‘Winter coat’ can be long or short
Dear Vicki: As a teenager I always remember hearing my mom talk about her “winter coats.” She would often say that she loved dress coats without buttons. She had a few that I remember her wearing for years.
As I’ve gotten older, I, too, have developed a liking for the same style. The last time I found one was 22 years ago. Do you know of any pattern that I could purchase that would get me my long-awaited dress coat without buttons? This would make me a happy lady and bring back memories of my mom. Sincerely Judy L.
Dear Judy: I know there are others, but I found McCall’s pattern number 7057. There is a short and a long version, and one with a hood, so you can make this coat to be what you want. You could use a wool, fleece or a shearling. And there are no buttons. Have fun!
Here is another old but really good question and answer:
Dear Eunice Farmer: I’m just beginning to sew and love the endless possibilities! Every pattern I see has a notation marked “with nap.” I thought very few fabrics, such as velvet and corduroy, actually have nap. What other fabrics would this apply to? Thanks. Gail B.
Dear Gail: Actually, there are other situations to which nap would apply. It applies to fabric that has a one-way design; also, if there is any variation in colors that keeps the fabric from being cut in both directions. And if the pattern has a left and right side, that must be cut separately. Often the fabric is not wide enough for the type of pattern you will be working with and must be pieced so that everything is cut in one direction. I hope this answers your question.
Each week I share a reader’s tip and thank him or her with a set of 100 fine English handsewing needles. This week the tip is from Kari Ely, of Clayton, Mo. She writes:
“I love to save and make things do double duty. So I sew the plastic sheets of instructions that come with interfacing into a bag to hold the interfacing. Just fold the sheet and sew the sides, and now you know what is what even months later.”