Coda Quilted Coat: Part 3
Welcome to Part 3 of the Coda Quilted Coat SAL! Now we will be assembling both our quilted outer coat pieces and our lining! This is the stage where it all starts to come together, but the steps are pretty easy - especially if you've already created a toile. Follow the assembly instructions in your pattern, and read on for some assembly tips! For other posts on the Coda Quilted Coat, visit this link. Note that the Sew a Long posts require the Coda Quilted Coat Pattern.
Sewing Pockets
The pockets on this coat are pretty straightforward to create! Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you make your pockets.
If you choose to quilt your pockets, I suggest doing so with just the lining and outer fabric (without batting) so that the edges aren't too bulky.
I personally turned my pocket's raw edges over twice to form a double fold hem so that no raw or zig zag edges were showing. Since the pattern only calls for a single hem, I only used ¼" or less for each fold. This can be a bit tricky since the folds have to be small; I highly recommend pressing the folds before sewing them, and glue basting can help immensely at this step!
If you've lengthened your coat, you may want to lengthen the top of your pocket piece (it's totally up to you though!). Make sure that the shape of the bottom pocket piece stays the same, since this is the part you will be lining up with the bottom of your coat.
When sewing on the pockets, I did a few extra stitches on the top corners for extra strength.
Sewing Sleeves
Sewing sleeves into armholes can be a bit challenging if you haven't done a lot of sewing with curves. Many patterns that use a woven (i.e, not stretchy) fabric require a sleeve to be “eased” in, which is a bit more work on the sewist's part but simply involves an extra basting step. This tends to be more common when a sleeve is “inset”, or sewn into an armhole after the sleeve is closed. I did not ease my own seams for this pattern using the method below, as I didn't find it necessary. However, if you're having trouble getting your sleeves sewn in with a considerable amount of excess in the sleeve, try this method of easing a sleeve. This tutorial is specifically for an inset sleeve, but I think it's a good explanation in general of how easing works. Even if you choose not to do this, I highly suggest reading this article to better understand how sleeves are constructed!
One of the most important things to remember is that the pattern pieces have marks on them to show you where they should line up together. These look like small lines or “V” shapes. These are important to mark on your fabric pieces, as they tell you where different pieces should line up. For the sleeve piece, there is a mark to line up with the shoulder seam of the coat body and then a single line on one side and double line on the other. These lines should match up with similar lines on the coat front and back. The image below has these marks circled in red, in case you didn't notice them in your pattern pieces.
Avoiding Bulk
It's no surprise that quilt coats can be prone to bulk as a result of the batting! However, there are a few tips and tricks that can help alleviate some bulk and make sure that you have a comfortable, cozy quilt.
Trim the seams after sewing. After each seam you sew of the outer pieces, you can carefully trim off some of the seam allowance bulk. Don't trim the seam allowance too far or too close to the stitching - you want your garment to be sturdy! But you can trim down to ¼" away from the seam in my experience and still have nice tight seams. This is especially important and useful for the underarm area.
Press the seams with batting open. This requires a fairly hot iron (and, of course, the due diligence of making sure the temperature you use is appropriate for your batting choice), and you can do this step in lieu of or in addition to trimming your seams. Carefully open up your seams, then set the fabric batting side down on your ironing board. Press the seams in their open position, so that the batting isn't overlapping on itself inside of your coat. Press the lining seams open as well for minimum bulk.