Ummmm, if you’re been around this blog at all before, you probably know that I loooooove coats. I love making them, I love wearing them, I love thinking about them! So it’s a little embarrassing to tell you that this coat has been in the works for nearly two years! Whoops! I took advantage of the break between the fall and spring semesters to dig out this UFO and sew it up, and wow, I’m so pumped that I did! It’s been a soul-crushing month/year/you name it, so it was nice to have a project to force myself to work on instead of obsessively reading news all day every day.
Pattern:
This is the Grainline Studio Cascade Duffle Coat, view B. I snapped up the pattern as soon as it was released, but this was in late winter 2015 and I tucked it away, planning to make it in the fall when it was seasonally-appropriate to make it and wear it right away. Last January I got motivated to start this coat, so I steamed the fabric, cut out all the pieces, fused everything, and then… got distracted by a big costuming project with a looming deadline (also a coat! at least it was on theme!) and stuffed it into my cedar chest, where it sat for ages, until I had to pack it up to move. I finally pulled it out a few weeks ago, nearly a year after I’d cut everything out!
A note to PDF users: this might not be super fun for you. Uncharacteristically, I bought a hard copy of the pattern- I just couldn’t face the thought of printing and taping that many sheets of paper! I was so glad I did, because life is just too short to spend it all putting together a pattern orrrrr tracing (I admit it- I was saucy and cut the pattern out without tracing… I REALLLLLLY hate tracing).
Supplies:
The fabric I used is a wool coating from Mood Fabrics NYC that I bought ages ago, intending to use it to make the Named Yona Wrap Coat. I stalled on that project when I couldn’t think of a way to match the stripes nicely across a two-piece raglan sleeve. When the Cascade pattern was released, I was so pumped that I hadn’t used this fabric for anything else! I really love the combination of colors in this coat- navy, camel, cream, and grey. I can wear it with so many different things in my closet!
I used this sunback lining from B&J Fabrics (I’m pretty certain it’s this exact one, although I bought it in store instead of online). Sunback is sometimes called “kasha”; it’s a flannel-backed satin, so it’s smooth and slippery like lining fabric on one side, and has a brushed nap on the other. This particular type is 51% acetate and 49% cotton. I’m partial to it for coats as it adds some extra warmth.
For me, personally, sunback isn’t enough for a winter coat, so I also interlined it using lambswool from Steinlauf & Stoller. I just used a single layer (it’s sold in a sort of double layer, so you could easily cut out double layers if you were so inclined). Steinlauf & Stoller doesn’t sell online, but you can call them and order over the phone if you can’t find lambswool locally.
I used my usual coat interfacing, Pro-Weft Supreme Medium-Weight from Fashion Sewing Supply.
For the coat trimmings, I used a YKK separating zipper from my favorite zipper source in the Garment District, SIL Thread. I bought toggles from Pacific Trimming. The pattern includes templates if you want to cut your own leather/faux leather and make toggles yourself, but that wasn’t something I wanted to get involved with at all! For the zipper bands, I used one of my favorite Japanese cottons from my shop for a little peep of print whenever my coat is open. And I lined my pockets with bits of flannel leftover from one of my favorite Archer buttondowns. 🙂
Sizing:
I cut out a size 4, which is my usual Grainline size (my hips fall into a smaller size on their chart, but I don’t mind some extra wearing ease for a coat). I didn’t want to make a muslin, since it’s kind of pointless to do that unless you’ve got a heavier-weight fabric that’s similar to coating. Instead, I just measured the flat pattern pieces and compared those measurements to another coat in my closet. I was under the impression that I’d done my usual 1/2″ narrow shoulder adjustment, buuuut, upon further review, I didn’t. That’s one drawback to sewing up a project a year after cutting it out- you can have a little confusion! 😀 My only sizing adjustment was to lengthen the sleeves by 1/2″. It probably wasn’t necessary, but too-short sleeves drive me CRAZY, so it seemed like the right thing to do.
