Coats and Dresses...

Today I am mostly being inspired by these patterns:

I love coats and jackets, and I particularly love oversized ones with giant buttons or enormous collars. I'd like to make the green one with the asymmetric collar with one truly GIGANTIC button at the neck. (I probably wouldn't go for Kermit-green though.) I have a particular liking for dolman sleeves, mostly because you don't have to fiddle about getting the sleeve head to fit nicely into the armscye. Also, when you're a person who waves their hands about a lot, you get a good range of arm movement. ;)

The second coat, which is from a 1952 pattern, I love because of the great big pockets, and the oversized style. Think how soft and comfortable this would be in a nice warm fleece. (Yes, I know polyester fleece is hardly a 1952-appropriate fabric, but that sort of thing's never bothered me.) You could make a fabulous evening version in velvet, or in a heavy matte satin, with velvet cuffs and facings. I'd probably go for polar fleece with skulls on, but that's just me...




This first dress is yet another 1950s reproduction pattern. I keep hoping that by some miracle I will actually develop a waist, and then be the right shape to fit into these styles of dress, but I don't think that's going to happen any time soon. I particularly like the middle version though, with the fuller skirt. If you click through to the front & back illustration, you can see that the fullness is brought in under the bust with lots of darts. I have a theory that it should be possible to let the darts out to fit me without completely ruining the shape of the dress, so I think I might buy this pattern and give it a try. I'd quite like to make it with the bodice in a contrasting colour, although I think this dress might be a good candidate for my flamingo broadcloth.

The second dress I like for the same reason - the shape is made using lots and lots of tucks, and I love the effect that this produces in this gingham! I love the striped section round the waist, and I'd love to give this pattern a go in a smaller gingham, even though that would probably mean making double the number of tucks. I'd probably leave out the lace trim around the bottom though - or I'd apply it on the top of the fabric rather than having a cut-out. Nobody really needs to see my knees, these days!



It's been three weeks since I've had a chance to get out into the Shed and sew, and I really miss it.