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This must be the cosiest thing I've ever made! This is the Jessie Coatigan from Sew Over It, made with the mocha fur lined woven check (95% polyester/5% wool) fabric from Guthrie & Ghani. It is a little small for me as it is actually a gift for my lovely (and often chilly) mum who is far more petite. This is a straight size 8. I can't think of a more perfect fabric as we go into autumn/winter, and a coatigan is especially versatile for wearing both inside and outside. I've never sewn with fur-lined fabric before and learned quite a bit along the way through trial and error so here are my top tips for sewing with furry fabrics.
1. Choosing a pattern
Avoid patterns which need sharp, neat pressed edges or have lots of intricate details/pattern pieces. Although it is possible to press this fabric, edges are always going to be slightly bulky. To reduce bulk you might want to trim seam allowances, and/or trim the fur a bit shorter. I didn't add the sleeve facings on my version as my mum is petite and most sleeves are too long for her. Instead I hemmed the cuffs right sides together and then turned the sleeve up.
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Sew Over It Jessie Coatigan technical drawings
2. Choose fastenings carefully
The fur is likely to stick in a zip, and my machine doesn't cope well with buttonholes on thick fabric. I chose a pattern without fastenings so this make was much less stressful than it could have been! I have enough fabric left to make a belt, but my mum says she prefers it as it is....and whatever mum says, goes :)
3. Cutting
Because this is essentially two fabrics bonded together it is pretty thick & heavy (weight 602 g/m2). I usually use a rotary cutter & pattern weights but found pins (see below) and scissors easier for this fabric. And make sure your scissors are sharp before cutting!
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4. Pattern marking
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I found my usual chalk pencils didn't show up very well on this fabric, and so I reverted to traditional tailor tacks (there are lots of videos on YouTube if you haven't sewn these before but I found this blog from Tuesday Stitches a useful reminder too ). Tacks in a contrasting coloured thread were not only easier to spot, but helped to keep the thick layers of fabric together until I needed to use them.
5. Overlocking
Overlock the edges before you start. This fabric sheds, particularly when cut on the cross grain. Be prepared to have fluff everywhere...in your hair, up your nose as well as all over the ironing board and floor. Have a lint roller on hand to stop the fluff taking over your sewing space and check the mirror to see how much fluff is in your hair before you go out in public!
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6. Pinning
I found that my regular pins were too small, they either bent or were hidden in the fur. The best options were quilting clips (I got 20 for about £2.99 on Ebay) or my Prym flower head pins which are longer than regular pins, and stood out against the fur.
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7. Sewing
Ideally you would use a 90/16 or even 100/16 needle, but...ermm...I forgot to buy those so I used a fresh 80 and it was fine. I used a slightly longer stitch (3 - 3.5) and raised my presser foot by two notches. In particularly bulky areas (e.g., where seam allowances met) I had to help my fabric through by pulling gently from the back. I also used a couple of slip stitches where the fabric didn't want to lay flat, such as the facings.
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To sum up, although you have to make small adjustments for this fabric the payoff is absolutely 100% worth it. This coatigan is so soft, so warm and so comfortable. As heating costs get higher, the more warm clothes we can make, the better. Here is my wonderful mum getting cosy...and me trying to convince myself that I'm a size 8 too!
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![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c5376d_985fb658ffee451daac32c629b94e414~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_1307,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/c5376d_985fb658ffee451daac32c629b94e414~mv2.jpg)
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