My My My Myiake

I made it!  The Issey Miyake coat designed for Vogue patterns (1476) some 20 years ago.

~ Some things just get better with age, yeah? ~

I was so intimidated to even try it.  Plus it takes 5 yards of wide fabric.  And there's only 2 pattern pieces that don't resemble anything wearable.  

~ it looks exactly like the pattern picture ~

While it turned out to be a quick sew, it was quite the elaborate cut out.  I had to move out the chairs and table from the sewing room so I could work on the floor for this one.  I mean the one pattern piece was ginourmous - like 60" by a zillion I think.  And there was no way I could work that on my 3 x 5 foot table (I tried).

Gadding about on hands and knees from one end of the wooden floor to the other...now that was a whole 'nother adventure that I don't care to encounter again.

~ gadding about in style ~

The fabric I used was a dark gray double-sided fleece I bought at Fabricmart.com.  But it acted more like faux fur in it's shedding capacity while cutting it out.  shoo-wee.   It was extraordinarily soft and lightweight.  One side has longer napped fleece than the other, but both sides show in the design of the coat.

The big pockets are amazing.  I did raise them about 2 inches according to other people's reviews on the Pattern Review site.

~ dramatic bat back view ~

I also added wide elastic to the sleeve hem to bring it in a bit and not have it so accessible to the cold wind.  They're not tight on the wrist at all.  I didn't use the sleeve facings then.  I also didn't miter, top stitch, or hem anything because it was, after all, fleece and therefore, unnecessary.  That's why it was such a quick & easy sew.

~ whoa, the big reveal ~

Ladies, I'm also wearing:

• hat handmade by Viv X
• embellished fingerless gloves handmade by Elaine 
• embossed suede with satin trimmed vest handmade by moi
• chiffon print dress handmade from Tina Givens Adelle pattern
• herring bone sox from Sox Dreams
• golden Fluevogs from ebay

Seems this coats turns out to be one size fits all, more or less.  Just check out the pix after the break!

~ ala Viv X ~

~ ala Sara ~

~ ala Tony ~

~ the show stopper ~

With that I'd like to thank Sara for photo-ing all, and the models who were marvelous.

I hope I'm not to late to join the Visibles at Patti's Not Dead Yet Style.  And Catherine's I Will Wear What I Like.  And Cherie's Shoe and Tell.  I think that about covers it.  I never seem to match up with Anne's 52: pick-me up, alas.  I either can't plan ahead that much or be that spontaneous.  I don't know which.

Hey, I'm wearing hats!  I can finally join Judith's Hat Attack on Feb. 1.  See you all there.