Like a virgin...matching plaids for the very first time

I procured the fabric for my Albion last weekend and am so excited to get started.  I sewed my muslin in a size small and managed to work out the fitting changes (looks like I might be learning something after all) including bringing the waist in and narrowing the shoulders.  Everything was coming up roses until I layed the fabric out to start cutting and I realized, "Oh, shit, plaid".  What the hell was I thinking? I knew I had seen tutorials for matching plaids before but payed little attention, storing them away for the future so off to the interwebs I went. Here are some of the most helpful tutorials/tips I found:

- Matching plaids like a boss with Lladybird gave me a good starting point.

- Grainline Studios has a number of tips and tricks that go a bit more in depth as well as some awesome info on sewing a wool coat.

- And if you want to get extra geeky head over to Sewaholic for this step-by-step tutorial.

The matching itself isn't that hard but, as ususual, its the little things that get you.  Figuring out how the plaid lines will look, cutting the yoke on the bias, making sure the sleeves match, attempting to visualize how the hell the 3 hood pieces are going to come together and hoping it all works out because I realllllly don't want to start over again is making my brain bleed.  I have to keep reminding myself that its an awesome mind puzzle and that I am learning something new.  But, you guys, seriously WHAT was I thinking?

Anyway, off I go to cut more pieces!  Here's a peek of the wool coating I got...

Albion sewalong and contest!

   
















Colette patterns is having another sewalong/contest and the prizes are ridiculous!  They've really outdone themselves this time as the grand prize is the lovely Bernina 380 pictured above.  The two runner-up prizes aren't too shabby either, over $400 worth of crafty goodness.  The sewalong starts January 24th.  Check out the link above for details.  I am super excited as I have been wanting to make a coat for awhile now but was waiting for the perfect pattern.  The Albion is a classic duffel coat and there are two versions offered.  I've already downloaded and cut out the pattern, no easy task I might add, but I do love instant gratification.  I have the fabric for my muslin cut (a vintage teal wool blend gifted from a friend's grandma's stash) but haven't decided on what to do for the "real" coat.  My brain (and my pinterest page) has been going wild with ideas, most of which I have no idea how to implement. Here are some of my favorites:

I love the mustard color with the cocoa brown toggles.  And how adorable is the rest of the outfit?  I'm seriously coveting everything about this.

It's amazing how a simple element turns a traditional design into something more.  The piped edges adds structure and dimension to the shape.  I wonder how this would look with a plaid fabric...

I have a bit of an obsession with capes and this navy and brown combo is so lovely.  The only problem is that I have absolutely no idea how to convert a coat pattern to a cape pattern or if it's even a good idea.

  

Ombre.  That is all.  Also, her hair please.  Oh, and those boots.

So many ideas!  I am really excited to get started and am looking forward to the challenge.  This will be the first project I will actually document on this blog so there will be lots more to come.