Burda 9501: Girl's Winter Coat

                                   

I hope I'm not going to be taking away from Auntie Laura's Maxi Dress Saga, but I'm going to switch gears into the woolen and wintry today. In between all-night painting sessions to try to get the kids' rooms put together, I managed to pull out a couple of hours to finish up Guinevere's winter coat. It's just in time too since this week is the first one that really seems like "coat weather" this fall.

I put off posting this, hoping today would yield me better pictures than yesterday, but that top one was the best she could do in the fading dusk that was causing my camera to shine bright lights at her every time she tried to pose. Yesterday she was looking at the camera, but not necessarily with a smile, and sometimes with awkward arm/shoulder placement that made her left hand or her neck disappear. I swear the coat fits her much better than this group of pictures would suggest (with just a little bit of grow room in the arm length).

This is Burda Kids printed pattern 9501. It's a nice lined coat pattern with some nice details, like a collar band, and it really went together without too much frustration. Of course, it didn't hurt that I was using a natural-fiber fabric. I got this tweed-weave wool-blend at Hancock Fabrics. I say "wool-blend" not knowing exactly what it was blended with. I don't recall now if the label said "95%" wool or "98%" wool, but I do remember that the other percentage was "other" rather than something specific. It handles like wool, but in random small places, a metallic tinsel like filament will peek out. Maybe the shiny stuff is the "other". It's subtle touch, but I'm not one to complain about the inclusion of something shiny in any degree. 

 The only thing that really had me wondering about how this pattern was drafted was the sleeve pattern. Its a multi-size pattern and all the sizes had the same width lines for the sleeves. I measured about 4-5 times before I cut out because I didn't know if it was drafted for the size 4 with the other sizes being just a little too large or small, or if it was drafted for the size 6 for giant size 2 sleeves, or some variation thereof. This was a size 4 (104 in Burda sizing) and it seems to fit her well, even with a sweater underneath.

The pleat is a little puffy, but I just liked that they added the pleat in a kid's coat pattern. Do you know how hard it is to find a non-vintage kids coat pattern that doesn't call for it to be made from sweatshirt fleece? The pattern magazines are the best source I've found so far for cute kids' coat patterns. Are the printed Burda patterns initially published in the magazine? I've always assumed that's where they come from, but I don't actually know.

One detail I added that the pattern didn't call for was to underline the front and back pieces with cotton flannel fabric. Extra warmth without too much extra bulk. The lining is just plain black, I think I thrifted it at some point. 

The buttons were in my stash. I would have liked something a little larger, but Guinevere fell in love with these as soon as she saw them, and I just happened to have exactly four, so onto the coat they went.

I guess I'm not getting an Anise jacket (at least not until the spring when jacket weather returns) but Guinevere is warm and cozy in her new coat.

As an afterthought for anyone who noticed that Guinevere is missing 14+ inches of her hair...yes, it was cut on purpose. It was a practical decision on our part, that long hair on a kindergartner just wasn't working out. She says she loves it short, so we all win.