This is the Guggenheim Coat in its completed state! I finally got around to doing the buttonholes and buttons today and once again dragged Dan out to take dozens and dozens of vanity photos so I could pick the ones that make me look least short. As you can see, the occasion called for some serious backcombing.
This coat is just McCall 5525 minus all the bells and whistles- no pocket flaps, no epaulets, no button bands, etc. I didn’t topstitch the seams either. I originally started with black topstitching, but the near-straight lines of stitching didn’t work well with the swirling black lines of the fabric so I unpicked it (note: unpicking triple straight stitch takes FOREVER.) But even though I eliminated a lot of the details, this coat still took a fair bit of time because I kept adjusting the fit. I didn’t make a muslin since I’ve made this pattern before, which means I just kept basting and ripping and basting and ripping to tweak it. I wanted a more fitted, dramatic silhouette than my Key Lime Trench (also McCall 5525, taken in just slightly at the waist). For the Guggenheim coat, I took in a lot from all of the princess seams and side seams and narrowed it slightly at the shoulders. In the end, the fit is almost dress-like. It won’t work over anything bulky, but I don’t intend to wear it with anything bulky anyway. I made the collar and belt a little narrower and went with a longer length.
The fabric is a stretch cotton sateen (lovely to work with!) that I got a few weeks ago from Fabric.com. It must have been a popular buy and if you blinked you might have missed it. I was sort of keeping an eye on it for a couple of days, pondering whether it was too frivolous and unnecessary a purchase, and when I saw how quickly it was disappearing, I pulled the trigger. I made four fabric covered buttons out of white bits of the fabric because I wanted them to be unobtrusive to keep the aesthetic of the coat clean and minimal. Or as clean and minimal as one can get given that giant print.
The coat is lined in white Bemberg rayon, and because so many of you suggested piping, I decided to use some (actually just some black bias tape that I happened to have lying around rather than bona fide piping) between the lining and front facing. Thanks for the suggestion – snazzy!
I stuck with an all black and white ensemble for these photos, but I think that this coat is going to be surprisingly versatile for a crazy lady coat with a hugenormous floral pattern. I expect it will pair well with bright greens, yellows, reds, fuchsias, etc. But here’s a pop of color for those of you who are craving one now, in the form of the first dandelions of the season (I don’t have a lawn so I love dandelions):
I’m not usually one to make matchy accessories from remnants, or at least not wearing the garment and the matchy remnant accessories at the same time because I worry that it makes things look homemade. (Evening dress and matching evening bag may be an exception.) But at some point I tied a scrap around my head and Dan responded very enthusiastically to it, so I stitched up a quick impromptu headband for the photos. I’m a sucker for a compliment. The ends are just fastened together with a safety pin because I was too lazy to dig out elastic :)
Anyway, I am totally getting mileage out of McCall 5525 pattern, and you can expect to see it again in leopard in the not-too-distant future.
Best of all? The Guggenheim Coat is finished just as spring is finally arriving!
63 comments
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May 16, 2010 at 9:05 am
julie
I don’t see anything “crazy lady” about your beautiful new coat! With the line drawing quality of the print and the colour combination, the effect is quite a bit more subtle than I would expect from a large floral print.
May 16, 2010 at 9:09 am
Lulux
Really nice!
May 16, 2010 at 9:17 am
Gertie
Oh my goodness, it’s gorgeous! The piping is such a beautiful touch.
May 16, 2010 at 9:35 am
Anonymous
Just lovely! The piping is perfect.
May 16, 2010 at 9:44 am
lsaspacey
Wow, its gorgeous and Dan is getting really good with the photos, that third one is fabulous and totally makes you look taller!
My only addition would be a medium gray belt instead of the matching one. Notice I said medium gray because I think black would be too stark and distracting.
May 16, 2010 at 9:55 am
Jenny
Very elegant and sophisticated! Not crazy at all. :-)
May 16, 2010 at 9:57 am
queentanya
LOVE IT! Yes, a bright shift would really do the trick, maybe to accent to new bling, *wink.*
May 16, 2010 at 10:17 am
Jane
It’s beautiful, I love it.
