Which comes first, the pattern or the fabric? It’s an age old question. For me personally, I would say that most of the time, the pattern comes first and then I pick the fabric. Sometimes though, a fabric jumps out at me that I have no idea what I want to make with it, but I love it so much that I have to figure it out. This was the case with this beautiful red & black wool coating fabric. Red is a color I used to wear more often, but still love. I thought the tiny red dots made it unique, yet still classic and that it would go with a lot of things, like the Hey June Handmade Charleston Dress I made in a Lady McElroy Ponte Roma Jersey Knit for example.

I had been wanting to make some sort of wool coat for a while. I didn’t have anything like that in my wardrobe already, so this fabric was the inspiration I needed to finally do so. I also wanted something that was on the dressier side and could be worn over party and holiday attire in the colder months. I knew about the Closet Core Patterns Clare Coat, but it wasn’t on my “to sew” list. When I saw this fabric, I immediately thought it would be perfect for a Clare Coat and I was right. The pattern and fabric combo made for the perfect coat for crisp fall and winter days. It’s warm, but not too hot. The collar can be flipped up for extra warmth and coziness and still looks very chic I think.

I sewed view B which is hip length, double breasted with in-seam pockets, and features a funnel neck. According to my measurements (bust=38, waist=32”, hip=42”) I could have graded between a size 12 and 14, but this pattern looked like it would be very complicated to grade between sizes, so I decided to just sew a straight size 14. I figured that would be good for giving me extra room to wear over bulkier sweaters if I wanted to. I’m happy with that choice. The coat is roomy, but it doesn’t look or feel too big. Adjustments to the pattern I made were to widen the sleeves ½” and lengthen the sleeve 2”. Those are common adjustments for me, especially in Closet Core Patterns.

This was my first time sewing with a wool coating fabric and I had heard of its lovely pressing capabilities. This fabric did not disappoint in that department. I used a tailors clapper when ironing the seams and it pressed so nicely. I lined it with a black rayon bemberg. The pattern itself was pretty straightforward to sew and there are lots of resources on the Closet Core Patterns website to help you along as well. I think this would be a great first coat project for someone looking to get into jacket-making.

I love this coat so much and am so glad I made it. It was a joy to sew and it makes me so happy to wear. Thank you Minerva!

#closetcorepatterns #clarecoat #woolcoating #jacketmaking