Snake Trench - Progress!

I did a bit of a marathon cutting session, so I have a some of the coat underway!  I made a couple of decisions regarding the coat construction:

(1) I am going to underline the fashion fabric with muslin, just so it is a bit more weighty and a bit more wind proof.  I have decided not to interface the front and hope that the muslin will act as a very soft interfacing.  As an added bit of warmth, I am going to interline with cotton flannel.

(2) I am using fusible interfacing for all of the detail pieces and facings that are supposed to have interfacing.  I am going to blockfuse these in the next few days.  After doing all my cutting, the last thing I wanted to do was blockfuse and cut some more, so I still have this to do in my preparatory stages.

(3) I am going to use my serger to construct the lining, to construct the detail pieces, and to edge finish the fashion fabric and underlining.  I am going to use the sewing machine for the main coat seams, topstitching, buttonholes, etc.  I cut everything with a 5/8" seam allowance, but after using the serger I will have a 3/8" seam allowance, which is what I was aiming for.

Since I have been having such luck with the size 40 Burda tops, I cut into the muslin and pinned it together to check the fit:

Front in muslin

Back in muslin

Normally I would have done a swayback adjustment, but since this coat is not meant to be fitted and instead given shape with a belt, I am leaving the pattern as is.  I did try it on with a belt from my closet - the back doesn't look too poofy, so I am hoping it will be ok.  This is also my first time making anything with raglan sleeves, but I am thinking the style looks pretty good so far.

I was considering doing all of the interfacing and cutting tonight, but I really wanted to sew something on my serger!  Despite the fact that my fancy serger thread hasn't arrived yet (grumble, grumble), I went ahead and used some of my regular sewing machine spools and it worked out just fine.  I used a 3-thread stitch to edge finish the main coat pieces:

Edge finishing with the serger!

And I used a 4-thread stitch to construct the lining:

Lining - the flannel covered wrong side

Serged seams!

I really love the feel of pairing charmeuse with flannel to create the lining.  I have done this on my previous two coats, and it really makes the finished product so much more cozy.  The flannel interlining is two different colors because I had the green leftover from interlining my green wool coat, and the purple was left over from interlining my sister's black wool coat.  You can't really see them through the lining fabric anyway, so I figured using bold crazy prints and colors wouldn't really matter.  And now they are all used up and out of the stash, so yay!

Also, I really love the lining fabric I found.  It was $3/yard from Michael Levine's online store and it is stunning.  Photographs do not do it justice.  It isn't even colors or patterns I would normally care for, but somehow I find it oddly appealing.  Part of me felt bad using it as a lining and not as a dress or blouse.  Of course, the practical part of me know I wouldn't really wear it as a dress or blouse, so I will probably best appreciate it as a lining anyway.  And, well, I have a yard left, so I can do something else with it I suppose.  Anyway, here are some pictures of my pretty lining:

My lining - the right side.

Back side of the lining.

Close up of the raglan sleeve seams.

I really think the serger is a great way to make the lining - especially since it finishs off the edges.  No more stringy bunches of poly charmeuse fibers floating about.  And the seams look nice and smooth.  I may have already bragged about this a bit too much, but, well, I loves my new serger!

Anyway, hopefully I can get the rest of the prep work done tomorrow and maybe get some sewing done this week too.  I think hoping for a pre-Thanksgiving finish might be pushing it, but, well, we shall see.  I do want to push to finish this project though, since I have been thinking I might be sewing up Christmas gifts this year.  I know, I know, that there is crazy talk.  A few weeks go I had been dead set against it.  So, what on Earth has changed my mind?  Well, for one, because I would rather spend my money on fabric that I am giving away than spend it on random other stuff that I am giving away.  And for two, because if I plan it out right I can use me serger to make everything, which will be simultaneously fast and fun.  So, really, I am just looking for more excuses to play with my serger.