It’s Octave Sew Along Week here at Love Notions! Here in the Midwest, the air is starting to cool, just a bit, and that means that fall is right around the corner. What a perfect time to sew the Octave Coat! Let’s get ready for apple cider, boots, and the changing leaves by sewing an Octave Coat together! Are you in an area that doesn’t get really cold? Or maybe you are getting ready to head into spring? Don’t worry! The Octave Coat can be used for so many climates! Let’s talk about fabrics today, so we can sew an Octave Coat for ANY season!
Fabrics can do so much for any pattern, and the Octave Coat is no exception! During this sew along, I’ll be using fabrics from Minerva Crafts. Minerva is our sponsor for this sew along. They have so many amazing choices and the shipping time was super fast! Even though they are overseas for me, I still got my fabrics in about a week. Incredible!!!
Wool is a classic choice for the Octave Coat. I am actually using some vintage wool I was gifted a few years ago for my hooded version. But, you can find so many gorgeous wool options on the Minerva site!
Suiting is another great choice if you want to go classic and timeless. I am using this grey check suiting. It’s a lighter weight and I really think it will be great for fall and spring. If you like this fabric, but want a bit warmer coat, you can always do an interlining with thinsulate.
Fleece is a fantastic option for those who want a casual, warm coat. Minerva has a wide selection of fleece available! Everything from antipill polar fleece to sweatshirt fleece is on their site!
If you are looking for something different, how about a sweater knit! A sweater coat is perfect as outwear for those in more mild climates, or for something cozy to layer on when the temperatures really drop for those who live in really cold climates!
Want a chunky sweater coat? A knit blanket would be a great option for upcycling! Just make sure it’s large enough before you make your first cut.
Do you live in a rainy climate? How about using the hooded view to create a rain jacket! Laminate cotton is the perfect option for this!
In case you missed it, we have a blog post filled with great fabric information for your Octave Coat!
For more great inspiration for your Octave Coat, be sure to visit our Pinterest board!
Let’s talk lining fabrics.
For your Octave Coat lining, you traditionally want something a bit slick/silky feeling. This will allow you to slide your Octave Coat on easily over your shirt, especially a long sleeve. Minerva Crafts has loads and loads of options for lining fabrics! Now, if you prefer something cozier against you, there is absolutely zero reason you can’t use something like flannel for your lining. I love flannel lined coats! Now, if you are concerned about your long sleeves bunching up into the sleeve of the coat, you can always do a traditional lining fabric for the sleeves and a flannel for the body. Best of both worlds!
For lining my grey check suiting, I’m using this gorgeous paisley lining in teal. This combination definitely screams classic to me! I’ll be sewing the shawl collar version with a button with this pair.
Contrasting lapel
The Octave Coat is perfect for creating a luxurious coat! Don’t be afraid to use some faux fur for the hood or shawl collar lining pieces to create a look similar to one of these below!
Making adjustments to the pattern pieces for fit
Read over page 6 of the pattern before determining if you need to make any adjustments for fit. Remember, this is a coat and you want more ease in both the body and the sleeves to be able to wear your Octave over clothing like sweaters and long sleeves. Choose your size based off your high bust measurement. Blend sizes if your waist and hips are not the same size as your high bust. Don’t forget about the full bust option piece if you have more than a 4″ difference between your high bust and full bust! If you use the full bust piece, you will have additional ease in the waist and hips.
If your waist and hips are a larger size then your high bust, you can blend sizes at the side seam to get a better fit. The red lines in the diagram below demonstrate this. I would blend to the larger size in those areas. The rest of the pattern piece, I would use the smaller size. You may have a little bit of the pocket not lining up exactly, but with the half inch seam allowance included in the pattern, there is enough room to get them to work out. Don’t forget to blend sizes for the lining pieces as well! I would just blend the side seam of the back and front. The overlapping style gives you room in the center.
After you have your sizes blended, if needed. Cut out your pattern pieces. Next, hold them up to your body to determine if you like where the hem hits your body. Be sure to keep the center straight and to fold back the half inch seam allowance of the shoulder! If you need to adjust the length, use the instructions on page 6 to do so.
Cut your fabric and transfer pattern markings
After all of your adjustments are made, it’s time to cut your fabric! While cutting, don’t forget to transfer all those pattern markings! Those markings will really aid in assembling the pattern. I like to mark the majority of my markings with clips. If you need help selecting the best way to mark your fabric, this blog post is full of different marking tools!
That’s is all we have for today! Get your fabric cut and meet me back here tomorrow for assembling the body of our Octave Coats.
Let’s sew with friends!
If you love sewing with friends, be sure to join our Facebook Event! There, you will be able to share your progress as you sew your Octave Coat, see what fabrics others are using, and even ask questions and encourage others! We we also be having a give away in our Facebook Group for those sewing the Octave Coat with me! One random winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to the Love Notions pattern shop (only valid on pdf patterns) and a $50 (£40) gift certificate to Minerva Crafts. You must sew a complete Octave Coat during the Sew Along to qualify.
Did you miss our Live Facebook video? Don’t worry! You can catch it here!
Octave Sew Along Schedule
Monday: Fabrics, adjustments, cutting
Tuesday: Body assembly and pockets
Wednesday: Sewing sleeves
Thursday: Shawl/hood, hemming the unlined version
Friday: Lining assembly and finishing BONUS: How to add a zipper
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I thought I signed up for this but I did not get any emails about it….is it just 1 week?
The sew along is for one week. We don’t send daily emails about the sew along. We did send an email out on Friday. If you RSVP’ed you joined the even group in our Facebook Group. If you have notifications turned on for it, you will be notified when posts are made in the event.
I’m going to be making my wearable muslin version using a fleece. Do I still need to use lining fabric with it?
You can opt to not line it. There are instructions for not lining the coat in the pattern.