Marfy 2240. Awh...not another coat

Marfy 2240

Yeah, okay, you're right..not another coat but I got to tell you that on average we always get cloudy days here 9 months out of the year, so, I need coats!!!!!

I have been putting this off like stupid crazy, but I found the fabric I was looking for and I am at peace with it.

Originally, I bought a periwinkle coloured fabric which you might have seen from this post A Roadside Flower Story and it turned out I didn't have enough metres to do this coat, so, instead I changed my mind and went with a boucle acrylic fabric of pink origin and a white cotton twill, (hmmm. who would have guessed), so this time I think I bought too much.  But that's OK!
So, yes, I am making two versions here:  The pink boucle and the white twill (with blue lining)

So let's examine the finished product shall we....





Size 46
Knee length
Lined of course even though it isn't obvious
Pleated over/under collar with lining
Centre back seam
3 pleats on lower half
Top stitching on bodice and lower pleats
Five 28-30 mm buttons third one down is a seam buttonhole
I'll skip the hat
Sleeves shows lining but that can be changed
Pleated where pocket lining is???

Cute isn't it???!!!!

This SO reminds me of the very favourite coat that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge wore some years back.  Here is the visual:

Isn't this coat freaking adorable? I really liked the flare at the waist line. However Marfy 2240 isn't a double breasted coat but the collar makes up for that alone!

I really like that the front pleats will enhance an hourglass figure to make a waist seem smaller, and that is everything isn't it??

I got to say that any topstitching I do may not show up very much unless I get a darker thread.  Working on that. Or I can use some heavier weight Z twist perle thread and hand stitch my topstitch...hmmmm.

For the lining on the white twill, I picked out a colour that was aptly named "BLUEBERRY", which was a close fit to the picture above.

What you'll need to do:

You'll need 3.5 m of 1.44 m wide fabric and about 3 m for the lining safely

Front Bodice: Cut 2
Side Front Bodice: Cut 2
Lower Front: Cut 2
Side Back: Cut 2 (cut 2 lining)
Back: Cut 2 (Lining cut 1 on fold(altered) with standard pleat)
Pocket: Cut 4 lining only
Upper/Under Collar: Cut 1 on bias fold (same for interfacing,lining)
Upper sleeve: Cut 2 (Cut 2 for lining)
Lower sleeve: Cut 2 (Cut 2 for lining)
Front facing: Cut 2 (cut 2 interfacing)

Onto the instructions already.....geez

Since I have 2 versions I will probably toggle using both source pictures, so, you are seeing the same thing done for each, nothing has changed.

Step 1 LAYOUT  Sorry about the lighting, it's gray here a lot!!!




Side back, Back, Front bodice, Under sleeve

Over sleeve, Lower Front, Side bodice

Collar piece which is both under and over collar cut 1 on the BIAS fold. Same for lining.
(Here I have a 1:1:sqrt(2) special triangle to make sure my fabric is folded on the true bias)

I used a 2 cm add on allowance and hem allowance in all places except the collar, pocket seams and arm hole areas.(I only add a 1 cm seam allowance)  I need all the space I can get.  My shoulders are quite narrow so, increasing that would be tragic.  All seams will be sewn with a 1 cm seam allowance thus increasing the overall size of my garment.

I have to overlock my fabric pieces because I am getting crazy amounts of fluffage.(extreme fabric dust) for the boucle but not for the white twill.

Step 2 Centre back seam.

With right sides together, sew the centre back seam where it says "seaming half back".  No match point letters here.  Just the straight edge running all the way down from neck to knee hem is your centre back seam.


Step 3 Lower Front Halves

Pleating

Mark or transfer your pleat lines for both sides on the lower fronts. 

IMPORTANT:       Mark your pocket placement line on both sides.  Mark notches where the seam buttonhole will sit.

DO NOT cut out the pleat area.  Cut piece as it is intact and whole(see piece in layout).

 Fold the pleats in the direction away from the centre front.  Note the B match point on the second pleat.  Baste across each pleat on each side for now. Press pleats. It is suggested that the pleats are edge stitched down that doubles as a top stitch.

Bring lines together towards the CB.  Baste pleats and stitch a permanent stitch

Step 4: In seam pockets

I am going to have to serge my pocket lining because I know acetate lining frays like crazy!

At first, where the placement line is on the lower front of the coat kind of threw me off because it doesn't really sit very close to the seam line so, in looking at the conceptual drawing, how are we doing this??
Well, in zooming in on the picture, and looking at how the pocket pieces will fit at the seam line, it looks as though I will have to pleat again!!!  Anyway, that is what I see and I assume I can do anything to make it work, and hence look in good and acceptable in public.

