Pattern review: BurdaEasy Coats HW/2014

BurdaEasy Coats HW/2014

Hello Darlings!

January always treats us with some cold weather waves here in North Europe (as cold as -20 degrees Celsius, -4 Fahrenheit, brr), this is why we take our outwear extra seriously - big, long, warm coats are a must!

Though I already have a few warm DIY coats in my closet, I was missing an elegant, long coat that would go well with my work dresses on daily basis - finally, I decided to fill in this gap with a new puffy coat.

Pattern. After careful consideration, I decided to go with BurdaEasy Coats HW/2014 - I just loved those extra big comfy pockets! Also, I liked the classic shape of this coat, as I wanted something that would easily go with everything that I have in the closet and would stay fashionable for years to come (I always want my DIY coats to last at least a few seasons).

I was also considering this Collarless Open Coat 03/2012 from "Texture Play" collection and Straight Coat 09/2103 from "Passport to Japan" collection - both these coats are so elegant and timeless, with clean lines that will compliment any wardrobe. Definitely great patterns!

Once I selected the pattern, I went fabric shopping - I knew I wanted quilted puffy fabric, to keep me warm during winter, but I also knew I wanted two different fabrics, in order to maximise the effect suggested in the pattern. Luckily, I was able to find two fabrics in same color but two different quilting styles - once I saw it, I knew I found the one. I just love how these two fabrics look together in this coat!

What I like most about this pattern are big deep pockets: for comparison, I added a photo how my hand looks next to them - these pockets are HUGE! This will definitely come handy once the weather is cold and I want to hide my hands somewhere, ha!

Pockets are fully lined with same fabric as coat and attached to the bodice with top stitching.

As for the lining, I wanted to make something fun and colorful. While I didn’t find anything I liked in the lining department, I did find this nice cotton fabric - I really like how well the color combination goes with the main coat fabric. I couldn’t use same fabric for sleeves (it’s not ‘slippery’ enough and there would have been constant trouble getting arms in and out), so I decided to use white lining - I saw this idea in one of my husbands RTW jackets and wanted to try it out, too. I really like how this combo turned out - looks really nice and comfortable.

Here are a few photos of me wearing the coat - I really love the fit! Plus, I would like to note that sleeves are very comfortable, which is very important in coats - they look good and feel good, and I can lift my hands with no restrictions.

Important to note, that when selecting a zipper for long coats, make sure you always go with double head zipper: you will definitely need to open it a bit from the bottom once you want to sit down (example how it opens in photo below).

Couldn't resist testing my new jacket outside - I stayed warm even with freezing temperatures outside, so test passed, ha! :)

All in all, I really love everything about this coat: from extra big pockets, comfortable sleeves, to classic elegant style. Really liked working with this BurdaEasy Coats HW/2014 pattern - highly recommend checking it out!

Wishing you a wonderful and creative week!

Julie

P.s. check out my other DIY coats:

“Hello, Spring!” Puffy Jacket

HOW TO SEW FAUX FUR: tips I learned at sewing school

DID IT MYSELF: my first coat!