SEWING CLUB PODCAST EP 10 | ARA QUILTED OVERCOAT

I was inspired by the other half of Daisy Chain, Liz, and her sherpa version! I decided to go with a neutral cream colour but wanted the wearability of not having a contrasting coloured binding so I found some silk taffeta in my stash to make bias binding out of, and that complimented the fabric. Because the fabric had a slight stretch (and became slightly see-through when stretched) I decided to line it with a natural coloured jersey that I also had on hand - essentially making the coat twice! I have seen some sewists use a towelling fabric for their coats - which is a great hack to turn it into a beach cover-up...

Sewing time-wise, I had previously made a toile so the sewing went pretty quickly and I knew there was a lot of binding ahead - so I put on some music, got some snacks and let the process unfold. Overall, the sewing together of the pattern pieces takes less than 30 minutes...the binding however, takes hours! I opted to leave off the larger of the two pockets on the outside, to reduce bulk in this furry fabric...

I went rogue with some of the instructions - making the coat first and adding the pockets later after trying it on and deciding where I wanted my hands to sit. I shortened the sleeve to sit above the elbow and omitted the turned up cuff-sleeve. I also added shaping darts at the back, not necessarily because of the look, but because I wanted to be more cinched in at the lower back to keep my torso extra warm...I feel the cold! I also modified the front lower corners to mimic the curves of the pockets, and for ease of binding them! 

The coat has been getting a lot of wear and I'm reaching for it several times a week right now. I've been layering with a whole bunch of turtlenecks on rotation. I'm loving the pockets, which mean I can go hands-free without a bag. My kids have also been stealing it from me, so I will probably make another couple of Ara's in the future! You can listen to Sewing Club Episode #10 on Spotify,  Apple Podcasts or Audible. Here you'll find all the show notes and we'll reveal the pattern for Episode #11, so do join with us in sewing along at home! 

Be sure to check out Gem's uber comfy Ara over at Sewing Gem 

Want to sew your very own Ara Quilted Overcoat? Get 20% OFF the pattern with code: SEWINGCLUBPODCAST