Remember that wool-cashmere blend School Days Jacket? We had the chance to do some serious field testing on it yesterday.

It passed all our tests with flying colors. See disdressed for the full visual recap.

A few weeks ago on my personal blog, I posted about going fabric shopping for S’s new winter coat? Well, while at Mood I fell in love with this amazing navy blue wool-cashmere blend. It was $40 a yard, but trust me when I tell you that if you felt it you would understand. Really. It’s incredibly thick and soft and totally worth the price. (And $40 is actually really cheap for quality coating, I think, despite how it may sound if you’re not accustomed to shopping for coat fabrics.) I briefly considered wrapping myself up inside it right there on the third floor of the store, but that would have been weird.

So I took it home and got busy, sewing just a few seams a day. I was almost finished with the outside (why do these projects seem to go so much faster when I’m not writing sewing instructions simultaneously?) when it occurred to me to insulate it!

I was inspired by this coat in our Flickr group, so I started searching around to find the right interlining when I came across Thinsulate. I had to try it, at least for the sake of research, right?

Well, this particular quality of Thinsulate is not so thin. Definitely thicker than I expected. I was a bit stunned when I opened the package. Apparently it comes in different lofts, like quilt batting, but this one is thick, and I started to feel a little intimidated by it.

But never fear; I soldiered on. I had already assembled the coat lining (it’s a Robert Kaufman print I purchased at Treadle Yard Goods in St. Paul, MN last spring), and because I was concerned about the bulk I constructed what equates to a second lining from the Thinsulate. I cut out the lining pieces from Thinsulate and sewed them together in the same way as the lining.

After I sewed the lining to the facing I pinned the Thinsulate behind the lining and edgestitched it to the facing to hold it in place. It was sort of like sewing two linings to one coat, only one of them was about 80 times thicker than the other. When I hemmed the coat and the sleeves I folded the coat fabric over the Thinsulate so it wouldn’t get in the way of the lining. And that’s really the only thing I did differently in making it.

But the happy (and rather surprising) news is that I sewed the entire coat on my little Janome Jem–not exactly a heavy-duty sewing machine, no matter what they say. So if you’re worried about sewing a thick coat on a not-so-heavy-duty machine, it’s totally do-able. The walking foot really made it possible. I highly recommend getting one if you don’t have and use it already. It’s great for thick fabrics as well as laminates (and, of course, quilts).

I think this a really heavy-duty winter coat. It’s definitely keeping her warm, even now that it’s gotten pretty cold here. I was planning to make the removable quilting lining as well, but I’m afraid the bulk of the Thinsulate would make poor Tsia look like the Michelin Man, not to mention preventing her moving. And it appears that she’s going to be plenty warm without it, although I may still make it anyway. I’m wondering if the Thinsulate will live up to its name and actually flatten out a bit after some wearing.

So there’s only one problem with the coat: my kid keeps growing, and I sort of forgot that she’s nearly 5 now. I made a size 4 and added an inch to the sleeves, to be let out next year. Now I’m nervous that she’s going to outgrow her coat before then!

Can you see that mischievous gleam in her eye? She’s scheming to grow another three inches before next year, I can just feel it.

P.S. Just before I posted this, I came across this article about adding a layer of insulation by interlining a garment. This isn’t how I did it (the seams still would have been too bulky, I think), but you might consider this method if you want to try adding lighter insulation to a coat or jacket. At Oliver + S, we frequently use the interlining technique when we’re making samples with really lightweight fabrics. A skirt made of Liberty Tana Lawn benefits greatly from an interlining of lightweight cotton. Just FYI.

As you’re planning your fall sewing, here are a few additional ideas for you.

Many of you have been asking about wool fabrics for the School Days Jacket and Coat. If you don’t have a great neighborhood fabric store (and you should feel very fortunate if you do!), shopping on-line for wool coating fabrics can be difficult. The people at Fabric.com have kindly put together a special page for us, showing some of their offerings. I think the double face wool melton would be an especially nice fabric to use, and it comes in lots of great colors!

If your options locally are more limited in color, you might be concerned about using the darker, traditional colors that tend to be most widely available because they may seem too boring. Never fear!

Here are a few samples we made while developing this pattern so you can see that traditional colors don’t have to be dull.

This coat was made with a medium-weight brown- and rust-colored wool herringbone. The fabric weight is probably closer to what you might use if you were making a tweed jacket, and we made the insulated lining with sleeves so the coat can be worn in cold weather. The lining fabrics are all from the Wonderland by Momo collection for Moda. But we added a pop of color with the turquoise binding for a little surprise inside the jacket. You can also see the button tab option (View B in the pattern) used here.

This next coat was one of the first samples I made using a really luxurious wool/cashmere blend in a camel color. (I wish there had been enough fabric to use for a coat for myself!) The lining fabrics are all from Joelle Hoverson’s Cake Rock Beach collection for Moda (which is still available at Purl–I especially love the coral seaweed print.) This coat is one of my favorites. I think it’s simultaneously fun and sophisticated.

