My Coat-Making Obsession: Clare Coat & Cascade Duffle Coat

I have a confession before I even get into this post. When trying to type the title, I not only first typed “Cascade Cuddle Coat”, my second attempt was “Cascade Fuddle Coat”. Both of which I really think should be under consideration if Grainline wants to rename the pattern. That being said, I do have such a coat-making problem. I love making coats. They’re so cozy and warm and structured and solid and I just love it! The first coat I ever made was the snap-closure version (view B) of the Closet Case Patterns Clare Coat, and it was a gift for my ex’s mother for Christmas 5 years ago. I’d never made a coat, I didn’t make a muslin, I just winged it from her measurements and it turned out GREAT. She really loved it, and it set me down the coat-making rabbit hole. I really wanted to make a Clare Coat for myself, but I was more intrigued by view A, with the side zipper and lower neckline. I got a purple coating fabric (which I think is pretty much all synthetic – I was pretty cavalier and fancy-free about fibre content before I knew things) and some navy blue kasha lining (flannel-backed satin) after seeing Heather Lou post about it in regards to her Cascade Duffle Coat.

The thing is, I didn’t know anything about interfacing. Fibre content you can kind of get away with not being all natural or picking something a bit off, but interfacing. Good lord. I feel like my first year of sewing seriously was a boot camp in interfacing selection. This was one of my first big blunders, but it was definitely not the last. I think the interfacing choice is really why I don’t find myself wearing this coat more. As you might be able to see in the photos (especially now that I’ve pointed it out), the interfacing I used was WAY too stiff. I wasn’t really clear what “medium-weight” was, especially when considering how it would interact with my coating fabric. In the version with the side zipper, you interface the whole front piece, and as you can see it’s quite stiff. When I wear it, I feel as though I have to fluff out the folds and creases from the front when I stand up after sitting down. The pattern also suggests using a canvas in the collar (I think? this was 3-4 years ago at this point) and I was very obedient and did that, but let me tell you. With my crazy interface choice and the canvas, that collar is VERY PROTECTIVE. If anyone wants to behead me or something, they will have their work cut out for them. It even kind of cuts into my neck if I want to look at my own feet. Or look down to do up the zipper on the coat. (Speaking of, yes, it infuriates me as much as it does you that the zipper tab is pointing upward in the photo below, and if you didn’t notice it before, you’re welcome. Have fun trying not it notice it now).

Overall, I really love the IDEA of this coat and I love the shape and the colour and such, but I’m wondering if I’m better off finding it a new home and making myself a new one with my improved knowledge of interfacing and such. I recently gave away the Grainline Yates coat that I made about a year ago (to my sister/her boyfriend) because I sewed it with the wrong seam allowance – my sewing machine was measuring from the lefthand needle position and not the center one, and I didn’t realize this until the Yates coat turned out a bit big. Giving away the Yates felt weird, but I wasn’t wearing it all because I didn’t like that it didn’t fit me properly, and it turned out that I’m not someone who in practice actually wants to wear a charcoal coat. I seem to be into either black, or an actual colour.

This next coat though. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I wear it all the time when it’s colder out. After the Clare Coat setbacks above, I had learned a lot and wanted to take my time and care with my next coat project. Enter the Grainline Cascade Duffle Coat (my god. I just typed “cuddle coat” again. Freud would have something to say, I’m sure). I got the coating fabric when I was in Montreal on my way to an arts centre masterclass in the summer of 2016, and ended up carting it around all over the place for the next 2 months because I had to go to the arts centre with it (with double bass in tow), then take it back to Montreal, then on an airplane to Nova Scotia where it finally got left before I went back to Montreal, then the arts centre, then to South Korea on an orchestra tour. So it wasn’t exactly the most seasonal time to buy a big chunk of wool. But it was PERFECT. I found the store from the Closet Case guide to fabric shopping in Montreal, and it’s the one on the list that she talks about having a whole room of coating fabrics. Floor to ceiling. I was in heaven. And I found this charcoal wool with PURPLE POLKA DOTS. It was love at first sight. I got the end of the bolt, which luckily was the right amount for the coat.

I decided to use plaid flannel for the zipper bands, and interfaced them after reading of Heather’s woes with her own Cascade coat. I wish I could take credit for the pattern matching below, but it was honestly entirely coincidental. And yet I’m totally proud of it and point it out to people who compliment my coat. Shameless. I also used the flannel to line the hood.

For the lining, I wanted to use kasha for additional warmth, because Canada. But I really didn’t want it to be black or some other boring colour. I found this amazing purple kasha online at Joann’s (they used to ship to Canada, I don’t think they do anymore) and ordered it right away. I also got the end of the bolt with this one, which was nice because it meant they threw in an additional 0.5m without charging me since it was the end.

I made the toggles from scratch, and I have to say that was the only part that gave me major problems. The sewing machine I had in Toronto was unable to do a back stitch. And didn’t like sewing through leather. So there were a LOT of skipped stitches and I ended up having to get an intense thimble and a leather needle and stitch them on by hand. It’s not really noticeable unless you’re looking for things to nitpick about, and I don’t even notice anymore. But it was an ORDEAL. I sewed this coat in September of 2016, in a blitz of three days (1 cutting, 2 sewing) in an emotionally-avoidant attempt not to think about the then-recent end of my nearly three year relationship. It was over 30C outside, and I was very sweaty in the process of making this. But I really love it and I’m glad I took so much care with choosing all the details because I get compliments on it all the time. My own sister (who KNOWS that I sew all my clothes) didn’t realize for more than a year that it wasn’t a store-bought coat. Although, where would you honestly buy a coat with purple polka dots and a purple lining? I want to see this store.

School and work have really been kicking my butt lately, but I cut out all the pieces for my Deer & Doe Opium coat last night. TALK ABOUT A QUEUE JUMPER. Forget anything else, I need to sew it. It’s going to be dark purple, with a black and white polka dot lining, and I’m going to use turquoise piping around the edge of the lining and the facing on the inside. I’M SO EXCITED. Anyone else totally obsessed with coat-making? If you haven’t made a coat before, I highly recommend using either of the patterns in this post and just doing it. They aren’t that much more difficult than other sewing projects if you’ve had a few under your belt, there are just more steps to do. Just be organized and make sure you label all your pieces when you cut them out. 🙂