Cascade Duffle Coat – Grainline Studio

Here is another coat, a winter coat this time. I bought the Grainline Studio Cascade Duffle Coat pdf pattern last year, but I’ve managed to sew it up only over this autumn.

It’s made out of a black woollen cloth bought at a good price at Gloriatex in Milan last year. I struggled to find a nice lining. At first, I wanted to sew a contrasting lining up, but I decided to use a classic black medium-weight cupro and acetate lining because I didn’t come across anything I liked. I bought the toggle buttons at Merceria Guffanti in Milan and the old gold metallic zipper with a rounded slide fastener in a specialised zipper shop downtown Milan, Villa Nardo at via Durini.

I changed the original model with these two little styling alterations:

• I eliminated the front pockets and replaced them with two side seam pockets.

• I eliminated the lining and the facing inside the hood and I simply doubled the woollen hood (I cut four pieces of the side hood and two pieces of the center hood), so the hood is made out of wool both inside and outside.

My measurements are 89 cm bust, 67 cm waist and 94 cm hips, so I should have cut a size 6 for bust and a 4 for waist and hips. However, after having looked at the finished garment measurements, I decided to simplify and cut a size 4 for everything. It seemed that the size 4 bust fitting was right for me.

I only cut the fabric (I cut the lining later, after having altered the pattern) and I basted everything to have a fitting. I had to shorten the coat by 5 cm to get the length I wanted (if it could be useful for measurement, I’m 1.63). As a result I shortened the front facing, the front band and the lining. I kept the zipper bands as the original length instead.

Furthermore, I shortened the shoulders by 1 cm. At first I thought to slightly cut the sleeves as well, but I waited to the end just to not get it wrong. And I did well indeed, because after having sewed everything up, the sleeves were the right length.

Once the variations were chosen and the alterations made, I cut the lining as well and I started to sew the coat. I used a black Polyester thread and a 100/16 needle for heavyweight material. I used a woollen knitted fusible interfacing to support the fabric where indicated.

To reduce the thickness on the front, I used a scrap of a black viscose jersey that I had at home to make the zipper bands. Seen that the viscose jersey was very light, I applied the fusible interfacing to it in order to not have it distorted.

To make the pockets stronger, I double-stitched inside (to avoid the pocket’s breaking during the use). I did the same for the coat and the lining sleeves. I added a wool shoulder roll to support and model the sleeve cup.

The fabric being very heavy, I decided to sew the facing of the hem of the coat and of the sleeves to the coat with a blind stitch (between the coat and the lining) to hold facings in place. Moreover, I sewed the seam allowance of the coat and the seam allowance of the lining together with some stitches by hand on the lower part of the armhole (to hold the lining in place as well).

A final quick ironing and that’s it!

I made the green dress that I’m wearing in these pictures as well. It was very cold that day, so I didn’t take the coat off to photograph it well, I was already freezing! Anyway, it’s a simple mini-dress with raglan sleeves, made out of a beautiful and warm 100% cashmire fabric I bought at Etro Outlet in Milan about two years ago. I designed the pattern on my own. I cut the dress on the crosswise grain to keep the selvedges as hem for the dress and the sleeves. I finished the neckline with a black bias tape hidden inside that I sewed by hand (you can’t see the seam outside indeed).

I’m very happy with both my new coat and dress! I’ve worn them a lot in these days and I’m sure they will become my favourite winter garments!