Seasonal Sewing - A Toasty Tiny Trench Coat!

Do you ever have something that's been on your "to-sew" list for so long it seems like you'll never get to it? That was me with this coat.  I'd fallen in love with this fabric last fall, but just couldn't get the time to make it into anything.  This year I was determined to carve out some time so my little lady could get some wear out of it and it wouldn't have to wait another year on the shelf!

I thought it would be ideal as a coat so it would be worn more than just a handful of times.  I used a pattern from the 1/2010 issue of Ottobre Design.  It's called Variksenmarja (try to remember how to spell that one!).  I just loved the tailored look and inverted pleats:

I have to admit I have a love/hate feeling about using Ottobre Design patterns.  On the one hand the European designs are really lovely and give more stylish, well-fitting options than most other pattern makers. And it's great to get so many patterns in a range of sizes in just one issue, some of which I have used many, many times over.  

Yet, not having any visual directions makes it pretty hard to decipher things since they are translated into English from Finnish.  In paragraph form.  If you get confused, or don't understand a technique they are using, you're out of luck.  And just having one finished item photo, from one angle, doesn't help much either.  I'm definitely not a sewing novice, but the instructions for this coat seemed so convoluted to me that I literally just cut the pieces and then put the coat together the way it seemed logical to me, side-stepping their directions all together.  

But as a result of doing it my own way, I was able to swap in roll up cuffs instead of the non-functional cuff straps in the original design.  Now this little coat can be worn a bit longer and show off the cuddly, fleecy lining fabric.  I got this fab knit in a fabric store in Canada this summer and wish I knew exactly what it's called!  I love how it's plush fleece on the one side and sweater knit on the reverse.  I used the fuzzy side for the coat's inside and sweater side out for the underside of the collar:

I also love how it's practically an outfit on its own and how the plush interior keeps her toasty warm.   That it makes Miss Fancy Pants come running to put it on (because she enjoys wearing it too) makes it well worth the wait:)

Sharing this with my FAVE LINK PARTIES too so click HERE to check them out!