With right sides together, place the pocket lining along the T seam(front-side back). Pin the pocket lining on both front and side front. Sew the lining and T seam between the length of the A placement corresponding line on the front. (In other words, do not have a larger opening for your pocket than the length of your A placement line).

Press this seam towards the pocket and sew pocket pieces together on each side of the jacket.

Now, what to do with this A placement line on the front of the jacket?  Going back to what I just wrote, we need to bring the placement line towards the pocket edge.  The picture shows that the pocket opening along the seam line is next to the last pleat on the front.

After basting the A placement line in line with the pocket hole, I whip stitched these together because it doesn't even show from the outside and it makes for a very strong bind.

Step 5: N match point seam

This is the seam that joins the side back to the back piece.  With right sides together, match notches and fit curve of side back to the back piece. Press seam out. Remember to stay stitch if it is needed.  I don't do it if I can avoid it-yeah I am bad.



Step 6: Bodice B seam

Mark your centre front(CF) line with corresponding buttonhole placements and do not forget the seam buttonhole (third down from top)

Sew with right sides together the bodice pieces with the labelled B match point.   Match notches and curve.  Press seam out.

Bodice Front and bodice side front joined at the B match point
to make the top bodice assembly.

Step 7: Bodice assembly join to lower front halves

With right sides together, join bodice piece to lower front sections.  Press seam out. Match the B match point with the pleat with the seam line.

DO NOT forget to leave a space where the buttonhole sits on the right side of the coat. Re-enforce the stitching where you would start and stop to leave a hole.  This side you want to press seam out because of the seam buttonhole.

The left side of the left front of coat can be stitched all the way across because there are no buttonholes on this side.

Top bodice assembly sewn to lower front half.  This is the Left side of the coat.
B matchpoint seam joins with the middle pleat.

Step 8:  T seam matchpoint Front to Side Back

Now that you have the bodice L an R halves joined to their respective lower halves, now it is time to sew the T matchpoint seam. 

With right sides together, sew the front assembly to the back assembly.  Start and stop sewing above and below the pocket opening by re-enforcing your stitching. Press seam. 


Step 9: Shoulder Seam

Sew the shoulder seam by joining right sides together and pressing seam.  There is no matchpoint here.

Step 10: Sleeves.  Typical two piece assembly

Mark by marker pen or clipped notches the 2 most important parts of the upper sleeve.  There is a notch on the front area and the apex of the sleeve where the grain line is.  This will be the only grain line notch to use as a functional notch.

Mark where the FRONT of the sleeve is, otherwise, we won't know what L and R is here.

With right sides together, sew the N seam matchpoint joining lower and upper sleeves together so that the sleeve is one assembly for each L and R pieces.

Now that this is sewn together, press N seam out (Outer sleeve seam), and sew a gathering stitch between notches. (Or in my case from outer seam to front sleeve notch)

Sew the inner sleeve seam and press out.  Fit sleeve into armhole matching  front notches and apex sleeve notch to the shoulder seam.

Two piece sleeve assembly for the R and L sleeves.

Step 11: Collar

This part was a bit confusing when I first looked at it, but after looking at the drawing, and reading the directions on the pattern piece I realised that I only needed to cut 1 on the fold.  It says to "Fold in Double" and what I did was to create the under collar, I just needed to fold lengthwise along the middle to create the finished collar.  So, let's look at what to do:

1. Cut with seam allowances, 1 piece on the bias fold.  Do the same for the lining and interfacing.
2. Transfer all pleat lines onto the fabric and lining.
3. Fuse or sew interfacing to the wrong side of the over/under collar piece
4. Press pleats on fabric and lining separately. For both sides and ends pleats are pressed towards the CB.  You will need to form mirror image pleats on both sides of your fabric and lining.
5. Baste pleats temporarily until you are ready to sew it to the coat.
6. Sew with right sides together, the collar and lining together leaving one long end open to turn right way out.(Or sew 2 short sides but  long ends are basted)
7. With right sides together, pin the collar/lining assembly to the coat matching CB, notches ending at front of the coat (C matchpoint). Sew and press.
8. DO NOT Press the centre fold line along the long side PLEASE.  The picture shows it kind of fluffy and bouncy.

The pleats are folded as mirror images on L and R sides of the far end of the collar.
The middle length is your fold line
Pleats are directed towards the centre back of the collar(middle).

Basted long end is joined to the coat. (Remember that the non pleated area is the CB)
The end of collar assembly should end at the C matchpoint of front jacket

Step 12: Pockets Front Finish A Placement Line

In finishing the pockets  we have to do some more pleating.  Now, as mentioned before, the placement line A was quite a distance from the T seam line opening, so I think there may be another way to do this, but you can alter things if you see fit.

