Burda Young 7020 coat review

 Not a lot to say about this project. It was one of those things that was at the periphery of my attention for a long time: I wanted to use bulky coating to make a coat, maybe a Sapporo?  But then Sapporo (which I think is now called Nova) had all these fit problems, and the pattern was revised, but I had the old version.  Lost the plot on that but I still thought I wanted a simple coat...this seemed to fit the bill.  I got the pattern from a secondhand shop. The drawing on the front led me to believe it had princess seams with the dart coming off the seam and therefore slightly forward side pockets.  In actuality there is only a side seam so the pockets are standard side seam pockets, and the dart comes off the seam.  

I made a size 10/36 which was the smallest in this pattern.

 What I learned is that I will not be satisfied with throwing together a very simple coat.  Other than the thing I already know - which is that when you make a project NOW that you wanted 18 months ago you will be Not Interested. 

 

I had the basics handy. The coating is from The Fabric Store, and is lovely.  The lining is flannel, and the sleeve lining is slippery rayon.  The coat came together quickly.  But in the end, it is too simple.  In seam pockets do not work.  They are too small, they gape, they are in the wrong spot.  I got pretty bored with this by the end, and didn't even try to iron it enough, because really I'd been thinking about it for 2 years and was probably bored when I started making it (when will I learn?)  Thus I hemmed the bottom which also doesn't work.  You really have to hand sew the hem on these things or it won't hang properly.  I didn't put buttons on and it sat for many months before I attached a clasp in order to at least get it off to the secondhand shop while it's still winter.  (Took these pictures before I added the clasp.  Needed this out of my life already!)

The fit is not bad. If you go into this project really planning to wangle a super complex bulky fur or quilted fabric into submission then you might be pleased. But I think if I'm going to make coats, I need to be willing to up my quality game and learn the tailoring techniques to make a really nice coat.