And this chocolate brown wool twill is also lined with fabrics from Joelle’s Cake Rock Beach. We used microfleece on the back of the quilted insulated lining instead of making a more traditional quilt sandwich with cotton batting. And I wanted to show you the red elastic loops for buttoning the insulated lining into the coat. It’s another fun little pop of color that picks up the red in the print of the insulated lining.

So don’t feel limited by your options. You can do all sorts of fun things with even darker wool colors!

Here are a couple other fabrics you might want to consider in your shopping.

Denver Fabrics has a beautiful dark red wool/cashmere blend as well as a nice selection of other wool coating fabrics.

Our friends at Waechter’s have several coating fabrics. I especially like the sky blue wool.

Can anyone else suggest some on-line options? Leave your ideas in comments, please.

Update: I’ve just been alerted to some terrific laminates at Superbuzzy as well, in case you needed a little more inspiration…

I’m so excited about this post. I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting the release of the new fall patterns, and you’ve been wondering about your options for making a raincoat from laminated fabrics. I’m here to offer a little help with your shopping and planning. I’ll start with teasers about some laminated fabrics that will be coming out this season, and then I’ll move on to things that are available right now. Ready?

A number of the major quilting fabric manufacturers are about to release new laminated cottons. There are some exciting things coming out in the next several months that I’m pleased to be able to preview for you. Here are some details that the manufacturers have supplied to me.

Free Spirit has been doing some lovely qualities lately, and this is going to continue this fall. I really like the finish on their laminates because it is soft, pliable, and easy to work with. You’ve already seen our two versions of the raincoat made from Anna Maria Horner’s previous designs produced as laminates. But get ready, because two new Anna Maria designs will be released soon, and they’re really beautiful. Here’s a preview.

Westminster, the parent company of Free Spirit, will also be releasing new laminates by Kaffe Fassett. Here are previews of three of the prints from that collection (the image quality isn’t great, but you’ll get the idea).

Westminster will also be releasing a few prints from Amy Butler’s new Love collection as laminates. I don’t have details yet, but be on the lookout for these as they’re sure to be good.

Moving on to what’s available on the market now, Michael Miller has been producing laminates for quite a while now. Our original raincoat sample is the Dumb Dot pattern in the “Chocolate” colorway (a brown field with mint-colored dots). That print is also available with pink dots (called “Cocoa”) as well.

This turquoise field with red dots is a newer Michael Miller laminate that will be available soon.

The coating on the Michael Miller fabrics is a bit heavier than some of the others I’m highlighting in this post, so it might be a little trickier to sew. But those dots may just be worth a little extra work, no?

Japanese fabric manufacturer Kokka has a number of laminate designs by Etsuko Furuya, as well. You can find these at Purlsoho.com.

I also have a few additional treats for you that I’ve found while shopping here in New York. Ready? Give your wallet to someone you can trust before you continue reading.

These are my current favorites. The hand on these coated linens is very light, and the texture of the linen shows through the coating beautifully. B&J; Fabrics, $32.95/yard, 58″ wide, color/order number: Clay/V3368, French Rose/V3391, Green Apple/V3370, Periwinkle/V3372.

And here’s where the pushing and shoving starts. Settle down, everyone! Custom laminated Liberty of London lawn. (Yes, it’s true!): B&J; Fabrics, $42.95/yard, 54″ wide, V3368.

One last word about laminates: most manufacturers recommend that you don’t wash these fabrics. Instead, use a damp sponge to clean them. Check with the manufacturer or the retailer for exact care instructions.

The wait is over! Our two new styles–the School Days Jacket and Coat and the Jump Rope Dress–are now available for purchase on our website.

The positive responses are already coming in. The School Days Jacket and Coat is the Sewing Examiner’s pattern pick of the week (“Designer Liesl Gibson and company have outdone themselves again with this sweet and wholesome pattern”), and one very busy blogger who has already sewn two wonderful Jump Rope Dresses–one in view A and another in view B–reports that “these patterns have given me so much confidence in my sewing ability.”

Don’t forget that while supplies last every order ships with a complimentary copy of Pearl, the new spool dog.

In my last post I introduced the School Days raincoat. In this post I’ll to highlight the versatility of this pattern’s features and how you can use them to make a true three-season, cold-weather jacket.

The multi-season versatility comes from the jacket’s innovative, removable insulated lining. The jacket itself, remember, is lined. Sewing a version with a wool melton or a more luxurious cashmere and lining it with a quilting-weight cotton will make a perfect coat for cold fall afternoons and spring mornings. (And here’s a thought. Do you have, hanging in your closet, an old, out-of-style wool coat that you probably won’t wear again but that’s too nice to send to Goodwill? Why not cut it down to make a child’s duffle coat using this pattern?)

