I have admired this coat in the sewing world for years! I love the cocoon shape and pockets. My favorite version and inspiration is this striped beauty by Mia at Sew North. Not only are the stripes to die for, but her measurements are similar to mine and I was happy to see how it fit.

Here in Chicago it stays quite cold well into spring, but I get so sick of wearing puffer coats. I decided that I wanted a warm wool coat that shouted "SPRING!" I also wanted to try playing with stripes, and was ecstatic to find this pastel rainbow stripe tweed on Etsy.



Pattern: Papercut Patterns Nova Coat (formerly the Sapporo coat)

Fit: Cut a straight size 3 w/ the long sleeves. I initially wanted to size up at the hips, but many reviews I read said it was unnecessary (enough ease already) and looking at the pattern design, it would be very difficult to grade considering the beautiful cocoon shape and pocket detail. I do wish I had a smidge more room at the hips, especially when pulling it closed for warmth, but c'est la vie. I would also lengthen the sleeve an inch or two.

Fabric: Vintage tweed stripe wool blend coating / suiting fabric, in pastel rainbow colors - found on Etsy :) I lovingly nicknamed this the "Rainbow Rug" coat - the fabric texture and weave reminds me of a rug we have - lol. The fabric is so pretty up close - each thread is a rainbow gradient and it is more vibrant the closer you get. It's lined with ivory kasha satin from Vogue fabrics - my go to coat lining because of it's warmth. 


P.S. Love the gold stitched "Made By Me" Label (Sarah Hearts) 

I started working on this coat at the beginning of April and had it finished by Easter. I wore it with this yellow vintage dress that has gorgeous floral embroidery. It was given to me by a friend a couple years ago and this is the first time I've dared to actually wear it - lol. Here's a pic of my beautiful family on Easter morning :)

In conclusion, I loved sewing this coat - it came together beautifully, the fabric was easy to work with (for tweed) and I love the colors. That said, it is still not quite as warm as I was hoping (loose weave) for these freezing cold spring days. I love having it in my closet though! It's fun to look at ;)

❤ Sally