Mods:
I needed to make some pattern alterations to be able to use this wide stripe efficiently. The original pattern has a yoke and a low waist seam, but I combined these three pattern pieces so that I could cut out the coat back and fronts as just one piece. It would have been a real pain in the neck to try to balance the stripes across three pattern pieces, and it would have sucked up way too much fabric. I cheated a bit and cut the center hood piece on the cross grain so that it’s just solid grey- I didn’t want to have too much stripe chaos going on back there!
Another modification I made was to draft new pockets. I really don’t like standard patch pockets! I put them on my first Gerard coat, as the pattern instructed, but they’re annoying to put your hands into and I really use my pockets since I have a pretty long walk to and from the subway. My original thought was to swap the patch pockets out for welt pockets, but when I started to look at images of duffle coats for inspiration, they ALL had patch pockets. I thought the coat might look kind of naked or weird with welt pockets, so I took inspiration from the kangaroo pockets that you usually see on hooded sweatshirts and drafted something similar to those, with a triangular angle to it to slightly mimic the toggles that I used. I’m really happy with the final pockets! They’re really comfortable to use, they’re super warm, since they’re flannel-lined, and they have room to jam in a pair of fingerless gloves, keys, and my phone. I’m not gonna lie, though, it was a total brain-bender to figure out how to draft a pocket piece with a self-facing, and a complementing lining piece! My brain just doesn’t work that way, so I had to mock up pieces with paper and fold them until I could figure out how to do it.
The final change I made to the pattern was the position of the pockets. They are meant to sit lower down, about 1/3 on the cream stripe and 2/3 on the bottom navy stripe. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough fabric left to cut the pockets that way and match the stripes. Not matching wasn’t an option, so instead I opted to position them higher and honestly, it doesn’t feel weird to have them sit higher. It feels comfortable, so it’s all good!
Tips & Techniques:
As I mentioned briefly above, I interlined the coat with lambswool. I referenced my favorite tailoring book, The Complete Book of Tailoring, (Amazon, but not an affiliate link) by everyone’s favorite sassy seamstress, Adele P. Margolis. If you’re into classic tailoring, I definitely recommend this book- it’s out of print, but you can pick up used copies for less than $20. I followed her directions for inserting each piece individually by hand and catch-stitching it to the very edge of the pressed seam allowance, which makes for about the least-bulky results imaginable. It was slow, but totally worth it in the end. I used the garment pattern pieces to cut out the coat front and back, and I also cut out the upper sleeve, but after basting it in, I thought it would make my sleeves too constricting. Word of warning: the sleeves aren’t for the bicep-fabulous! They’re pretty slim-fitting, which actually looks really nice with the roomy silhouette of the coat, but if you know your way around the gym, you probably want to give yourself some extra room.
The thing I dreaded the most about making this coat was stitching on the toggles. I really, really, really didn’t want to do it! It stressed me out to think about not being able to seam rip them if they didn’t go on straight. I bought an extra one, which Jen recommends, to do a dry run before sewing one on the actual coat, and I noticed that the foot sort of stuck to the exposed parts of the toggle. Jen mentioned that some people put scotch tape on their sewing feet, but she didn’t do that because she didn’t want to leave any residue. So I decided to just put tape on the toggle itself, over every area that the presser foot would touch, which worked a charm. I used my 1/8″ edgestitching foot, a leather needle, and upholstery thread (bought from Pacific Trimming… it’s not as thick or stiff as the thread we buy at my upholstery job). My stitching is really ugly and I’m definitely not going to show you a closeup, but I’ve just vowed not to look too closely at the toggles so that it won’t bug me too much. 🙂
The pattern instructions for the bagged lining don’t tell you to hem the coat, but I went ahead and did a blind hem by hand for added structure and stability.