But what about those winter days when the temperature falls below freezing? To add additional warmth, we’ve provided pattern pieces for an insulated lining that you can make either with or without sleeves. Here’s a view of the sleeveless vest version of the liner.

The lining is designed to be flexible. In addition to the vest or full-sleeve version, you can select from a variety of fabrics and insulation. Quilters who are sewing for children in more temperate climates might want to use quilting cottons and batting to create a quilted lining. Those of you living in areas where the thermometer doesn’t edge above freezing for months at a time may want to use a thicker, warmer fabric and a more contemporary (and warmer) insulation material. The choice is yours.

The lining attaches to the jacket with little elastic loops that are sewn into the binding and that attach to buttons sewn onto the coat. This makes it easy to insert and remove the lining quickly. It’s not complicated to make at all.

The coat can be finished with either the duffle toggles or with button tabs. This post features a toggle version of the coat. We’ll show a cute little version made using the button tabs next week.

There’s one other element of the coat that I want to highlight. In addition to the button tabs or toggles, the coat features two hidden snaps to secure the coat and ensure that it stays closed against the elements. I’ve designed the coat with only two snaps, instead of the more obvious three, because many kids like to wear their coats gaping at the neck.

The two snaps allow the coat to be left open at the neck and still look clean and finished.

Many of you have asked for a classic, cold-weather jacket and coat pattern. I think you’ll be happy with this design, and I’m looking forward to seeing your creations start showing up in the Flickr group.

Our new School Days Jacket and Coat can be made in multiple ways: as a lined raincoat, as a fall jacket, and as an insulated winter coat with a removable quilted lining. The lining even has options. You can make it either with or without quilted sleeves.

You also have a choice in closure details. You can use either a traditional duffle toggle or a button tab. You may be happy to hear that as a courtesy for our website customers we’ve kitted up a few sets of the duffle toggles, snaps, and leather cording. We’re thinking that some of you who will want to use this hardware may have trouble sourcing it locally.

This post features the raincoat option of the pattern. One reason we decided to do a raincoat is that there are a lot of interesting new laminated fabrics coming on the market in the next season or two. We’ll do a separate post about some of these laminate options soon. Stay tuned for that.

The pattern cover features a laminated print from Michael Miller’s Dumb Dot line, which I like because it’s classic but fun. We used the leather cording and duffle closures on this version.

I especially like some of the details on this pattern: the big patch pockets that are positioned over the side seams (they’re more accessible, I think), the hood (which fits really well, by the way), and the duffle-style details. Since laminates can be rather uncomfortable against the skin, I thought it was important to line this jacket. And of course the lining is half the fun when you’re fabric shopping because you can pick something that either complements the outside fabric or is a complete surprise. In the sample shown in the photo above, we chose a printed quilting cotton that matches the blue dots of the laminate and has an interesting scissors print (I like how that scissors print looks a lot like the Oliver + S logo, too!). Quilting cottons work very well as coat linings since they’re soft and absorbent and come in all sorts of terrific colors and prints.

Here is another version of the coat I made for S using an Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit laminate. (Sorry, this particular fabric isn’t available anymore, but more on that topic soon.) You might notice that on this jacket I skipped the leather cords in favor of cording made from pink cotton fabric, which adds another opportunity for a little pop of color.

What else shall I tell you about this jacket? We decided this should be rated three scissors (out of four), not because it’s difficult but because it’s a more time-consuming project. The set-in sleeves may be a greater challenge in a laminate, and the lining requires some hand stitching to finish it. But, as always, I walk you through the steps gently and methodically. And I know you’ll love the result.

Stay tuned for a post next week on the winter coat version of this pattern and, also later on, a separate post on laminates.

It’s finally time to take the wraps off what we’ve been working on in the studio for the last several months and give you a preview of our new fall patterns.

This season we’re releasing a cute little shirtwaist dress and a jacket that can be made up in several different ways—as a lightweight fall jacket, as a raincoat, or as a winter coat that comes complete with a removable quilted lining. Both patterns have been designed to be very versatile, and both include many different options.

The Jump Rope Dress pattern is a shirtwaist dress featuring a rounded collar and front placket detail. The pattern includes two styles. The short sleeve style (shown above) features a folded cuff with sleeve tab, slightly dropped waist, gathered skirt, and a self-sash with belt loops. The long sleeve style features A-line shaping and bias trimmed gathered patch pockets.

The School Days Jacket & Coat pattern can handle the elements as either a hooded raincoat or a winter jacket for both boys and girls. The pattern features patch pockets and choice of duffle or button tab closure details. The pattern also comes with instructions for making an optional removable quilted lining that can be created with or without sleeves for additional warmth.

Both patterns will be released in our two size ranges: 6 months through 3T and sizes 4 through 8. They will be available on our website and at select quilt shops starting Tuesday, September 8.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting more in-depth descriptions of both patterns, complete with photos of the variations and interesting details on each.