Wool Coatigan 'Silvia' Lined with Atelier Brunette Fabric

I have to admit I almost gave up on this project. I've had this Silvia Coatigan sewing pattern printed and cut out for around 2 years and just never came across the right fabric. Last Autumn I found this wool mix coating from the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate. With Christmas coming up I wanted a jacket to throw on whilst flying around in the car visiting the relatives. I chose our Bye Bye Birdie fabric (all time favourite fabric) for the lining because it looks so stunning with the blue, I can never tire of this timeless Atelier Brunette design. So I set about this project a week before Christmas, like you do but coming to a halt quite swiftly. So it sat on my sewing desk collecting dust and being shifted around amongst my fabric orders and Christmas wrapping. Christmas came and went and I was finding myself too busy to get back to it. Plus when you start to come out the other side of winter this kind of sewing starts to lose it's appeal. This is such a thick fabric, smells a bit funny and is quite hard work! I just wasn't feeling it along with the challenging instructions and I am never keen on sewing linings, I was very close to shelving it until next year. Does anyone else have one of those doubtful voices in their heads while sewing, saying 'this won't suit me, this will drown me, it's gonna look crap...'? Yes that one.... 

Anyway, deciding that leaving it would annoy me too much I dedicated a day to it - this being a perfect time to finish making a coatigan - the coldest snowy March we've had in the UK for years. Glad I didn't give up in the end, once I'd worn it out and realised that 'no' I don't actually feel like I'm wearing a dressing gown, it turned out to be so warm and felt good! Love winter : )

Tips for sewing this coatigan: I used this online tutorial with lovely photos. I kind of followed it but went with my gut too, I tend to drift of with these things thinking I know best! I followed a fantastic How to bag a jacket lining tutorial and there's a serious sense of goals when it works, because at first with this method it can be quite mystifying.

Favourite bit? The little birds that sit in the pockets : )