Final Thoughts:
I’m super, super happy with this coat, and I’ve worn it every day since I finished it a week or so ago! It’s such a nice, classic style, and I’m really excited to wear it for years to come! I would recommend this pattern to anyone who wants to tackle a coat, and if you get stumped by the written instructions, you can always reference the photos in the sewalong hosted on the Grainline blog. I probably can’t make any more coats at this point, since my closet is fairly well stuffed with them, but this actually fills the hole left by my old peacoat, which was the perfect thing to wear in between jacket and parka weather. And I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to turn a UFO into a garment! I felt so productive getting this out of a bag and into my closet!
Hat!
In case you’re curious, the hat I’m wearing in these pics is my favorite cold weather hat, the Fidra pattern by Gudrun Johnston. It’s knit up in bulky Brooklyn Tweed Quarry (colorway: Lazulite), so it’s both a fast knit and really warm for bitter days. I made it about a year ago, and I’m still loving it!
OK, friends, what have you been making these days? Anybody obsessed with coat making? Planning your first attempt at one? Do tell! As for me, it’s back to school now, so this is probably my last big/fun project for some time! Boooooo! 😦
Ginger Makes... 
I’m speechless. I love the striped wool. I am going to have to take a second look at this coat pattern.
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Thank you so very much, Meris! You’re too kind! I really enjoyed making this coat- you should give it a try!
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ZOMG- this is awesome!! I love your fabric choice and modified pockets (so much more user friendly, those pockets)!!
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Thank you, Meg! Regular patch pockets are so cute, but if you’re a hoarder like me and you carry tons of crap around with you, they’re not quite as functional!
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Your coat is a tour of the garment district…you bought something for it from almost everywhere…at least all of my favorite stops. This is a stunning coat because of the fabric you bought for the shell. The toggles are perfect too. Just a fabulous coat, perfect for you and this weather!
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It really is, isn’t it? We’re so lucky to have access to so many great shops! I’m crossing my fingers that all of these stay in business for a very long time!
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Amazing, love this!!
Sometimes it’s kind of awesome to have a delay in a project like that after you’ve cut everything out – it’s so nice when you pick it back up that you don’t have to do that part!
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It’s so true! Cutting and fusing took so long- it was really nice to be able to dive straight into the fun part! 🙂
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“but if you know your way around the gym”
this is the best warning written for a pattern, EVER. 😂 😂
this coat was worth the wait!
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Better late than never, no? 😀 😀 😀
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Oh this is so good! What amazing fabric – you’ve absolutely done it justice. And it sounds deliciously warm. Gorgeous.
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Thank you, Sarah! It really is warm, but not overkill like my parka, which is great for bitter cold, but not so much for the subway! 😀
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i really love your coat! the colors and the style suits you so well. it looks cosy and warm. nice that you took your time and finished the lining and the hem by hand. this extra efforts are so worth it! stunning!
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Thank you ever so much! It seemed silly not to take my time and do it right when I’d already taken so long to sew the coat- what was a few more days in the big scheme of things? 🙂
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Love your version. The fabric is just fab and it sounds so warm.
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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This is just beautiful!
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Thank you, Jen! 🙂
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Amazing coat, love the fabrics and cool pockets. My perfect coat!!
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Thank you, Lynsey!!
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Beautiful coat! Pattern matching excellence.
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Thanks, Cat!
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Hey there Ginger. We’re currently visiting Banff (-30C) from sunny Australia (+37C) and as I was wearing my Cascade today I was thinking Ibreally need to make this coat again – since the one I’m wearing was meant to be a toile!! So bloody inspired by your excellent version – totally fabulous. I made quite a few mods on mine too – used really thin shoulder pads to give stability more than anything over the shoulder area – lots of weight hanging off those shoulders and I agree 100% about the pockets, snowing today and there was nothing I could do to keep the snow out! Love your pocket solution and especially the cosy flannel lining. Next time I will pull the inside layer of the outer closure over before attaching to prevent that annoying swing out at the CF hemline. Or I could do it the easy way and add a snap!! Well done mate, revel in your no longer UFO coat. 👍
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-30C?!?!?!?!?!?!?! AHHHHHH! STAY INSIDE!!!!!
