McCalls 6442

I started this blog as a place to talk about wonderful purple things that I sew. So of course the first thing I have to post is red. Whatever.

Offspring the Younger was asking for a winter coat in the peplum style, in red. How lucky that her desire to wear a red coat coincided with my desire to sew a red coat!

I had tried McCall's 6442 once before for myself but totally botched the FBA and ended up just wadding it. Offspring doesn't need much in the way of alterations to Big4 patterns so I dug it out again for her.



She wanted lipstick red and the only bright red wool I could find locally was a red 100% wool at JoAnn's. It was more like suiting than coating so I interlined with a 100% wool coating (the beige fabric) I had in the stash from an online purchase.

The coating is THICK stuff so to reduce bulk I cut out the darts and zigzagged the edges together.

Another bulk reduction feature I've been doing in coats lately is a hong kong binding on the facing/lining edge. M6442 calls for the lining piece to be the same as the bodice front piece and then lay the facing in place and treat the whole piece as one. Instead of turning under the edge of the wool facing, I did the binding and then stitched it down. 

(In a pattern where the facing is seamed onto a bodice side piece I've cut the facing back to the seam line and done the binding, then lapped it over and matched seam lines on the lining piece.)

Offspring had strong opinions about her vision of her coat and wouldn't let me line with black and red cherry blossom brocade, opting instead for plain black crepe-back satin from Hancock's. I snuck in some heavy blanket stitch for a neat detail and also because I'm constitutionally incapable of leaving well enough alone. 

The shoulders seemed a little soft but when I tried shoulder pads it seemed like too much. Sleeve heads turned out to be just the right amount of support

I discovered a while ago an easy way to turn collars and other points. I trim as usual and then use my jewelry making pliers to grip the point. I keep hold as I turn and can get the points right out where they belong without any trouble. 

Offspring was away at a choral music festival when I texted her this picture of the finished bodice. In return I got "asdfjkl!!!" which is teentext for jumping up and down and squeeing.

The skirt went on without incident. The pattern calls for just a belt tie for closure, but doesn't include belt loops. Loops were an easy addition but what the heck McCalls?  In any case, Offspring had wanted a double-breasted coat and it was easy to add buttons at the end. 

The two layers of wool and heavy satin lining make it super warm and the cute style makes all the girls at school want to know where she got it. Offspring is loving her new coat. My job here is done. :D