News

Huge thanks to this article by Karen Skoglund, a long-time Folkwear fan and customer.  She sent us this amazing article she wrote, with photos, when we had our Oldest Folkwear Contest last month.  If you want to read the PDF, which is formatted and illustrated, you can go here (PDF, also printable).  We are so grateful to Karen for this beautiful article.

I discovered Folkwear through a Fiberarts magazine advertisement, not long after the company began in 1975. Three women, handwritten instructions, patterns created on a school bus, it immediately spoke to me. It felt thoughtful, deeply intentional, and a little magical. I remember thinking, oh… these are my people!

My First Pattern: 201 Pairie Dress

It was the late 1970s, and my best friend Peggy and I were deep into our love of Little House on the Prairie. I actually made two dresses, one for me and one for her. Mine was purple, a coordinating cotton print calico. I remember carefully sewing French seams, already sensing that these patterns asked for a different level of attention and hand care. I embellished mine with vintage hand-crocheted lace, adding another layer of history to the garment.

   

We hosted a contest in February for the oldest Folkwear make that our customers could share.  We had many amazing entries -- some with photos (older and newer) and some with just stories (garments passed on or disappearing in ensuing years).  It was fun to see what our incredible customers made over the years.  We absolutely loved seeing and hearing about each garment, each project, and each story that went with the garments. Folkwear clothes hold special memories for people. They create connections between generations, between people, and across cultures.  

Today, we are sharing a few more of the entries from this contest below.  And, if you have a story about a Folkwear garment, share it in the comments.  We all love to read them.

First, we have several items from our other contest winner (chosen at random), Sue.  She says: "I started collecting Folkware Patterns in the late 1970s.  Unfortunately, I only have a few of those patterns now.  I made the mistake of loaning them out & never got them back. . . . I didn't take pictures of the many things I made with them.  I sure wish I had!"  Here are some of the photos she has.

 

We hosted a contest last month for the oldest Folkwear make that our customers could share.  We had lots of amazing entries -- some with photos (older and newer) and some with just stories (garments passed on or disappearing in ensuing years).  And, it was so fun to see what our incredible customers made over the years.  We absolutely loved seeing and hearing about each garment, each project, and each story that went with the garments.  Folkwear clothes hold special memories for people. They create connections between generations, between people, and across cultures.  

We are sharing some of the entries from this contest below.  And, if you have a story about a Folkwear garment, share it in the comments.  We all love to read them.

First, from the winner of the oldest make (in 1976, 50 years ago), Chandra sent in some photos of garments.  This is what Chandra had to say:

" . . . Mom, who learned how to sew from her grandmother and kept it up through most of her life.  Her sewing accomplishments included winning a “Make it with Wool” contest as a High School student and helping me sew my own wedding dress.  As the owner of The Bookcase, a used book store in Albuquerque, from 1975-1980, she was one of the first Folkwear pattern sellers in the country, as shown by an ad from the Summer 1978 edition of Mothering magazine.  My Mom died of breast cancer in 2013, but her love of Folkwear lives on in me.  My own first Folkwear garment was a Romanian blouse that I made while I was in High School in the early ‘90s to wear to a Renaissance fair.  Among my numerous Folkwear projects, my favorites are the Navajo blouses and skirts I made for my nieces (who are Diné) to wear during their Kinaalta ceremonies."

The first garment is a Gaza Dress made from cotton broadcloth with the original embroidery design.  Made in 1976.

The second is a Black Forest smock made from cotton flannel that was also made in 1976,  Her mother wore it while she was pregnant. This was the original 108 Black Forest Smock (currently 148 Black Forest Smock).

Finally, there is a lightweight cotton Romanian blouse that was made sometime in the late ‘70s or early ‘80s, again including the embroidery design from the pattern -- from 1981 or 1982.

As I’ve been working at Folkwear, my sense of style — what I want to sew and the fabrics I choose — has evolved. A couple of years ago, I probably wouldn’t have worn overalls, especially purple ones. But now I wear them at least once a week, and I love them. I was so excited to make myself the 240 Rosie the Riveter overalls this month — such a unique pair, with front pleats that drape beautifully and adjustable back darts that let you tailor the fit to your body.  In this post, I am going to share some changes I made to these overalls to make them suit me.

First, was picking the fabric.  There are so many fun fabric choices you could use to make these overalls.  Folkwear suggests making these overalls from medium-weight cottons, wool, blends, corduroy, and denim, and even velvet and velveteen. I chose a cotton twill to make my overalls.  Cotton twills are one of my favorite fabrics, and we carry them in our fabric collection along with heavyweight linens and woven cottons. I purchased this purple twill fabric from a new fabric store in our town, called Sewing Studio Fabrics. This store has been online for several years, but in the last 12 months was bought and moved to Asheville where they also opened a physical location.  Asheville hasn't had a good garment fabric shop in almost 10 years.  Sewing Studio Fabrics has a lot of denim, twill, and corduroy options. I was definitely inspired by the sample that Folkwear has and wanted to make it in a color I never wear to try something new!  I basically ended up making overalls that are nearly the same as our sample.

I needed to do the same with my bodice facing piece as well. 

