Silver Lining

[shanmonster]

I'm making headway on my coat. I have it mostly lined, and the sleeves are attached. I still need to finish lining it, finish up the edges, add the clasps and trim, and hem the bottom, but it's looking like an actual coat now, and not just a bunch of pretty fabric.

See?



I used the ghawazee coat pattern from Atira's Patterns. The pattern sizing runs small. How small? This coat is a size large, and it fits me just right. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly a big person.

I didn't have enough of the silver to line the whole thing, so I used some navy blue for the top part of the sleeves where it won't show. I'm pleased that it's not looking like crap. Huzzah!

I still have to finish the accessories. I have a knit cowl. Somewhere.... I need to make a belt, arm warmers, and possibly a hat. I will wear my giant gold and black skirt underneath the coat. It's not a perfect match, but it's not bad, and I don't have the time or fabric to make a matching tiered skirt. I have grey suede pants with silver detailing which perfectly matches the coat, so I'll wear them under the skirt and hopefully keep warm. And because I'm wearing black with the skirt, I can wear my black jazz shoes and it should look fine.

All this, and I still haven't decided on the music for dancing, yet. Sheesh.

Comments

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

Atira's runs crazy small, but they're generally good patterns. I'm blanking on the name of the excellent line I found for larger sizes, but one customer was very pleased with the princess-seamed ghawazee resulting from it.

Love the fabric. Right now it actually looks very Elvish.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Elvish is good. I'll be wearing the coat for an Elven character I'm developing for a LARP. ;)

I have a ghawazee coat pattern designed by Madame X, but I haven't made that one, yet. It has adjustable sizing and laces up the sides.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten how small Atira's patterns run. Thank you for the reminder! If I ever make any new costumes....

That coat is looking absolutely gorgeous. Wow. WOW! Stunning. The sleeves are just delicious.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The sleeves are my own design. :)

[goth-hobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, I had the damnedest time with the Altira pattern. I took the coat -- and my sewing machine!-- down to a con in Phoenix, as I knew lots of other costumers and bellydancers there, and I could solicit help. The gal who helped pin me into it was 1) one of the honchos of the Southwestern Costumer's Guild, 2) a Master's Degree theatrical costumer, and 3) one of the costume designers for Ice Capades. She had even had trouble with that pattern (and was wearing her ghawazee as she was pinning me into mine), and swore up and down that the company had used a hunchback for the fit model.

I think that my problem ended up being, as Monty Python would say, my "huge tracts of land" that made it necessary to completely re-work the bodice. Not the easiest thing when you're working with long panels and limited fitting dart options.

Yours seems to be going a lot more easily than mine did, and it looks fantastic!

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I've used this pattern heaps of times, and have rarely had troubles with it. But I don't exactly have huge tracts of land, so maybe that's the issue. If I have a hunchback, I've never noticed. ;)