Sewing Report: Raspberry Coat 1

 

Today I am beginning to sew my raspberry or berry colored fleece coat, because I have had this bundle of fleece for a few years when I got it on a greatly discounted price, and as you know, fleece takes up a lot of room. I want to empty one of my sewing room storage areas, and this will help.  Even 4 yards of this stuff can take up the room of an entire drawer or shelf.

I am using a New Look pattern because it was only $2.97 and has fewer pieces and takes less fabric,

Here are some of the details and a line drawing. There will not be so many pieces to sew together, as the back is very plain, however, I may put darts in the back to make it less baggy.

I am going to line the hood, since the seam will show when it is down or out like a collar, and so I'm considering one of these pieces of scrap fabric I have.  The top piece with the white background matches the color the best but I may go with the satin lining.

Hope to see you soon with the completed garment.  Thanks to the ladies who contribute a little bit in my Paypal, as I use it for some of these sewing projects.

Price so far:

Thread $2.00

Fabric 4 and 1/2 yards @ $3.87 a yard = approx. $16.00

Buttons - $2.00 package of 4

Pattern: New Look $2.97

Lining for hood--scraps from previous sewing project

The pattern will be used again

When a pattern has a long and short version, it sometimes has an separate piece for the longer version. You simply lay the hem piece on top of the other piece, overlapping  those circles and match them up before cutting. 

I use weights instead of straight pins. It is faster and doesn't put holes in the fabric.  I'm always concerned about people stepping on pins that I didn't know had dropped to the floor, or finding a pin somewhere, so I don't use them anymore. 

Show and Tell:

I was quite distracted  at Dollar Tree today, by the silk red roses and I got another bouquet for a bare corner on my bedside table.  It is perched in a planter also from Dollar Tree.

I needed a small bedside lamp that had no chord.  I'm in a room that is so old and dated, the electric outlets are  not accessible and require extension chords, and it is inconvenient and unslightly, so I devised a little chordless lamp from things at the Dollar Tree:

Plastic throw-away goblets, 4 for $1.00

Plastic dessert dishes 4/$1.00

battery votive candle package of 2/$1.00

batteries package of 4/$1.00

No glue, no special attachment; just stack it all up to make this beautiful lamp, which can be unassembled too.  I left the goblets and bases together and made the lamp using all 4 of them for height.

 The short glass you see on the left is also a dollar tree item.

It gives the lamp shade some height.

You start with the goblets, then insert the glass, the candle, and finally turn the little bowl over on to the glass.**

The little lamp is just right for a temporary light by the bed and only cost about $1.50  for one. There are materials left over to be used for other things.

I also got this Cranberry Chutney scented jar candle from Dollar Tree today and the scent is very pleasant.

I save these tiny mason jars and clean them well, put them through a dishwasher cycle and then use them to uniformly store ingredients from packages, in my cooking cabinet.  They also work well for saving buttons and bits and pieces in the sewing or craft room.

**You can make a larger lamp by using a large plastic crystal-look bowl, found in the wedding or paper plates section of Dollar Tree. Then look in the floral section for a plastic vase and  put a battery taper candle in the vase. Or look on YouTube for Dollar Tree videos that people have made showing their own lamp creations that are similar to this. Some of them are quite elaborate and look "real".