My Sewing Pattern Hoard: Outerwear

It's time for another installment of 'My Sewing Pattern Hoard'. I've fully abandoned dreams of whipping up a quick playsuit this year as I don't know about where you are, but round my way the mornings have definately starting to feel a bit nippy recently. Our summer was pretty rubbish, but I'm not complaining about the on-set of Autumn, you know where you are with Autumn. No-one complains that you have to put on a jacket, it's as it should be. You can still get some lovely days, and they are a bonus, but if it rains, that's ok too as it's kind of to be expected.

So, the chilly mornings are making me wistful for more of a variety of jackets to choose from and I've almost forgotten the gruling mission my navy wool coat project was so I've decided to dig out my outerwear patterns and put them up for discussion. Basically, I feel that if you live in UK, any coat or jacket you make that fits is never going to be time wasted. My navy wool coat, leopard coat and yellow jacket see far more wears than any other garment I've ever made, so I'm hoping you'll help make some decisions regarding this Autumn/Winter's sewing efforts:

I'm not sure how I feel about this coat. It looks quite a clean and simple shape, would it look like a little girl's coat though? I tried making the dress from this pattern and the bust shaping was for a comically high bust point. That shouldn't be a problem for the coat though as it's got intriguing shoulder darts instead. What colour/fabric would you make this in? I do love the potential for showcasing a set of seriously amazing buttons though.

LOVE this cape pattern. I'd love to make the shorter length in navy or black wool with the epaulettes and gold buttons! In fact, I've already traced this pattern ready for a ridiculously large piece of secondhand wool to fall into my lap!

Once again, not sure how I feel about the above coat pattern. In a similar vein to the top pattern, the buttons would be so eye catching!

I used this pattern back in 2008 when I made a yellow curtain version of the view on the right. Initially, I didn't wear it much, but then I was living in deepest darkest Essex at the time. Not a region known for its tolerance towards sartorial difference. But over the last year there have been months when I've worn it almost daily. Actually, I'm currently working on another version of this pattern with bracelet-length sleeves. I'm trying to draft a lining pattern for it, so don't hold your breath to see the finished project. I'm convinced it's going to be amazing though! (Hint: anchors will be involved!)

Hmmm, now this jacket could look a bit prim and 'twin set and pearls', but imagine this little blighter with some kitschy appliqued detailing on the front, like my swallow jacket, perhaps. I'm viewing this jacket as a kind of 'canvas for kitsch'. What would you apply?

I was really into this jacket pattern when I saw it on ebay, but now I'm not so sure. I have a sneaking suspicion that if you invested the time needed to make this jacket, that the outcome would be very different from the envelop. I can't even figure out what's up with the CF near the neck. Does it actually curve towards the start of the collar, or has the illustrator used some artistic licence here? Who can say? I do not have it in me to give the time needed to figuring it out. Not this year at least.

Not, anyway, whilst this cheeky little thing sits within my grasp:

HOW nice it this?! Oh, I want to make it in some incredible 1950s floral furnishing fabric that most likely will go with none of the rest of my clothes. Or in red like the chica in the top left corner. This makes me want to go through all my buttons to find the best big odd button and design the rest of the jacket around it. What would you like to see it made in?

Now I had such high hopes for this pattern that I poured over it and gazed at the line drawings on the inside sheets for an age. It's got two different body variations, three different neck options (one round neck and two different collars) and about a million different sleeve options. AND you can showcase some of those incredible big buttons. I imagined making hundreds of jackets from this pattern, and with the various combinations possible in different fabrics they'd all look totally different. I did a toile of the longer length with round neck and elasticated short sleeve and I was not impressed. The neck came out so wide that you would struggle to match it with an appropriate top or blouse to go underneath. The elastic of the gathered sleeves sat way too close to your armpit and the whole fit was kind of shapeless, neither fitted nor boxy. Now I see on the illustrations how far the jackets sit away from the body, I'd say that that's actually pretty accurate. Not what I was hoping for. I may go in for another go though, and start with the size below my normal one.

Umm, is this a pattern for a versatile, practical jacket waiting to be deployed, or a pattern for the most unimpressive dull garment to ever have precious sewing time wasted on it? (BTW, I was thinking red and white check wool, NOT silver mock-croc!).

I've also bought the PDF for this jacket from Burdastyle, so that's an option too. Coats and jackets take such a large amount of effort and time to create, please help me decide what pattern/s I should invest my project time into!