Finished winter coat!

Hi all! Can you tell I'm pretty pleased with my new winter coat?

In my previous posts about fabric, pattern and design choices and inner structure I've discussed about everything worth mentioning about this project so this post will be rather picture heavy, ending with a round up of the changes I've made to the pattern (Knipmode 10/2016-104)

After sewing on the buttons, anchored by small buttons on the inside, I pulled a satin tape through the buttons that matches the satin used for the piping and bound buttonholes.

The inserts on the back are purely decorative, on the front they are hiding pockets that are deep enough to carry my phone, keys, coins, dog treats and other miscellanous stuff that mysteriously ends up in there.

A peek of the insides, right before the final press. This coat is very easy to accessorize!
I added extra length to make it more versatile. Can be worn with both pants and dresses.

Soft and cosy on the outside, a warm layer in between and a shiny satin lining. Coat love!

Things I've changed to the design
- Omitted the zipper
- Added overlap and underlap at centre front
- Redrafted the collar
- Four bound buttonholes
- Added flat piping to the design lines at front and back
- Added flat piping (green satin) between facings and lining
- Added a hanging chain

Construction changes
- Added underlining
- Added chest plates and shoulder pieces
- Added a back stay
- Reinforced the insert corners
- Added silk organza to the collar

Fit changes
- Added 12 cm to the bodice
- Added 3 cm to the sleeves

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed sewing this coat. The fabric looks prettier in real life, the colours are much deeper. My camera had a hard time focusing on the dazzle print and some pictures are over exposed to show the details. A lovely print to work with on dull and grey winter days!

I was after a coat with a relaxed fit, without being oversized. One of my other winter coats is very fitted in the shoulders. Although I love that look, it's impossible to wear a jacket underneath. My new coat fits well over chunky sweaters and structured jackets, without having dropped shoulders or raglan sleeves. Win!

The only changes I've made regarding the fit were length adjustments. I like my sleeves slightly longer to keep my wrists warm while cycling. I'll do some test runs, maybe I'll end up shortening them by 1 cm.

So, that's one down for the #KnipmodeChallenge2017!