About a month ago, Joanns had Burda patterns for sale. This pretty much never happens so I went in and took a look. I ended up buying 2. I have previously sewn Burda online patterns with mixed results but I figured it was Burda and it should be good. Things started off well and I was sure it was going to be the most adorable coat ever! The pattern sizes on their children's patterns are American which is easier to decipher than the women's pattern I bought which lists European sizes. I decided to detail the collar with piping and a contrasting lining. I used french seams and carefully mastered the welt pockets. If you have never sewn a welt pocket, you should! If you can get past the mental gymnastics involved in figure it out, they are really nifty! It wasn't long, though, before I started to have doubts about the general shape of the coat. It seemed a little, well, boxy. And short. Really short. The pattern illustrations show the coat as hitting at the hip and long enough to be belted. I figured I was just overthinking it and kept sewing. I should add that the instructions can be a little vague/confusing/confounding so if you are a beginner you might want to attempt with caution. Moving along, I set in the sleeves and did the collar facings, etc. After another look and a quick comparison to one of my daughter's t-shirts, I realized that indeed, I was not crazy and the coat was too short. I ended up taking a cue from the other pattern view and adding a ruffle on the bottom. I added piping in between because it seemed like the right thing to do. Then the buttons...oh, the buttons. The last pea coat I made had button holes for all the buttons, and in the absence of concise directions I winged it. Oops! That didn't work out too well and I should have considered that 3 buttons would be a lot easier for a 6 year old than 6. Oh, well. This is one of those projects that looks cute but the inside drives me nuts! Like never let her out of the house nuts!! The corduroy was too thick for french seams in some areas, and the facing didn't lay flat and bla, bla, bla. I don't really know what to think at this point. I am over it. P.S. I can't even try the jacket on my daughter yet, because it is for her birthday next week! I am hoping it fits better than I think it will. It better.
On a side note, my 4 year old (who just graduated from naps to quiet time) is loudly proclaiming that he is 'ABOUT TO DIE!!!' from waiting in quiet time. I replied with great sympathy "Oh, that's too bad" while in my head I'm thinking 'Mama needs quiet time as much as you do, kid, so be QUIET!!!' ;)
