Winter coat

 I have been wearing my new winter coat for a while now but hadn't posted yet as it is still missing its hood... Years ago, I made a neoprene coat from The Makers' Atelier. I loved it and wore it a lot, so it was time for a new one. I wondered whether to make another one using the same pattern again but I thought I'd like a hood this time. I settled on the Silvia coatigan by Schnittchen Patterns as I really liked the shape of it. I had a beige neoprene in my stash with a lovely texture that almost looked like a woollen fabric that I thought would work for it and also found a piece of silk that my friend gifted me. 

I cut all the pieces in September and made the coat then (minus the hood). I started wearing it when I went to a conference end of September. 

I thought I'd made the hood as soon as I'd get back from the conference and although I attempted to I didn't manage to finish it and it is still sitting on my sewing table.... 

I didn't have much of the silk fabric so I knew I wouldn't be able to make a full length lining with it. I use it for the pockets, the sleeves and a short bodice. In retrospect, that might not have been the best choice as it is fraying... a lot.

Because the fabric is neoprene, it didn't need hemming so I left the borders raw but I don't like the bottom hem, I might do something to it one day...

One of the reason the hood is not yet one is because I started sewing it, got it wrong, had to unpick and try again, if I can figure out how...

Overall the instructions are not very detailed and there were a number of times when I had to try and figure out what to do. I hadn't tried Schnittchen Patterns before so didn't know about it. In light of that, I wouldn't advise to pick this pattern as a complete beginner.

Despite those difficulties, I have been wearing my coatigan a lot and got lovely compliments too.

Céline