A full week of blog posts... Don't mind if I do!

I'm taking a break from the SSWD series to blog my new coat. I finished it 2 weekends ago and honestly, every time I looked at it in the mirror, I thought it made me look fat. :( So today's lesson is, don't believe your eyes. Taking a look at it through the camera makes me feel WAY better about my coat. Let's be real, coats should be big, fluffy and able to keep you warm. And even if it did make me look fat, It is warm and that's what matters. Because I'm not willing to freeze to death in the name of fashion!

I bought the Shwin Designs Nina Coat bundle over black Friday weekend. The one thing I absolutely needed was a coat, so I was eager to snatch this one up!

The princess seams made it easy to adjust the bust. The pattern includes bust, waist and over high bust/over bust, so it was easy to pick a base size. I made the size Medium with a 1" fba. This was one of those miracle times where I made the FBA and it was perfect on the very first try. WOOT! The pattern does include a tutorial on how to complete an FBA. I didn't need it, but it is there if you do.

The pattern also includes a finished measurement chart, so you could figure out what adjustments to make to get a good fit. Normally I remove length from patterns. With this pattern, i knew i wanted the waist to be a little lower, so I didn't adjust the lengths. And extra coverage on my legs to block the cold? Sign me up!

The most important thing to me when making my new coat was POCKETS. I've got several New Horizons Harbor Hoodies with pockets, and I've now gotten the pocket love! While I was a little unsure about the big collar making my shoulders look wide, it is amazing for pulling up to keep my face warm. ;)

My coat is made all from fabrics at Joanns. A super cute cat flannel and a wool/poly blend that is both warm and breathable. I'm still trying to commit to making another in a MUCH heavier weight wool, but I've got plenty of projects i"m working on and don't know if it would be done before Spring (although spring won't be here until late April or early May). Or more importantly, whether I want to commit to finishing it before spring.

My coat took me a day and a half to finish. There is a lot of pressing, topstitching and a TON of hand sewing. But the final results were completely worth it.

I wish that there were facing pieces for the hem, but I realize how much harder it would be to sew if there were also facings.