Super furry animal
27 January 2009, 13:13Let me just start off by saying I love this coat. I would jump up and down on Oprah’s couch like a crazy woman for this coat. It makes me happy just to look at it, and to touch it makes my day. I love it so much that I actually feel paranoid wearing it out for fear that some Peta idiot is going to pour paint on me because it looks and feels absolutely like real fur. But wear it out I do, because I love this coat!
I mean, seriously, look at this faux fur, is it not fabric porn?
To refresh your memory, I made BWOF 10/08 #102 in faux chinchilla fur from fabric.com (at $21.98/yard, it was worth every last penny in shipping and customs charges!).
And the end result is just love at first sight!
I lined this with green cupro from my stash, and since outer pockets were both impractical and not included in the pattern (the similar longer view’s pockets descended past the hemline on this), I added two zippered pockets to the lining of this. I could’ve bought matching zippers but I was just so deliriously happy with the coat at this point that I wanted a bit of bright, cheery colour to mimic this and so I chose the brightest zippers in my stash!
Burda suggest giant snaps for the closure on this, but I preferred the classic look of fur hooks, so I attached these by hand:
After looking at the above photos, though, I noticed that the disturbed fur on the front where my hook stitching came through was much more noticeable than I thought! So whilst at our moorings crafty night last night, I took the time to unpick a lot more fur from those handstitches so it’s a lot less noticeable now!
(My hair stylist neighbour was prompting me with sex kitten poses while James was taking these, hence the last shot!)
A lot of people must’ve had bad experiences with fur because I kept being told that I’d never sew fur again, or that I’d be finding it for weeks, or that I’d need to sew with a stiff drink in my hand, but really, things couldn’t have gone smoother, and I’d definitely sew with faux fur again! If you missed it earlier and you’re interested in taking the furry plunge, then you should have a look at my tips for sewing with faux fur before you begin!
Oh, and for anyone who was not involved with the Great Coat Sew Along but would like to read the expert advice over there, the site has just been opened to the public so anyone can view it now!
tags: bwof, coat, fur
You look positiviely decadent. DECADENT!
— cidell Jan 27, 01:55 PM #
Squeeeeee! I love it, and the zips are ace! I used to have a big long scary real fur coat from a charity shop and I seem to remember having the same problem with the hooks (or maybe it was with my shorter fake fur jacket from different charity shop).
I also used to have a beautiful pink fake fur jacket that I bought from Selfridges’ kids department in the January sales for a bargain price that I can’t remember… about two months before I got pregnant, so by the time it was cold enough to wear it for the second winter, I was miles too big for it, including after having J. It was awesome though, and at one point we actually had matching coats as a friend gave her a similar one when she was about a year old. I outgrew it again though, in the end (cough) and gave it to a tiny friend. Shame, really, would’ve looked smashing with the purple walking stick.
Also, wheeeeeeee, I am off to read the GCS blog!
— anwen Jan 27, 02:10 PM #
Oh you look like it’s so fun to wear! Great jacket and it looks warm. Enjoy, it’s a great jacket.
— Nancy K Jan 27, 02:13 PM #
This coat looks amazing! I’m all inspired now, thanks!
— Reethi Jan 27, 03:06 PM #
That is super gorgeous.
— Rachel Jan 27, 03:20 PM #
Wow! that is FAB!!! how long did it take you??? x
— juliab Jan 27, 04:34 PM #
I love that it looks fab ! How much roughly does it cost in shipping and charges from the US ? I love so many fabrics from the USA but have been very wary so far from ordering .
— Lisa P Jan 27, 04:35 PM #
GREAT JOB! I say, that faux fur is FABULOUS. It totally looks real!
— Grace Jan 27, 06:03 PM #
Fabric porn, indeed! Wow.
Love the bright zippers!
— Isabelle Jan 27, 06:30 PM #
Ooo, that jacket is wonderful! If it was mine, I think I would just pet it all day long – so soft and cuddly.
— Shannon Jan 27, 07:07 PM #
Absolutely amazing…of course you are so talented I had no doubts it would turn out so beautifully!
— Paulette Jan 27, 07:48 PM #
I would love your coat in the cold Chicago temperatures! I love the green lining. I always heard horrible things about sewing faux fur too—like sneezing the whole time! Thanks for the positive spin—I have been admiring the pattern.
— cindy Jan 27, 08:25 PM #
Melissa, you look marvelous! Faux fur is addictive: I bought a faux fur coat on sale and it’s the coat I want to wear most. We sewists love a good tactile experience.
— Lindsay T Jan 27, 08:25 PM #
So cute! I feel the same way about wearing faux fur in public…especially thinking about the irony if I were splotched that I’ve been a vegetarian for 16 years! It has been a while since I made my purple faux fur coat… But, I think I’m coat-ed out for a while.
— The Slapdash Sewist Jan 27, 09:06 PM #
That looks soooo cozy! And glamourous.
— Christina Jan 27, 10:14 PM #
Absolutely adorable!! And oh so warm and cuddly looking. Your summers have been so cool, you might be able to wear it all year long.
— Mom Jan 27, 11:04 PM #
Fabric porn indeed. Yum.
— dawn Jan 28, 02:03 AM #
Fantastic faux fur coat- looks very snuggly! Love the colour too !
— Kate S Jan 28, 10:25 PM #
Fabulous!
— Cennetta Jan 28, 11:39 PM #
Superb!!! I love it!!!
— Tany Feb 1, 11:35 PM #
Wow! I can see why that is your favorite piece of the year.
— Claudine Dec 23, 04:36 PM #