May 16, 2010 at 10:42 am
Auntie Allyn
Fabulous . . . I do so love that fabric and am QUITE VEXED that I missed it! The coat makes you look very very tall! ;-}
May 16, 2010 at 10:49 am
Cassiopeia
Gorgeous gorgeous coat. Talent incarnate. Aweome shoes too. Xxxc
May 16, 2010 at 10:49 am
Alicia
LOVE IT!!
May 16, 2010 at 11:02 am
Amanda S.
This turned out really well! I like all the tweaking you did to make it more fitted. And stretch sateen is one of my favorite fabrics to work with too.
May 16, 2010 at 11:29 am
Erica B.
Great coat! I love the print!
May 16, 2010 at 11:54 am
Victoria Baylor
I love it!!! Hands down this is one of my fav coats that you made. It looks great on you!
May 16, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Amy
Love how it turned out! I think it’s just perfect without any punches of color, but I do love the piping. What a fun detail! The fact that it fits you like a glove is more bespoke than handmade and more couture than crazy lady. I think it’s just perfect.
May 16, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Jolet
I love your coat, real classic and very stylish! It suits you beautifuly!
When my website is ready I’ll show you the coat I made cause you inspired me!
May 16, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Sherry
Fantastic coat! I think you’ve made all the right decisions re fit, topstitching, buttons, etc. Love it!
May 16, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Venus de Hilo
Lovely coat, very stylish, not crazy old lady at all. The black piping is fab. Love it over black, will be great with bright colors, too.
May 16, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Patchwork Queen
Great coat….what with this and the dotty green one you have become the queen of coats!! Looking forward to seeing the leopard skin……
May 16, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Susan Davis - Knitters Delight
You look amazing in your “Guggenheim” coat. Great photo presentation, too.
May 16, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Silvia
I love it. it’s fab! I love the finishing touches in the lining. You are a fabulous seamstress and a great inspiration for me. Thanks for sharing.
May 16, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Katie
Beautiful.
May 16, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Jackie O
Great coat, and photos.
May 16, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Miss Celie
Oh, this is so lovely. I turned myself away from more raincoat fabric this weekend when I reminded myself that I have THREE pieces in the stash. I should let your project actually motivate me to do something with mine. Really, so pretty.
May 16, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Claudine
Great coat and fantastic photos!
May 16, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Anonymous
lovely coat…but dear ss, how selfish is it to hide DAN from us.
May 16, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Amy
Sitting here with my daughter, she tells me that you look very pretty and your shoes are very nice ;) Ps, I agree, the coat is great.
May 16, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Carolyn
Beautiful…even though you were concerned with the fabric…it turned out lovely! And please thank Dan for the amazing shots…it shows not only the coat but you off to perfection!
May 16, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Meredith P
Great coat, and yes, I can see it already goes with the bright yellow of the dandelions and the emerald green accessory. ;-)
Is Dan a professional photographer, cause those pics are looking good too!
May 16, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Vicki
Gorgeous! Just loving the trenches!
May 16, 2010 at 4:37 pm
houseof9lives
Exceptionally pretty! All your choices were perfect!
May 16, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Stephanie
So pretty! I like the last few photos, such gentle warm color… Uhm.. Did you make a matching headband?
May 16, 2010 at 5:58 pm
Candace
Love the coat, it’s lovely. The fabric is perfect!
May 16, 2010 at 6:34 pm
allisonC
Gorgeous, I really like how you made the buttons disappear!
May 16, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Lori
Your sewing creations are so fabulous. Thank you for sharing them and for inspiring me to get back to my sewing machine!
May 16, 2010 at 11:02 pm
Fourth Daughter
Great work.. love the lining.. and love the dandelions at the end! Can’t wait until I have time to get back to my sewing and do posts that are even half as good as this…
May 17, 2010 at 1:36 am
Isabelle
Beautiful coat! The pictures are lovely.
