Then, Andreia made another.
That settled it. I had to make one, too. (Because don't we all need to make the things these two brilliant ladies make?)
The pattern that I'm talking about, of course, is the Silvia Coatigan by Schnittchen Patterns. I have been wanting a slightly cocoon-shaped, boxy, oversized coatigan with dropped shoulders for some time, and finally, I have one!
I am not going to win any awards for the quality of sewing on this garment. Oh no, make no mistake about that. Originally, I had planned to leave it unlined, so I sewed this burly, wool knit with my serger. But then, I tried it on and almost came out of my SKIN it was so itchy. I mean, duh. With that, I took to my stash and found some suitable lining fabric. I used Bemberg lining in the pockets and sleeves, and then I had another small piece of this lovely black and white cotton/silk voile for the body. It looks intentional, but in reality, I simply didn't have enough of either one to do the whole thing.
The pattern is very well drafted and written; however, it does not include illustrations or photographs. I made good friends with my seam ripper while making this because I did make a few mistakes - mostly during the lining portion. I'd never bagged a lining, so I found it hard to imagine in my head. Finally, I used Jen's tutorial on Grainline Studio to figure it all out.
Even with the trials, this coatigan was NOT hard to make - in fact, it was quite simple and quick. My measurements put me in-between the 36 and 38, so I went with the 36 since it is so oversized. That was a good choice as the fit is spot-on.
I want to make another one in a less voluminous, less ITCHY fabric so I can wear just a tee underneath. As it is, I cannot wear this one if any skin is touching it - even with the lining! The itchy bits poke right through the lining and drive me insane. However, with this turtleneck, all is well.
I love the way I feel while wearing this. It has a very modern, street-style look, I think. I also love that I could put on some black sneakers and leggings and feel equally fashionable while wearing it. It has a way of dressing anything up while still having an effortless feel.
I purchased this itchy-as-all-get-out fabric at Mill End here in Portland. It looks nice, but man...oh man...the itching. I also wasn't quite sure how to handle the pile when I sewed the in-seam pockets on the front. They look a little messy as-is. Perhaps I should tape down the pile on either side of the stitching line next time so it doesn't get caught in the seam allowance?
The turtleneck was made in a black sweater knit I also purchased at Mill End from the flat-fold section. I used BurdaStyle 6990, and this is bound to become a TNT pattern for me. I love the look and the fit of this top. I did size down one size from my measurements to a 10 (instead of a 12). I probably could have even gone down to an 8 if I wanted a very fitted look. That would probably make it bunch under my arms though, so another option would be to just zip those side seams through the serger again before hemming. The thing I love most about this pattern is NO NECKBAND! Super easy and fast. Perfect.
