A coat for all seasons

Despite my lack of blogging, things on the sewing front have actually been quite busy around here.

Recently I had the pleasure of testing the All Seasons Coat for Nikki (Nicole Mallalieu of You Sew Girl) and I am delighted with the results.

A coat fit for a Princess.

I let the little Miss choose from my precious Heather Ross stash and she didn't disappoint with this Rapunzel fabric being her choice.

It's from the Far Far Away II range - so it's not a quilters cotton but rather a lightweight linen.
I am not sure, but I suspect that it's out of print now - I know it's pretty hard to come by in any decent amount.

I teamed it up with a Michael Miller dot - because I love a dot!

Perfect for watching ducks in, in any season!

This pattern is an absolute winner.

Nikki has designed the coat to be trans seasonal - so it can be worn through Autumn and Spring as well as Winter when appropriate.

It can be made with or without a belt and with or without a hood.

We went for collar, no hood, and belt.

The results is like a little trench coat - a stylish one!

A Princess on the pocket

The pattern calls for buttons or snaps - I went for snaps, particularly when I realised that buttons would have meant putting a buttonhole through the head of the Princesses I 'fussy cut' for the pocket flaps.

Snap closures and a belt keep the coat secure.

There are front facings, and a lining that doesn't peek out at the bottom of the coat because of how it has been designed.

Bright and fun on the inside.

I went for a splash of colour under the collar - just for fun.

The collar execution gives an excellent result

There are lovely little details like sleeve tabs that pull the sleeves in and shape them at the wrists.

The sleeves are made in two parts so they are beautifully shaped and are a dream to sew in.

Sleeve tabs are just one of the details included in the pattern

The pattern is available now and you can check out the stockists here, or grab a copy from Cam - the queen of customer service and speedy delivery.

As with all of Nikki's patterns, there are heaps of hints and new techniques excellently explained so you get a really professional result.

This pattern goes up to size 8 (I made it in a 7 so it will fit next year too).

If your daughter is larger than this, the good news is there is a 'Tween' size one in the works.

Grab yourself a copy and start making your fabric selections now.

Look mum, a waterhen!