One week later than anticipated, but it’s done at last! I’ve no real excuse other than I’ve generally been feeling yucky and the weather has offered no encouragement to finish a heavy coat. Of course there’s no way I’m wearing it in the balmy 72 degree weather we’re having today

not even to model.

Sorry.

The long range forecast is showing some cold weather around Valentine’s day, so I might get to wear it before next winter. The first time I wear it there will be photos.

I promise.

Here it is on Brunhilde. You might notice some pins–the collar is in training to lay flatter.

As I expected, the pattern (mis-)matching doesn’t offend me in the least. The way the patterns arranged themselves on the finished coat might have been a problem in another fabric, but not in these shades of gray.

Here’s that polyester satin lining. It’s sort of hammered looking–JoAnn’s had a name for it, but I can’t recall it just now. I really like the unobtrusive way it turned out. Matching the lining to the fabric was the way to go with a project like this.

I did have one lining snafu. There being no separate lining pieces for the pattern, I simply shortened the lining by the length of the coat’s hem. Due to my slovenly marking habits, I forgot to mark the large dot at the bottom of the side front lining before I removed it from the cutting table. When it came time to sew it to the facing, I positioned the pattern wrong and marked the dot too high.

I thought there was an awful lot of facing to ease in…

When the coat was nearly done and the facing would not hang level along the hem, I realized my mistake. I ripped that seam loose and sewed the lining to the facing by hand.

I’ll mark it properly next time (sure I will…)

All’s well that ends well, of course, and it only cost me some time.

For the backs of the bound buttonholes, I made windowpanes on the facing and stitched them together. I’m sure you’ve seen the method. It works very well as long as you mark carefully.

I’m very happy with the coat and even happier to be done with the coat! I knew it would be a long project, but I’m never really prepared for the weeks that it takes me to finish a multi-step garment like this.

Now that I’m done, it was worth all the time it took. I’ve needed this coat for a long time and I expect to wear it for many years!