Double Cloth Coat UFO - Complete

 During the uncharacteristic cold and snowy weather in Jan and Feb, I found myself  unmotivated to do anything except watch YouTube videos. I felt guilty about not doing any sewing.  So, as a guilt assuager, I pulled out an unfinished project that required hand sewing. At least I could do some "hand" sewing while vegetating in front of the screen. The project was a coat I cut out of wool double cloth about a year ago. I wanted to use special seaming and finishing techniques to create a completely reversible garment.  But lacking confidence in my ability and stick-to-itiveness, I purchased a sale priced, 2-yard double cloth remnant in boring colors for this project. After cutting out the pattern pieces, I lost interest and packed it all away.

The fabric was “Taupe Brown/Black Wool Blend Double Weave Jacketing” from www.FashionFabricClub.com. The coat pattern I used was BurdaStyle Coat 10 2023 #110   I had to shorten the coat and seam fabric to the bottom of the sleeve because of limited fabric.

 What FFC called “double weave” is what I would more accurately describe as double cloth. Double cloth fabrics are made of two separate fabric layers, attached with wrong sides together by a third set of warp threads, to form a thicker and more substantial fabric. At the fabric edge, you can peel apart the two fabrics and see the connecting threads. 

Connecting threads between layers of double cloth

 Many types of wool and cotton can be made into double cloth, and in all sorts of combinations—like contrasting solids, a solid and a plaid, or a smooth surface with a napped surface. There are special seaming and finishing techniques that can be used with double cloth garments to make them reversible. It involves splitting the fabric at the garment edges and seams.  And a lot of hand sewing to get everything looking neat and tidy.  I had never done this type of construction before and I was so intimidated after cutting out the garment, I set the project aside. 

I did find resources on sewing double cloth, reversible garments. They are listed below.  

Double Cloth Garment Constuction Resources

Websites and YouTube

 Double Fabrics - The Pattern Line

Maria Sewing: Tutorials

a-reversible-double-cloth-coat-with-matching-scarf

Design A Double - Faced Wool Coat / Part 1

Threads Magazine

Threads magazine has, over the years, published some very good articles on this subject. Several include incorporating style details that I did not see mentioned anywhere else. Unfortunately, you will need access to the magazine, either printed or online, to read them.  

Elliott, Mary: "The Cloth with No Wrong Side", Threads, March 1997 (#69) pp. 60–63 Really interesting inseam pocket for reversible double cloth garments.

Mazur, Anna: "Reversible Techniques for Double Cloth", Threads, Taunton Press, February/March 2006 (#123)

King, Kenneth:  Classy piping highlights both sides Threads Jan 2011 #152 Interesting technique for inserting piping in edges of double cloth garment

Debby Spence: Double Cloth Sewing Techniques, Part 1 Techniques to ensure Elegant Seams, Edges, and Corners   Threads #223, Fall 2023

Debby Spence: Double Cloth Sewing Techniques, Part 2 Advanced Techniques for Darts and Closures  Threads #224, Winter 2023 Includes instructions on inserting an invisible zip in double cloth

Japanese Pattern Magazine Mrs. Stylebook,  

I know this resource is not for everyone. However, the Japanese Pattern Magazine Mrs. Stylebook, Issue 210 Oct 2022 had over 14 pages of color photos and diagrams showing how to sew every detail of a reversible double cloth coat. It also included a unique pocket, usable from both sides, that I included on my coat. I translated the Japanese text using the Google Translate app on my phone. Using the app and the camera, I captured pictures of the pages with the English text and saved them to a folder for easy access.  My husband saw me looking through my phone at the magazine pages and said with an incredulous tone in his voice “Are you using the magnifier to read a magazine?  I assured him my current glasses worked well, and I was using the translator app. The magazine is available from Etsy seller "pomadour24" Mrs Stylebook   Warning, the postage is more that the cost of the magazine.  I have a subscription from a foreign document service based in NY and it is slightly cheaper.

Mrs. Stylebook, Issue 210 Oct 2022

Pocket from Mrs. Stylebook, Issue 210 Oct 2022

I am so proud of myself for finishing this UFO. I won't be able to wear it until next fall as the weather has warmed up. See my daffodils.  You'd think at my age I would have had more confidence in my skills and used a fabric in colors that fit into my wardrobe. But on the other hand, because of my age, I have a huge fabric stash that includes some beautiful double cloth. Maybe a project for next winter.

Where is Audrey?

As you read this I am on a plane to South America. Chile specifically, to visit my oldest son who has been living and working in the capital city of Santiago for the past 10 month. Chile is long and narrow country.  It is  2,653 mi long, with an average width 109 mi. Comparatively, the area is slightly smaller than twice the size of the state of Montana. It will be the height of summer during our visit and we will be visiting urban and rural locations in the central part of the country, the  desert in the north, as well as a subtropical  offshore  island. 

There is so much travel info online. I have learned about packing cubes – rectangular nylon bags that help you save space when packing,  tips to avoid getting sick when choosing and eating at street vendors, travel clothing with  hidden pockets,  easy care and quick drying garments with anti-odor properties that allow longer wear periods between washing, ways to go ( to the bathroom ) in different countries.  It is amazing.