I probably should have done some shoulder pads, or at least sleeve heads. I don’t know why, but that didn’t occur to me until you mentioned it- good thinking! I think I will add a snap to the bottom of the placket, too. It will look tidier, right?
Enjoy the rest of your trip and please stay warm!!!
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this is gorgeous! – I am saving your post to help me when I make this for my daughter.
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Ooh, happy sewing! I bet you’ll have fun making this!
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Looks amazing! I finished my grainline cascade duffle coat last year after a year of procrastinating! I am so pleased to have made my own coat and the best coat I’ve owned. I interlined mine with a single wool fleece layer and also wouldn’t want to take close up photos of the toggles!!! Well done on finishing your beautiful coat.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one that procrastinated! It was sort of intimidating, wasn’t it, with the pages and pages of instructions? But it really was fun to make!
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It was so worth it but I completely ignored it due to the scale of it. I knew I couldn’t cut any corners without regretting it in the long run and I love a quick sew!! So glad I persevered, makes me smile every day! 😁
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So beautiful! I loved hearing about all the details. I just bought a jacket pattern and have been looking at all sorts of makes online. Your fabric choice was so inspired. I would never have thought to choose wide stripes and it looks so striking!
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Thank you so much! Have a great time sewing your jacket- it’s so rewarding to make something that you can wear over and over and over!
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WOW! I love everything about this coat, and those pockets are genuis! I have spatial problems, and I would never have figured that out. It seems the perfect coat. I am green with envy.
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Thank you, Becky! 🙂
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I envy your coat … really! it’s perfect … now I’m going to dream about it too!
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Thank you, Sasha! Sweet dreams! 😉 Teeheehee!
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I just love your coat. When I first saw the pic of it coming through on Bloglovin’ I thought, “Did she sew all these fabrics together first (colour blocking) then cut out the coat??” I just had to investigate 🙂 I love this fabric especially on this coat. It’s so perfect! I love everything about it – the colour, shape, pockets, zipper. I’m not surprised you’ve worn it nonstop. I haven’t made a coat. That still feels above my sewing grade 🙂 but I have been looking at this pattern as well as the similar one by Closet Files.
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Woooooh…. color blocking by hand? I’m too lazy for that, but that’s actually a great idea if you can’t find a stripe you like! You could totally make a coat! I love the look of the CCF coat, too. I would love to make that, too!
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Lovely coat – I think the pocket details are so good.
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Wow that’s fantastic! The fabric is perfect it is very interesting to read all your mods that make the coat for your needs. The pockets are very clever. Well done! I have only made one coat, the Sewaholic Minoru, which I really enjoyed making – I can see how you can get sucked into making more!
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Ooh, that Minoru seemed so fun to sew, with the zippered hood and everything! It’s just so rewarding to sew coats!
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Thank you very much, Norma!
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That is fantastic !!!! what a perfect use for that fabric, looks like something you might see on the street in Italy (those very fashionable folks have great outerwear). Love the stripe placement. Worth putting in the time because you will wear it for ages.
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Ooh, now I want to go to Italy even more than I already did! Thank you so much, Beth!
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I love the mods you made & it looks great with the striped fabric! Coincidentally I’m also making a jacket which has taken about a year at this point, with several breaks, some for the weather and some because I just needed some time to figure out what the heck was wrong with it/couldn’t look at it anymore! But I think that’s healthy, sewing supposed to be fun, right? So if something is making me crazy I can just put it aside for a while … I do think mine will get done in the end too.
Keep your chin up! Making definitely helps, and being kind to people, and taking breaks from the news.
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I totally agree- if something is joyless, why force it? Come back when it feels right! I know you’ll finish it one day!
I’m trying to strike a balance between staying informed and getting overloaded… tricky these days, isn’t it?
