SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
- Lightweight denim fabric 60" wide - for outer fabric add 1/2 yd to required length
- Inner fabric add 1/2 yd to required length
- White Kona cotton for the patchwork
- Yellow Kona cotton for the patchwork and binding sample
- Interfacing - see pattern requirements
- Thread to match outer fabric (denim blue)
- Thread to match the inner fabric
- Thread to match binding (yellow)
- Rotary cutter
- Rotary cutter ruler - 6" x 24"
- Rotary cutting mat
- Quilter’s curved safety pins
- Straight pins
- Seam ripper
- Water erasable fabric marker
- White chalk wheel for dark fabric
- Hand stitching needles
- Coat pattern - choice
DIRECTIONS:
- Cut out pattern pieces needed for the coat you are making.
- Press fabric.
- Lay the outer fabric (denim) on the work surface facedown, then top with the batting and the inner fabric face up, making a fabric sandwich. If the outer fabric and inner fabric are two different widths, some of the pattern pieces may need to be cut individually, then sandwiched.
- Pin the layers together.
- Layout pattern pieces main body and sleeves on the sandwiched fabric (or on the individual fabrics if different widths), add roughly 2" all around each piece. When laying out the pattern pieces and cutting, be sure to cut two of each with one of each a mirror image of the other so you have both the left and right sides of each. Cutting does not need to accurately follow the pattern. After the quilting is done, the pattern will be pinned to the quilted pieces and cut out following the pattern exactly.
- Using the curved safety pins, pin the layers (sandwich) together. Use a lot of safety pins on each pattern piece, as this will stabilize the layers for quilting. If you do not have enough pins for all the pieces at once, just pin together the pieces you will be quilting right away then remove the pins and move them to the next pieces you will be quilting.
- Using the marker and yardstick, mark the quilting design on the outer fabric layer. Note, if a plaid, stripe or check is used for the inner fabric the lines of that fabric can be followed for quilting rather than marking lines on the outer fabric. The quilting will be sewn with the inner fabric side up in that case.
- Thread the sewing machine with the thread that matches the outer fabric on top and the thread that matches the inner fabric in the bobbin. Attach the walking foot. Note, if quilting following the lines of the inner fabric, reverse the thread on the machine with the bobbin wound with the outer fabric thread color and the top threaded with the thread that coordinates with the inner fabric.
- When quilting, always start the row of quilting from the same side of the piece to be quilted. Do not sew a row one way, then turn the fabric around and sew back the other way. This causes ripples in the fabric.
- Quilt front and back body, and sleeve pieces.
- Place patterns back on quilted panels, transfer any markings a cut out pieces.
- Cut collar pieces or facings from denim fabric.
- To make patchwork pockets, cut the following pieces before assembly
- Two 3"x 9" (A)
- Eight 3 1/2"x 2 1/2" (B)
- Eight 2 1/2"x 1 1/2" (C)
- Two 2 1/2"x 4 1/2" (D)
- Four 2 1/2"x 1 1/2" (E)
- Eight 2 1/2"x 2 1/2" (F)
- Eight 1 1/2"x 1 1/2" (G)
- Referring to the diagram, assemble in the following order (Note - seam allowances are 1/4"):
- Sew C to G and E to F. Press seams away from the white fabric.
- Sew the C/G sections to the E/F sections. Press seams toward the center.
- Sew the C/G/E/F sections to the B pieces. Press seams toward B.
- Sew F to D. Press seams away from the white fabric.
- Sew the two side panels to the middle F/D section.
- Square edges of patchwork. Cut a piece of denim the same size as the pocket. Match right sides together and sew around the edges, leaving a hole for turning. Turn right side out and press.
- Assemble the coat following the pattern instructions. Use bias binding or an overcast stitch to finish the exposed seams.
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Lightweight Denim Scraps Cut:
Yellow Kona Cotton Cut:
White Kona Cotton Cut:
Organizing tip: Label the patches by placing each patch size on a scrap of paper with the identifying letter written on the scrap.