Autumn coat guest review

It's nice to see some of our readers are 

 making Lutterloh patterns & sewing them!

Our Guest pattern maker is Bernice

she used a coat pattern from 2013

Here is her report

This autumn I needed to make a coat to wear over my 

sleeveless dress so this pattern attracted my eye. 

It is a princess seam pattern with the dart starting 

from the armhole to the waist line.

The coatee is 52 cm long which is much shorter than all my other coats.

  I bought a black coat that was on sales and I wanted

 to make one exactly the same length (52 cm) 

but a different pattern and colour. 

In fact the normal length was 55 cm after drafting the Lutterloh model but I didn't leave any allowance for the hem and I took in 3 cm. 

After drafting the pattern I only had to cut the armhole of the 

body a little deeper  to match the sleeve. 

All other measurements were a perfect fit. I used some raw silk fabric. 

I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't match the sleeve 
seams with the armhole seams as they are usually done.

 I took the risk of lining the coat so

 it was a bit difficult without any instructions 

but I finally achieved what I started. 

It gave me great pleasure

 to do the Lutterloh pattern 

Lutterloh Patterns Come Alive!

Supplement 290 Model #17 - Autumn 2013

Peplum Top with Pencil Skirt

This two piece dress was for a wedding in the mountains on October 1st. The color was perfect for Fall and the short sleeves were just right for our California Indian Summer.

Pattern Drafting Hints:

The princess seams for this top matched up flawlessly after enlarging to my size. The peplum seam fit into the bodice nicely too. There was quite a bit of easing needed to fit the sleeve cap into the armsceye but it was doable with some easing stitches and a lot of steam pressed over a pressing ham. Don't be tempted to end the back zipper of this top at the waist seam. The zipper on this top needs to extend through the waist seam or you won't be able to get it over your shoulders. The eight shaping darts on the skirt are crucial for getting a nice smooth fit over the hips on the pencil skirt.

Fabric Used/Suggested:

This dress made up beautifully in an eggplant colored polyester paisley jacquard. This fabric is a staple at JoAnn's Fabrics in their Silkies selection. There is just a touch of Lycra in this fabric and that did help with a nice smooth fit of the skirt. Because of the peplum a softer, drapier fabric will work best for this set. I made up a test of this top in a lightweight twill and you can see how the firmer fabric makes the peplum stand away from the body.

Design Changes: 
I realize the whole peplum craze is on it's way out but I still love the silhouette for my hourglass figure. You may have noticed that the fashion drawing for this set features a flatter peplum than mine. Every version I've seen made up of this pattern sits flatter in the front but then stands out at the sides. I figured if the sides were going to stand out I would rather add some fullness to the peplum and make it look more purposeful. Below is a photo of my peplum pattern after I split it and spread the pattern to add more fullness at the hem.

Because I didn't want the peplum to stand away from my body like a frill I omitted the facing and just turned and stitched the hem instead. 
The neckline on this pattern is fairly high so on the black top I lowered it by 3/4" and for the final dress lowered it another 1/2" and cut it into a slight V.
The skirt didn't require any alteration except for length. I did stabilize the hem with a strip of knit interfacing and hand stitched the hem once turned up. 

Closing Hints:
I noticed a similar knit peplum top in the newest 2016 supplement so I may use this pattern for a knit top in the near future. The fit of the shoulder princess seams is so flattering and could really lend itself to some nice color blocking. The skirt is an absolute classic and the two shorter and two longer darts both front and back make getting a perfect fit much easier. The skirt pattern could work nicely in a firm stable knit too. Although I put off making this pattern for a long time I'm so glad I finally got around to it. 

So, how do you feel about peplums; are you a fan or not? Please leave your comments below. We check for and post the comments frequently every day.