The
Ellsworth Coat sewing pattern was recently released by
Christine Haynes. I was lucky enough to assist Christine in her coatmaking class at
Camp Workroom social where we sewed this pattern up. It was really fun to see all of the different variations of this coat. There were linen, brocade and twill versions - all of which resulted in completely different coats.
After seeing one of the students, Vanessa, make a gorgeous version in a beautiful black twill, I knew that I must have one like it. I was able to stop by
Mood fabrics the next day and get some fabric to make it up. The outside is a thick black twill with some stretch to it. For the lining I chose some china silk in copper. I love copper and black together right now. The buttons are some nice brass ones that I also picked up at
Mood.
I did make a few changes. After trying a lot of sizes on, I decided to go down a size for a closer fit. Just my personal preference. I am also short (5'3") so I shortened the sleeves by about 2 inches, and raised the pockets by about 1/2". In retrospect, I would have left the pockets where the pattern had them placed. They feel a bit high now.
The thing that I love most about this coat is that the style is so versatile. The coat has a 1950s retro vibe, but with a modern cut to it. I feel like it won't go out of style and will go with a lot of different things. I see it being a staple in my wardrobe this fall. For those of you who are intimidated by the thought of sewing a coat, I have to say that this one is very approachable. It is fully lined, but Christine figure out a way to do it all on the machine (no handstitching) which is always a huge plus in my book.