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love your coat! fantastic job! thanks for sharing. you make me want to tackle one (actually i did, but it looked more like a robe…)- a real one! & yes, “soul-crushing” is exactly the way to put it… have a nice weekend! 🙂
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Thank you, Heather! Good luck and happy coat sewing- you can do it! Give it a try!
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This looks amazing, like soooooo amazing! So glad to see you got to make the duffle coat of your dreams! xxx
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Thank you, darling! I really am so glad to have this and I’ll really be taking good care of it to make it last forever!
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Oh wow this is such a gorgeous coat!! I love that fabric and thanks for such a great review. I’ll be bookmarking this for future reference, especially the lining tips!
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Thank you, Kathryn! I’m glad this was useful! 🙂
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That fabric is amazing with that pattern! And the stripe matching is spot on. Great work! I’m keeping things simple right now for obvious reasons, but am hoping to tackle a midweight coat later in the year. And I picked up the cutest kids coat pattern, but we’ll see when I get to that one.
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Ooh!! Hobbit will look so cute in a coat! I would like to make a duffle coat (blue, like Paddington) for my nephew, but I’ve been waiting til I found a suitable fabric. Something much more washable than wool, that’s for sure! I’m hoping I find a perfect blue corduroy one day… hopefully before he’s too old/cool to wear it! 😀
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Beautiful work as always, Sonya. Thank you for sharing the details, too. xox
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Thank you, Caroline! 🙂
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Incredible use of such a distinct fabric! And I’m going to have to buy a copy of the Margolis book at some point.
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I bet you’ll like it! I also love her “How to Make Clothes that Fit and Flatter”- I forget if you have that or not! I like that she always seems to present multiple solutions for problems. It’s nice to be able to choose how best to solve a problem!
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Fabulous coat. You’re going to wear it to death.
I’ve used felt to muslin a coat and just picked up a throw blanket (for $3.99) at Ikea for the next one.
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Ooh, that’s so clever! And much cheaper than anything else I can think of to sew with!
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Ooo!! Your coat is brilliant, and I love reading all the construction deets. I’ve just finished making a winter coat, so am coats on the brain at the minute. Now I want to make all the coats!!
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Your coat turned out so beautifully! Coats really are such fun to make!!
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OOH! What a fabulous coat – that fabric really makes it something special! Love the peep into the insides… and those pockets being all matchy! Love it.
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Thank you, Mel! I’m so excited by the snippets of your jacket project that you’ve posted on Instagram. It’s seriously inspiring!
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Oh this is gorgeous, I love the bands of colour and the pattern matching on the sleeves is ace. I didn’t realise you could use sunback for lining, I thought it was just used for waistcoats. I want to make a coat now but my Gerard is still going strong, which I guess is a good thing!
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Haha! You’ve done too good of a job with your coat and now you can’t make another?! 😀 I’ve never heard of sunback for waistcoats, but that makes perfect sense! It’s much more durable than regular lining fabric… I’ll have to keep that in mind next time I make one!
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Your coat is so amazing! I’m also glad you waited to use this fabric on this pattern as its a match made in heaven. 😀 And yes on those pockets! lol I love that you converted them to side pockets while still being a patch pocket style.
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Thank you, Liz! This is one of those rare occasions where procrastination pays off! 😀
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I ADORE this Sonja! That wool gets all the heart eye emojis from me!!! You’ve done such a beautiful job with all the stripe matching and details too. What a coat to own!
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Um… this just rocketed to the top of my “favorite handmade coats ever” list. LOVE it! I would have been totally stumped by the striped fabric, but you worked it perfectly. I too bought this pattern the second it was released, but have yet to make it… Ugh! One of these days!!!
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Oh my! This is just perfection. I love the colours and the fit and construction are spot on! Totally in awe of your skills.
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THE STRIPES
THE STRIPES
MY HEART!
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This coat is amazing! I absolutely love the colours and also its style, perfect for the first autumn chill air! It gives you the desire of woods, hot tea and a bonfire!
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Thank you so very much! Now I want to sit at a bonfire with a mug of tea! 🙂
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