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Well, hello there flipped pattern enthusiasts! I’m Laura from Behind the Hedgerow and I’m here to confess that I have spent far too much time, energy and all-consuming thought on this flipped version of the Dear My Kids Trendy Unisex Pea Coat. My kids are unwashed and hungry, there is not a single pair of clean underpants in the house, and my own family members have given up having a meaningful conversation with me and, the worst part of all, I don’t regret a single moment! This coat has truly been stitched with love and I’m thrilled to share all the details with you like-minded creative sewists.
I had two main inspirations for this coat. The first was the 1940s – 1960s children’s book series Pookie by Ivy Wallace. The story focuses on Pookie, a little white rabbit with wings and his adventures in the world. They were read to me as a child and the whimsical illustrations have always stayed with me. I can imagine Margot playing with Pookie in the forest while wearing this coat.
The second starting point for this project was function! Margot needed a versatile, stylish and warm coat for the winter (her coat from last year is one of the many things that mysteriously disappeared during our house move in the summer). So this project had to work out and it had to be something that could be worn for longer than a single photo shoot!
Margot and I sat down over a mug of marshmallow-laden hot chocolate and chatted about her coat needs. We decided that the Ultimate Winter Coat needed:
Whew – that’s a lot of elements! The Dear My Kids pea coat is a fantastic starting point for all of these things. It’s a solid pattern that leaves lots of room for personalisation. As is evident from the photos, I kept this coat a coat with the following changes in order to fill the above brief for the Ultimate Winter Coat.
The fabric choices for this coat came together beautifully. I originally wanted the outer coat to be made from Harris Tweed wool but when I saw this aqua wool blend from The Sewing Shop in Canterbury I was in love. Stumbling upon this Liberty jersey remnant for the hood and cuffs quickly brought the whole look together. The yellow fabric for the piping was leftover from this dress and matches the buttons perfectly.
I always knew I’d use the faux sheepskin for the lining and I had plenty in my stash from Minerva Crafts. Although I didn’t get a decent picture of it, the arms are lined with a quilted jersey which gives added warmth but without being as bulky as they would have been with the sheepskin.
I won’t lie. The entire process of making this coat took forever! Each changed element required additional thought and consideration (how wide should the thumb hole in the cuff be?, where exactly should the welt pockets be placed?, will a stretchy jersey work for the hood lining?, etc) but I have loved every step…and it fits!…and Margot loves it! And, most miraculously, there were no catastrophic disasters along the way…almost as if the entire project were sprinkled with pixie dust!
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