Take the placement line A and bring this line towards the T seam. Baste the pleat down along the opening, press and sew down within the seam allowance.  This should hold the A placement pleat.
You can sew it down carefully not catching the other side and sewing shut the pocket opening, so what I did was whip stitch it into place.  I did this only because I know it is a sturdy stitch or you can slip stitch it, which evidently bugs the crap out of me.

Step 13: Facing/Lining

Fuse or baste interfacing to the wrong side of both right and left sides of the front facing.
I would suggest to serge or zig zag the edges to keep fabric from fraying.
Mark a corresponding buttonhole placement on your facing to join to the seam buttonhole.

I marked the position on the facing where the seam button hole is on the fashion fabric.

The lining for the front section can be done in 2 ways.  This is the only other piece that is drastically different from the rest of the pattern pieces and this was not in the package, so what I did was use the front bodice piece and sew it to the lower front but had to omit the pleats.  Using the existing pattern piece(facing) and side back, the difference in area would be the newly assembled front lining, which was done the same as in Marfy 9609.  You could also draft an entire single piece including both front pieces but that I didn't want to do.  Either way, you will need to cut 2 of each piece for the lining.

The pieces for the modified front lining.  I assembled them in 2 pieces
but you can draft an entire section as one piece.
Notice how the front pleats are not needed here.

With right sides together, sew the front lining to the facing and press with the seam towards the facing.

Step 14:  Lining Centre back pleat

Since the back piece for the lining is cut on the fold, form your desired pleat width for ease of wear and sew down in 3 places along the length of the centre back pleat.
I chose 3 cm for my pleat distance on either side of the centre fold.  It is really up to you what you want your lining centre back pleat to be, although you can still mirror your fashion fabric directions and sew a centre back seam.  I do suggest to make a pleat only because it allows ease of wear and increases the comfort level a bit.
Hey, if you have the energy, you can hand sew a small chain here because I have seen that in higher quality overcoats.

Step 15: Lining Back Side Back

Sew the N seam matchpoint is done the same for the fashion fabric.  See step 5.

Step 16: Lining Side back to Front Assembly

Sew the lining as you did in step 8 except sew the entire length of the T seam.  This will trap the pockets between the fashion fabric and the lining.

Step 17: Lining Shoulder seam

Sew with right sides together, the facing/front lining shoulder section to the corresponding shoulder seam on back piece.  Press seam out.

Step 18: Lining Sleeves

Assemble the two piece assembly of the lining sleeves just like the fashion fabric as in step 10.  Fit sleeve lining into the armhole area.

Step 19: Lining Collar attachment

With right sides together, sew the facing/lining assembly to the basted collar and fronts. Press and topstitch the facing the centre front from the collar matchpoint to the hem area.  This can be optional but may give it a nice look.

Trim the top corner area and clip the curves making a better look.

*** At this point, the coat should sandwich the collar between the lining.  This small stretch along the collar area when I attached it was a huge pain as the number of layers caused my machine to literally come apart where the needle housing is attached to the shank.  I may suggest to use a thinner fabric to lessen the burden.

Baste the collar assembly to the neckline but don't finish these edges.
Sew the lining over this to sandwich the collar between neckline and lining
See how it is folded like in the picture?  DO NOT press the long centre front fold  line.
It is supposed to look fluffy!

Hem

Normally when I look at the pictures of the finished product, I would imagine that the pattern would generally stop there and you would add the hem allowance.  Well, I did add 2 cm, but as it turns out, I really didn't have to because even without the allowance the piece went WAY BELOW my knees and I have to trim off 5.75 inches!  I then gave myself a new hem allowance of 1.25 inches, and I know I should be metric but this coat is LONG and I am 175cm tall!  Therefore, this coat is sitting at 7 inches higher!  WOW! And that is still below my knees a little bit!

Anyway, having trimmed the massive excess away I serged the bottom of my hem and attached the lining.


Also, attach the lining to the sleeve hem as you see fit.  I think the length of the sleeve could have been a bit longer or adding a french cuff would have been nice.  I probably could draft one but I am way too lazy right now!


Buttons and Buttonholes

Machine buttonhole where your buttonholes will sit on the centre front line. The pattern pieces have this clearly marked.  The seam button hole was a bit tricky in that I had to make a separate buttonhole on the facing and I then secured it to the seam opening inconspicuously .  The other 4 were straight forward.

Hand sew the buttons on the corresponding left centre front line.  Remember us girls!  Button holes are on the right side, buttons on the left!

I chose an off white 28mm laser cut button that looks like this:

And that is it!  See you for the next post!



Bye!!!!

 After making this coat and its silly pink doppelganger, I do urge you to think about using lighter softer coating fabrics as the bulky layers of the collar presented a massive huge problem for me personally as my machine is showing its limitations and age.  This was not a hard problem to overcome it was just that I got so frustrated by wasting pointless hours when I could have been reading??!!!