Making from the catwalk Chanel coat continued -

Packing for Nashville, where I’m going to be teaching a 2 day workshop, the canvas coat front, so have to get this coat finished before I leave. I will tell you all about this in my next blog!

Back to the coat; the next step is to attach the under collar. I’m going to make the under collar in wool felt supported by hair canvas to shape and support the collar. The canvas is cut on the cross grain or bias and joined with a lapped seam down the center back. As the felt has no grain line it is cut in one piece. Both are cut with no added seam allowances.

Lay the canvas onto the felt and mark the roll line. Pad stitch the 2 pieces together using small 1/4inch (.75cm) work along the roll line in the collar stand.

Pad stitch the fall of the collar working along the roll line using ½ inch (1cm) pad stitches going back to smaller stitches in the collar points.

Great! Hugo my kitten is sleeping in the light box.

                                                                     

 Meet Hugo Boss

What are pad stitches -

The pad stitch is a diagonal stitch that is worked staggered from one row to the next. It is used to join one or more layers of fabric together. The coats lapels and under collar are pad stitched so that they retain their curvature. Pad stitching also gives added firmness this is why it is also used to attach the chest piece to the canvas.  The stitch length is approximately ½ inch changing to 1/4inch where firmer stitching is required. The line of stitching will run parallel  to the roll line and be worked from the under collar roll line out to the collar’s edge  and smaller firmer pad stitches in the collar stand from the roll line to the neck edge.  Traditionally silk thread is used to make these stitches that match in color to the fashion fabric so that the stitches don’t show on the finished garment.

The collar is now shaped using lots of stream from the iron. Wrap the collar around a ham and fold down from the roll line press. Remove the ham and shrink some of the fullness out of the collar stand. Stretch the outer edge of the collar so that it will sit nicely over the shoulder. Press both edges of the roll line flat.

Trim any canvas back from the edge of the felt so that it won’t show in the edges when the collar is attached.

Mark with chalk around the neck line of the coat and pin the felt under collar onto this line. Using small slip stitches attach the felt under collar to the neck line of the coat.





Finish by catch stitching along the neck line seam allowance.

For the top collar I rough cut a collar adding a good 2 inches all round. Place this fabric over the under collar and pin along the roll line (If you have a dress form it is easier to do this with your coat on the stand).  Baste along the roll line.

Pin along the edge of the outer collar and trim the fabric so that you have a ¼ inch (.75cm) seam allowance. Turn this in so that you have a small edge of fashion fabric before the felt and pin in place before finishing with slip stitch.

 Some people like to attach the front facings before the collar; I prefer to attach them after I have worked the collar.

The facings are also shaped so that the grain line stays straight with the coat’s front edge. Stream and shape the facing until it matches the pattern piece.

I have also cut across the facing at the waist line bound button hole. When I seam the 2 facing pieces back together I leave a gap for the back of the button hole.

And what you see at the front of the button hole

Now it’s time to stitch the facings to the front of the coat and press in place. I fuse welt interfacing onto the facing finishing under the last button hole. I think this gives support to the point of the lapel and behind the button holes.

When you attach the facing to the point of the lapel make a small pinch in the facing and ease the facing around the point. Stitch along side the tape down to the hem line.





Press the front seam open before pressing the front facing to the back. This makes it easier to get the seam line clean and neat down the front of the coat.


Stitch the facing across the hem line and turn to the right side and press. I'm going to finish the edge of the facing the same way as I finished the hem.






Catch stitch the top collar in place along the neck edge


Pin the facing along the neck line finishing at the shoulder. This will be finished with slip stitch when the lining is attached into the coat.





The coat is nearly finished and in my next blog I will show you how to make and shape the shoulder pads, make the lining and set the lining into the coat.

Making from the catwalk - continuing on

 It has been a busy week so far but this puts me in a place that is stress free and cut off from the chaos that is the world out there. Getting back to the coat, the seams have to be finished because a full lining is not going to work with all the pleats. I choose a Hong Kong seam finish and also to finish the top of the hem.

I always like this seam finish because you can have fun with it. I buy up the horrible reduced prints that no one wanted and cut them into 1 inch (2-5 cm) bias or cross grain strips just to make Hong Kong seam finishes. Think of a black unlined jacket or trousers with a black and white stripe Hong Kong seam finish, you have now brought another dimension to the garment meaning that the inside is as important to the outside. 

Slip stitch the hem from the first pleat to the  last leaving the front hem un-stitched so that the facing can be attached.

Make large crosses into each pleat to hold them in place until the coat is finished.

 

 

Now for the inner structure that makes the garment come alive. First the hymo or hair canvas, I cut this and the chest piece which I then pad stitched together.

 

 

 

 

 
The canvas is then attached to the coat front by basting up the center front line, along  the roll   line and around the armhole. Stitch along the waist line for a couple of inches (5cm).

The lapel was now pad stitched to the coat lapel.








Next the front coat edge and across the top of the lapel was taped. To do this I first draw a line along the stitching seam line and then slip stitch inside this line applying tension to the tape for approximately 2 inches (5cm) above the roll line. This is to stop any stretch in this area because of the first or top buttonhole.

The next step is to tape the roll line. This is like making a dart to make the collar roll line sit close to the body so there is no gapping.

 The hair canvas or hymo is now cut out of the seam allowance. You do this because the canvas will not lay flat it is not made to do this and you do not want a bulky front facing.

 

It may take time to hand stitch all these inner facings but there is a big difference in the finished garment, you will begin to look at what you are getting for your money off the peg!

It is now time to make the buttonholes. Here I’m going to make bound buttonholes, one because its women’s wear and two because I don’t have a commercial key hole buttonhole machine or access to one, which is so sad.

After stitch tracing the buttonhole positions make the bound buttonholes.

                                                                             

 I want to share a little of what I have been working on for my new book, Lingerie and foundations. Over the last couple of days I have had fun making bullet bra cups and samples for the bra construction chapter.

I have also been working on a corset that is going to have an exaggerated hip area covered with frills. So far I have the boning channels made and cording done.  I now now to add the boning and work out the size and shape of the hip extension.
  

Hopefully I will be able to post the finished garment or garments in my next blog!

 

Please, if you have any question ask me. If you want to know more about the bullet bra or corset  or is there is something else you have seen and would like to know how do you do that.