While at Quilt Market last October, I bought Kay Whitt’s lovely Savannah Swing Coat ($11 by Sew Serendipity). I love the vintage styling and the variations she included (cropped vs. hip-length, shortened sleeves vs. long sleeves, collar modifications).
I’ve been holding onto it for months now, but finally got to making it last weekend. I’d cut out a week before and put it together (mostly) on Friday evening. So while my daughter had a sleepover with her buddy, I watched HappyThankYouMorePlease (which I’d give a thumbs-up for some super-realistic relationship drama) and then Apocalypto (though following the captions while sewing meant I missed out on a lot of the conversation, but none of the blood and gore).
It went together pretty easily, though I didn’t use her primer much. I tend to just wing it, which I did, and I don’t particularly love her directions or illustrations. Just a personal thang.
I’m at the point now where I’m supposed to hand-stitch the entire hem of the coat. But I may see what I can do to avoid all that hand-stitching. I’m lazy, what can I say?
So far, I like the jacket. I made the size that fit my measurements, but it’s a little tight in the shoulders when I reach and feels slightly constricting when I pull it over like it’s buttoned. If I make it again, I’ll go with a size up.
I couldn’t figure out the ruched collar bit. Despite several efforts with several fabrics, I couldn’t find a way to get the oversized ruched part to fit to the undercollar without adding pleats or gathers. I even followed her instructions at that point, but nada. Extremely frustrating and a few choice words might have been uttered.
When I finish-finish I’ll post a bit more ‘advice’ on using the pattern. For now, I’ll still recommend it, with a few caveats. 🙂