My on line reading influenced the planning and sewing  of my travel wardrobe.   My wardrobe will be loose tunic type tops worn over camisoles and tanks, with jeggings  or pants,  and comfortable shoes . For the most part the temp will be 60's to 80’s with minimal rain.  However the night temps in the desert are near freezing and we have one desert excursion planned that starts at 4 AM. I will travel from VA, which is cold in Dec, in light layers which I can use on desert night excursions.

Secret Pockets and Reversible Garments.

When I travel outside the US, I am always a bit paranoid about losing my passport or being pick pocketed. It doesn’t matter what country. So I put “secret” pockets in the front of pants, inside the front of coats and in other garments, where I can carry my passport, charge cards and ID close to my body. I made a bunch of secret pockets out of muslin and poly/cotton scraps. These are the type you sew into the inside front of pants by attaching them to the waistband facing. 

Sew in secret pockets

For knit tops I like to insert the  pocket in the side seam with an invisible zipper. I specifically looked for light weight invisible zippers that have mesh tapes instead of the regular weight tapes.  I believe these zippers are for use on lighter weight fabrics that would be weighed down by a standard invisible zipper. They are very hard to find and in limited colors. The difference is the zipper tapes are made of a lighter weight polyester mesh  versus the typical polyester twill weave.  The pocket itself is made out of skin colored knit to avoid see through.

Zipper tape types

Secret Pocket on Tank Top

I noticed my recent sewing projects all had a  bit or a challenge or  puzzle in the construction.  Sewing for this trip was no exception.  Reversible garments.  The first is the Style Arc Courtney top with different front panels.  A silk Asian print in purples and grays for side one and a rose and gray colored floral silk stripe on side two, with the rest of the top constructed of gray rayon spandex knit.  All fabrics from Denverfabrics.com.

And reversible knee length shorts. Fabric used was a stretch denim woven with black and white fibers resulting in black tweedy color on one side and white on the reverse.  Pattern is an old RTW (Sears I think) I took apart and used for a pattern. The fabric is from Fabric.com. I had been planning to make reversible pants from this fabric for a while.

All seams are flat felled to the black side. On the white side this looks like ¼ inch top stitching. The waist on the black side is black elastic, used both as an accent and also to prevent the stretch out that stretch denim does after wearing a short time.  I needed the waist to stay snug and elastic was the solution. While trimming the seam allowance for felling, I accidentally trimmed both seams allowances in the center front area.  Expletive hail storm!

Solution: a faux zipper placket.  Looks great on both sides.

  The leg edges on the black side are hemmed using a faced piece about the same width of a typical sewn jean hem.

The secret pocket for these pants is on twill tape  tabs inserted between the elastic and the waist edge.  No matter which side I am wearing out, I  can flip the packet to the inside.

Secret Pocket on reversible pants

The other item I sewed for my travels is a cross body bag with water bottle compartment
The pattern is Cross-Body Hipster Bag with Water & Phone, sold by Lidija Miklavcic on Craftsy.

Cross-Body Hipster Bag 

It is a clever design for a medium size bag cross body bag which rides on your front, with separate compartments for your phone and water bottle. The front shoulder strap is designed to enclose your earphone wires, and position the ear pieces near your ears. It is a well drafted pattern with very good instructions.  It is still a bit of a challenge to sew.  Mine is sewn from gray leather from www.theleatherguy.org.  The lining is dark red nylon, backed with vinyl, scraps from a raincoat project in my UFO pile. I added some extra pockets inside the front strap, and finished the lining in a different way that the directions recommended.  My Galaxy 7 phone is too large for the pocket. The flap cannot close.  Next time I make it I will make the phone pocket larger.

Estoy listo para irme.

Can't Stop

SWAP momentum can be strong. It caused me to created two more garments, in the past weeks, that could be included in the SWAP if I chose to switch out some pieces. I intended to stop making SWAP stuff, and switch to vacation sewing, but the fabrics, threads and patterns were still in my "sewing room" (the dining room). And in a moment when the need to make something was strong, I grabbed the next fabric/pattern pile. What emerged was a fitted safari style jacket (Vogue 7764) made out of a sueded distressed looking print which goes well with the SWAP pants and pencil skirt. The fabric came from the home decorating area of Joanne's. When I buy non garment fabric for garments, I always worry that someday, someone will comment that my jacket matches their curtains or couch. Wouldn't it be amusing, in a warped way, to make a garment out of the same fabric as your couch and then have someone take a picture of you wearing it while sitting on the couch. I wonder if it would be a surreal photo of an disembodied head (matching jacket) or legless torso (matching pants). Yes, it is past my bedtime.

Anyway, I also put together another reversible jacket (Vogue 8167) that was alternative B on the reversible garment list. I wasn't as confident it would turn out well, as it was a non TNT pattern and a style I don't usually make. The remaining black wool poly Timmel fabric was used for one side of the jacket. The other side is a lightweight beige pinwale corduroy. I chose the pattern because it had a sewn on scarf type front and I had purchased a fringed jaqcuard woven scarf in my SWAP colors that I wanted to use in lieu of the front. It turned out fine,a little dramatic looking for my taste, and I need to remember that cut on sleeves are not the best look for my sloping shoulders. Shoulder pads to the rescue.