everyday wear. I love how the coat has an Indian feel to it with the stand collar and slits up the side. It really is a very useful and wearable garment which I never knew I needed.



Do make one and have fun with the inside, see the post fo how to make the seams.
It looks and feels so special with the Hong Kong (bound) seams and the matching bag is pure inspiration in my opinion!

I guess you have realised that I LOVE my new summer coat! PS there is a tote bag to make too.

NB if this particular fabric is not to your taste then take a look at these alternatives, starting at under £5 A metre. Denim, plain and patterned

The rest of the post is here My Simplicity New Look Denim Coat Do read it and leave a comment


Thank you
Angela

#simplicity #NewLook #denim #coat #sewing #sewingblog #tutorial



I would love to see your version.







Friday 16 February 2018

Sewing tutorial - very easy Tailoring for beginners on a spring or Autumn coat

I wanted a lightweight coat for slightly warmer days and came across this fabric in my stash which is perfect
This post was actually started a year ago and since then the pattern which I used is no longer in the current Vogue catalogue. However I still feel that there is value in releasing this post as the techniques remain the same no matter what pattern you use
In this post we will discuss

Labels

Basic tailoring using fusible interfacings
Buttonholes
Lining
Fitting
Pressing




This is my coat pictured today before its first outing.