#longblackcoat

So after a good night's sleep, where the sensible part of my brain pops out and says "have you thought about. . . ", I've decided I don't have the skills to do what I was planning with the coat. More precisely, I don't have the skills to create an end result that I would see as successful enough to warrant the amount of time, effort, and general brain wrangling required to get there. Effort in =/= good enough end result. So I'm going to buy new fabric to make the outer as well as the lining, and just make a new coat. I'm looking at it as a fast forwarded ship of Theseus/Trigger's broom/the Low King's father's axe (select myth according to taste). I was going to change the lining, I just haven't quite got around to doing that before I'm changing the outer too! #LongBlackCoat #sewing

Well, that's the excess fabric cut off. Decided I do need to fiddle with the shoulders. I should at least have enough fabric to widen everything I want to widen. #LongBlackCoat

Scary bit - working out where I can take extra fabric off the skirt. I'm going to put a disclaimer here that I have no idea what I'm doing! I've only ever followed a pattern, never altered anything to fit or drafted a pattern. I'm also not taking the coat completely apart, trying to keep seams intact if I can. I'm hoping to leave the shoulder seams alone - it has one of the bodice seams going through it front and back. Although I'm trying to make more wiggle room across the broad part of my back, the shoulders felt wide enough for me, so I don't want to change where the bodice seam meets the shoulder as I'll have to do the same on the front, which has more complicated shaping. Yes, I realised a long time ago it would be easier to make a new coat using a larger size pattern. #LongBlackCoat #sewing #dressmaking

Started work on updating my long black coat. Here are some pictures of when I first finished making it, back in 2019. It fits me as long as I don't wear anything too bulky, but the fitted princess seams don't allow much wiggle room, and it's too tight across the back when driving. It's also too thin, so despite the style isn't suitable for winter weather. So, new lining, take out some of the width in the skirt panels to gain fabric to increase some of the bodice seams, and a seam on the sleeves. Reposition pockets (they could do with being one seam further to the back), and put in bigger pocket bags. New buttons, and maybe a faux belt on the back to add interest. Pondering adding some embroidery too. Made a list of what needs doing - I'm basically taking most of it apart just so I can put it back together again! #sewing #dressmaking #LongBlackCoat