May 17, 2010 at 5:03 am
Laura
So perfect! :)
May 17, 2010 at 7:26 am
June
Perfect over the sheath dress. The piping on the inside is a great detail. I like how the lapel points go all the way to the shoulders, too. Excellent work!
May 17, 2010 at 7:55 am
Rachelle
That’s a freaking great coat! Simple, elegant, and flattering. If I were the envious sort, I’d be pea green.
May 17, 2010 at 8:43 am
Karin (the Mrs.)
That’s gorgeous, Elaine! And I agree with you that this coat will probably go with lots of different colours and outfits. I even think it will be fabulous on some jeans.
Just curious: How cold were you taking those pictures? Or was it warm enough? I just shot photo’s for my latest summer dress and all the time I was afraid my goose bumps (that’s what they are called, aren’t they?) would be so big that they would show up in the pictures ;-)
But, it seems like spring indeed is coming finally. We saw some sun today! So I hope you’ll have lots of fun in your beautiful coat.
May 17, 2010 at 9:22 am
Lindsay T
You would fit right in here in NYC. All the pretty young things are wearing fabulous coats like that. Well done!
May 17, 2010 at 9:34 am
Melissa
Beautiful!
May 17, 2010 at 3:32 pm
violetsareblue
Who knew? After reading your blog for what seems like ages, only now do I realize that we share the same skyline. Where, in this DIY foresaken haystack, do you find fabric?
May 17, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Tasia
Great coat! The piping is an awesome touch. Dan rocks for taking your photos all the time, my guy got me a tripod and explained how to use the self-timer ;)
Love the last photo with the dandelions!
May 17, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Shayla
This is absolutely gorgeous! I love everything about it! The photo where you show the piping is my favorite! You are the reason why I (try to) sew.
Congrats on the engagement too!
May 17, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Ingrid
Wow, that coat is just stunning!!!! And BTW sorry I’m late in on the news, but congratulations!!! I did wonder when reading the Montreal post if this would culminate in Dan proposing. Well done!!!!
May 17, 2010 at 8:48 pm
bookishbella
Gorgeous coat!
May 18, 2010 at 12:01 am
Virginia
It is beautiful, I would totally wear it with a splash of color, say pink dress, yellow dress, orange! what about red? purple…….I could go on …..
May 18, 2010 at 6:11 am
Susannah M
Fantastic, Ms Selfish!! I love that you resisted the temptation to embellish and adorn. The fabric holds its own so well!!
As we move into winter in the southern hemisphere, I am envious of your dandelions!!
May 18, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Angela
Oh my… Great job!! Love it!
May 19, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Cindy
Absolutely outstanding! Love the extended length, too — makes it more flexible for formal to casual occasions. I applaud your decision to keep it understated without the distraction of oddly placed color and to compliment with pops of color instead. I think that will give you much more freedom to accept or reject looks without them being locked in stone. Also a good decision to pare down details that could distract from the beautiful graphic pattern. You have good instincts! Good job all around.
May 21, 2010 at 1:42 am
senaSews
Beautiful coat. I love it with the matchin hair band and the black piping inside looks very nice!
May 24, 2010 at 3:44 pm
PetiteAsianGirl
Beautiful end result. My fave photo is the one showing the piping!
May 29, 2010 at 8:14 am
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May 30, 2010 at 7:17 am
Anonymous
beautiful coat
May 31, 2010 at 10:31 am
Amber
OMG, I LOVE IT! That is a complete winner and the photoshoot is absolutely fabulous. <3
May 31, 2010 at 10:57 pm
edith
Please.. make me one!! What pattern did you use?
June 1, 2010 at 4:44 am
edith
Sorry.. me being stupid here.. i just read it just getting awake!
June 4, 2010 at 8:08 am
carotweenie
So lovely!
Hello from Paris!
June 27, 2010 at 9:55 am
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March 11, 2011 at 6:26 pm
Meigan
Fabulous! Really Really Cool!
August 10, 2011 at 9:40 am
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