Coda Quilted Coat: Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of the Coda Quilted Coat SAL! In this part, we will be making the quilted block for the back, quilting the pattern pieces, and cutting out the pieces. For other posts on the Coda Quilted Coat, visit this link. Note that the Sew a Long posts require the Coda Quilted Coat Pattern.

I'd like to start with an overall note on how the construction of this coat will work! Many quilted coats have you quilt the front, batting, and lining all together. While you can take this approach, I do not suggest it. The former way requires bias binding all along the inside of the coat to seal the seams, and is bulky and not as cozy. The method that we will be using in this pattern has you only quilt the outer fabric with the batting. The lining is not quilted, but is added to the inside of the coat.

If you want the entire coat to be quilted (note that I do mean quilted, not pieced - quilted means that the outer fabric and batting are sewn together), each piece will be quilted before it is cut out using the pattern piece. We will cover this more below. Now, let’s get started!

Piece the Quilt Blocks

First, let's define a couple of quilting terms to make sure we're on the same page. Quilters will be familiar with this information, but if you are new to quilting make sure you read carefully!

Piecing is the act of sewing together different pieces of fabric to create what we refer to as a quilt block.

Quilting is the act of sewing that pieced block (or any fabric piece) together with batting and/or other pieces of fabric. So, you may be making a coat that is quilted, but not pieced if you are sewing the outer fabric to batting but not created a quilt block. In this case, you will be quilting your outer coat fabric together with your batting layer; these two layers will be basted together first.

The Coda Coat pattern includes patterns for the back and pockets, but you can choose to piece any part of the coat that you want to. This piecing is done before cutting out any pattern pieces, but you'll want to keep your pattern pieces handy while piecing your block to make sure the block is the proper size to allow the pattern piece to be cut out of it after quilting. If you're interested in adapting an existing block or mini quilt pattern for your coat, this blog post discusses how to do so. Of course, not everyone will be piecing parts of their coat, so skip on to the next step if you won't be piecing a quilt block!

Quilting the Pattern Pieces

Before we tackle quilting our pieces, we have one more quilting term to define.

Basting is the act of attaching your fabric and batting layers together to prepare for quilting. The two most common ways quilters baste are pin basting (using special safety pins) and spray basting. There are pros and cons to each method; I personally prefer and suggest spray basting for this project to prevent shifting and make the small pieces easy to manage. There are many spray basting options out there; I find this one to be the best for eliminating odor and mess. There are many tutorials available online for both methods of basting!

All of the quilting will happen before cutting out your pattern pieces, but after you piece your back block (if you are choosing a pieced back). This is because quilting changes the size and shape of fabric pieces, so if you cut out your fabric pieces first and then quilt them they will no longer be as precise. There are two different ways to approach the quilting and cutting steps. I personally prefer the first approach as it allows for maximum control over how each piece is quilted and is easier to manage.

Approach 1:

Lay out the pattern pieces over the outer fabric to decide how they need to be arranged for fabric cutting. Be sure to leave some breathing space in between them.

Cut out shapes to prepare for quilting. Make sure you leave at least a minimum of an inch around the perimeter of the pattern piece. You can also cut out squares and rectangles that are a couple of inches larger than the pattern pieces if you have fabric space.

Cut out similar sizes pieces of batting for each piece of outer fabric.

Approach 2: Quilt your other fabric and the batting all together in one big piece. This may be a better option if you are using a longarm quilting machine, but otherwise it is likely a more challenging option.

The pattern pieces you will be quilting are the back, front, and sleeves. If you are worried about sleeve bulk or flexibility, I suggest a light touch on the quilting - dense quilting will always create a stiffer fabric. You can also switch up your quilting designs on different pieces, and if you're looking for quilting design inspiration I highly recommend this book.

Cutting out the Pattern Pieces

Once you've finished your piecing and quilting, you're finally ready to cut out your pattern pieces! Be very careful when cutting out the fronts and the sleeves to ensure you are cutting out mirrored pieces. There's nothing worse than finally finishing your quilting and then cutting two right sleeves… I know from experience.

There are a few different ways to cut around a pattern piece; you can pin the pattern paper down and cut around it, use pattern weights to hold it down, or even trace the pattern onto the fabric. My personal method is to use pattern weights and then cut around the pattern piece with my rotary cutter - but you have to be extremely careful when doing this and never cut towards your fingers (and use a kevlar glove if you have one). I cannot stress enough how dangerous rotary cutters can be, so only use this method if you are extremely competent with yours.

Make sure to also cut out your lining pieces.

A Note About Pockets

I did not choose to piece my original coat's pockets for simplicity. You can choose to quilt them if you'd like or not, but if you do quilt them I would suggest replacing the batting with lining fabric so your pocket edges (and flap, if you're using it) are less bulky and easier to work with.

A Note About Sleeves

I chose not to add a pieced component to my sleeves, because I wanted to reduce as much bulk as possible to have movement and space. My arms are proportionally wider than my rib cage/waist, so tight sleeves are a common issues for me.

This is part of why I used a knit fabric instead of batting, to add warmth but keep the jacket flexible and soft.

I also choose to line my sleeves using Peppered Cotton, which is one of the softest fabrics I have ever used! I then added a “cuff” of the normal lining fabric at the bottom of the lining, so if I rolled up the sleeves that lining would be visible.