Introducing the Penelope Coat!!

After I saw this movie in 2008 I was in love with the clothes, but it was the coat that caught my fancy the most. I immediately began looking for a pattern and fabric but couldn't find anything just right. CLICK HERE to see the journey from the beginning! (I just linked myself*grin*) Just this summer it all came together and after years of searching and months of planning and cutting and crying and sewing here it is!

Obviously not me, just a few reference pics to start! I loved the seam detailing and the color contrast. 

A close up so you can see the pointy cuffs (one of the things I changed) and the cotton floral lining.

 

My fabric is a very soft hi-low wale corduroy. I changed the fasteners from buttons to clasps, why you may ask? Well a few reasons, one being the fact that even though the muslin looked like it fit, the coat ended up being to big. I did not want to redo any of the piped seams, so I just took it all (literally) off of the front! I already had taken in the muslin an entire size and ended up taking about 3-4 inches off of each side of the front, this pattern runs big! It didn't have shoulder pads either, for which I was very glad, I hate shoudler pads!

It also got me out of having to learn to button holes on my new machine, it's a 5 step button hole-er, not an automatic like I'm used to! I also thinks it makes to coat look a little bit less costume-y.

Yes, I know I copied it from a costume, but I don't want to stick out to much. Though considering the uniform for where I live is ratty jeans, fleece and puffer jackets, I stick out like a sore thumb anyway, not wearing or even owning any of those things!

Here are the major differences between the original and mine. The color combo, mine is berry and purple. Penelope's is more navy-ish with red. The fasteners, mine clasps, hers buttons. The cuffs, I knew I would trail the longer ones through stuff, I'm like a little kid in that way! The curved hem, I didn't want to mess with drafting a French curve on a princess seam pattern and the shorter length should keep it out of the snow and mud.

A close up of the clasps and the collar. The underside of the collar is the lining fabric, it's like that in the movie too, I don't know how to take screen caps and I can't find  pic on the Internet, so you'll have to take my word for it. Hers is a little pointier, but I couldn't figure out how to pipe a point cleanly, so mine is curved. In studying the movie I'm pretty sure it's just two separate pieces of flat piping, one overlapping the other. I stole the collar pattern and the cuffs from a Vogue pattern, I had to change the lines a little bit but it was much easier then drafting my own! 

I love it! I was all done, but the hem was all bubbly looking on one side of the front, I was about ready to cry but then my wonderful Mom (who made me do everything on my own, she knew I could do it even though I wasn't so sure!) said ironing would help. I didn't believe her and had plans to rip out the hem (which had taken me 3 hours to hand sew! This is my first project with lots of hand sewing, I thought I had terrible hand sewing , but it's not that bad.....) but when I came home from work the next day it was all perfectly flat and ironed,  thanks Mom!

Puffed sleeves, Anne would be proud! It has inseam pockets too, piping around the pockets took a few tries, but I got it so you can't tell there is a pocket there. Unless my hands are them, of course! =)

I love the lining! I am going to make a skirt out of the extra.

 *Sigh* Why oh why would anybody want to wear a puffer jacket? Okay, before you get mad at me, there is a time and a place for puffer jackets, but please not all the time!

The back (obviously!)

With the teal scarf I got for Christmas, I knew I was getting it and was waiting very impatiently too see how it looked with the coat, perfect!

 I had to do a few pics with it wrapped like this!



I hope you all enjoyed taking this journey with me! It was certainly a roller coaster ride for me, but I couldn't be happier with the results! Thank you Penelope for be your inspiration with your beautiful clothing choices. Hmm, what movie wardrobe should I become obsessed with next..... ;-)