Introducing the Elemental Coat pattern!

The Elemental Coat pattern started as an idea in May 2022 when I was in the Virginia area, but it had to wait on the idea shelf for a while, until I got settled and back into a sewing studio. It all began with an invitation to attend the opening of the Renwick Gallery to see Chawne Kimber’s quilt (and the rest of the show). We’d been living on the road for the past six months and dress-up clothes were absent. I chatted with my friend Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio and told her I was toying with the idea of making a quilt coat to attend the event.

Without a second thought, Sam offered to send me her Wild Friends quilt and it arrived the next day. I played with some ideas on construction and layout and finally settled on a design to start sewing. The idea started on one Saturday and by the next Friday I was wearing it to the Smithsonian event. And immediately, it was a hit! I got such great feedback from folks that I knew I had to make it into a pattern–and I finally did! It’s a two-parter, with the Elemental Coat as the coat pattern and the Wild Friends Quilted Elements pattern to create the quilted pieces just like this coat (rather than making the whole quilt and cutting it up!)

The Elemental Coat can be made with the Quilted Elements patterns or with a re-purposed quilt, quilted panels, canvas, denim, Luxe Cuddle and more!

The pattern was designed to be simple enough for a beginner sewist or quilter to make, but with plenty of room for more experienced sewists to put their own spin on it. All the seams are fairly straight, there’s no fancy stitching techniques (though I do include a few construction techniques that might surprise you!) and it’s finished with a simple quarter-inch binding to make it extra easy for the quilters in the house.

One of my favorite aspects is how customizable it is. You truly get to choose exactly the features you want:

Length: Full-length hits about mid-thigh, Mid-length lands at the hips and Cropped ends just above the waist line.

Sleeves: Choose between 3/4 sleeves or wrist-length sleeves (or add a few inches and make a cuffed sleeve!)

Pockets: An interesting construction method keeps the pockets slim (and hidden on quilt coats, if wanted). They are optional, of course, but who doesn’t want pockets!

Hood: You can easily add the hood for a casual look and even line it if you want.

Collar: If you’d rather have a collar instead of the hood, it’s an easy change and makes for a fun, notched lapel finish. You can do neither and simply bind the neckline instead.

Closure: Add a button and loop for an easy closure or leave it open for easy-on/easy-off. (I’ve got a hack coming soon for adding a zipper!)

See why I’m so excited?! I really am thrilled about it and just keep making new variations. I’ve got some Cori Dantini panels to use, as well as some re-purposed kantha blankets. I’ll have a coat for every occasion soon.

The Wild Friends Quilted Elements is a collaboration with Sam of Hunter’s Design Studio and is available for pre-order. We’ll be releasing that pattern in early July, so you can get in early by purchasing now and you’ll receive a special coupon code for the ombre fabric kit.

In late August, I’ll be teaching on online workshop using the kit and patterns to recreate the coat that started it all and I really hope you’ll join me! Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter or join me on our Make with Teresa Coates Facebook group to get first dibs on signing up for the class.

Don’t forget to tag me @teresacoates and @crinkledreams and use #elementalcoat when you post your new Elemental Coat on social media and happy sewing!