Lekala #4491 for Zara

Have I ever told you just how much I love sewing coats?
It is a lot.
The pressing, the gorgeous fabric, the fact that they last f o r e v e r makes them such a satisfying sew.
I did some serious #ninjacutting with 3 1/2 metres of grey heathered wool coating that I purchased on my Melbourne shopping trip, $12/m.
I got Tildy's cape (to be blogged), a peacoat for Hugo (WIP) and this coat for Zara.

It is Lekala #4491 . They call it a 'cape', I say 'soft jacket', Zara says 'coat'.
Who gives a whoop? It is gorgeous.

The original has a hood but I just couldn't quite get that out.
It suggested lining fabric in the notions but when I printed it, no lining.
I emailed the company (they have great customer service) and it did not, in fact, have a lining however they did talk me through adding one.

Using some gorgeous copper coloured stretch satin (Eliza's Fabric $10/m) I cut the lining from the main pieces, adding a deep tuck at the centre back for ease and laying the sleeve pattern pieces together, cutting the sleeve as one.

The pattern called for the outer edge to be sewn, folded in half and the the raw edge covered with binding.
After bagging the sleeves, I sewed one edge of the outer edge to the inside, easing through the curves.

On the right side, I top-stitched the edge in increments, sewing the long straights first and then hand gathering the curves, removing the basting after top stitching.

The welt pockets took a little fiddling (well, the first one did) and I used one of my labels to cover a little mending where I snipped too far.

The sleeve detail is natty but very firm, okay for me, I have small hands but it is almost too tight for Zara.

So, couture sewing, it aint but a serviceable, fashionable, wearable piece, it is.

The copper satin is apparel not lining quality but is so lush and really does up the ante of the garment.

The back view really sells the custom fit of the Lekala patterns. This jackets hangs limply on Liddy and me but Zara's gorgeous derrière fills it out as per measurements.

~Zara's Verdict~
This coat is absolutely beautiful.
It's so stylish and sophisticated. I feel every bit an adult instead of a goofy teenager (when I am wearing it)

The fabric worked so so well and the lining that Mum managed to create herself is just mind blowing.

~My Verdict~
When Zara said she wanted the leftover from Hugo's peacoat I was expected her to want something similar or a bomber jacket. I was pretty surprised by her choice and wondered if the style was a bit old for her.
She showed me lots of pins on Pinterest and I was convinced.
The long strips leftover from my previous projects worked out just right (except for the hood but I am not sure how that would have worked with our mods, anyway).
The sleeves were very narrow and my sewing brain struggles with the straight edges sewn to a curve, I think it falls in a odd manner but she insists that is exactly what she wanted.
She be happy, I be happy. 

Thanks for reading xx N