I dread zippers, and I still have not mastered a zipper.  But, the method for installing zippers that works thebest for me is to mark the seam allowance from the top of the zipper pull.  For this pattern, it is 1/2" (13mm). So, I marked 1/2" up from the top of the zipper pull. 

I chose to do a centered zipper. Where the zipper is centered and lapped on both sides -- in otherwords, the seam meets in the center of the zipper.  A lapped zipper is lapped on one side. I pressed under 3/4" (2cm) of my seam allowance and pinned it to the corresponding side of the zipper, centering the pressed edge over the center of the zipper teeth.

When it came time to sew the side seams, I basted them instead to see how I liked the fit before the final sewing. If you do this, try the garment on with a shirt underneath to see how it fits, because that's how you will usually wear it. 

I suggest trying on the overalls again to see if you need adjusting. If you find that it is still gaping in the back you can add darts like I marked out below. I didn't need the darts, but I wanted to show you that this is a possibility for making the bodice more snug when everything else fits just right in your size.

As we enter our 50th year of business, we are reflecting on the beginnings of Folkwear and the visionary women who started this small company. Many of you have been following Folkwear since it started! And have seen the changes in it over time, but we hope that the mission and values of these three founding women have continued to carry on in this business through the years. 

In the mid-1970s, three women in Forestville, California - Barbara Garvey, Alexandra Jacopetti Hart, and Ann Wainwright - founded Folkwear to share their passion for finely crafted folk clothing with others who loved handcraft, fabric, culture, history, and style.

It all began when Barbara and her husband were on a trip to Israel, where Barbara spotted long flowing, beautifully embroidered dresses worn by Palestinian women (and sold in tourist markets).  Fascinated, she bought several and brought them home and showed them to her friends, Alexandra and Ann.  All three collected textiles and clothing during travels to other countries, and felt that other women would like to learn about these clothes and how to make their own.  These garments served as models for the earliest Folkwear patterns.  

They started producing the early patterns, such as 101 Gaza Dress, 103 Romanian Blouse, 105 Syrian Dress, 106 Turkish Coat, and 107 Afghan Nomad Dress, in 1975 and 1976.  These early patterns had hand-lettered instructions on heavy paper and included many needlework techniques, such as embroidery, applique, cross-stitch, trapunto, quilting, smocking, and crochet. 

The three founders were a perfect team to create a line of innovative patterns that was revolutionary for its time.  This was the mid-1970s, when women's wear in America was often bland and conservative.  Alexandra, Barbara, and Ann each had specific and complementary skills to bring to Folkwear. Alexandra was a skilled embroiderer who researched, diagramed, and explained needlework and handcraft techniques so important to the patterns.  Annehad a background in fashion design, and spent years designing for mass market and factory sewing.  She created the patterns for the garment construction.  And Barbara had technical writing and organizing skills, as well as lengthy experience as a home sewist.  And, their husbands helped -- with mail order, photography, and graphic design.  Finally, book illustrator, Gretchen Schields, drew the cover illustrations for each pattern.

Of note, in 1974, just before starting Folkwear, Alexandra Jacopetti wrote the book, “Native Funk and Flash: An Emerging Folk Art,” about the street fashion of the 60's, focusing on California weavers and folk artists (and jeans art) -- a classic of the time.

As the three began collecting vintage garments in addition to traditional folk garments, the pattern line expanded to include all types of historic styles from all around the world. By 1977, they had 14 designs in print and were selling patterns (retailing at $4.50 each) to hundreds of stores and museums across the U.S., as well as by mail order. 

Eventually, Ann Wainwright took over the company and served as President for several years.  During the recession of the mid-1980s, Folkwear's business health suffered along with so many other small businesses. The company was sold to The Taunton Press, publisher of Threads magazine, and by the early 1990s, most of the original patterns were back in print, and new patterns were under development.
 
Gretchen Schields continued to illustrate nearly all of the patterns from the inception of the company until 2017, contributing to the iconic images associated with Folkwear patterns (see below, 113 Japanese Kimono).

Folkwear is a beloved company, and we are honored to keep it thriving. We will write more about Folkwear's history over the next several months, but if you want to know more right away, you can read an article on the Craft Industry Alliance website about Folkwear's history, and listen to a podcast on this history (complete with interviews from founders) on the Seamwork podcast.

From a magazine article about Folkwear, 1978.  I don't love the "housewives" moniker because it is not an apt description -- but maybe a reflection of the times, not the women.

As we celebrate Folkwear's 50 years of creating unique and amazing sewing patterns for historic and folk clothing from around the world, we wanted to make sure our customers were at the center of this celebration.  Folkwear has been around for 50 years, and so have our customers!  We hear from you all every week -- many who were sewing with Folkwear patterns from the beginning.  Maybe you discovered them in a shop or a museum in the late 1970s or early 1980s.  Maybe your mother made you a Prairie Dress when you were a child.  Maybe you saw Folkwear advertised in a magazine or newspaper almost 50 years ago (and you sent off for a mail-order pattern).  We hear these stories all the time, and it is so wonderful!  Folkwear sewing patterns were different even then.  They spoke to people about their lives, their stories, and the stories they wanted to know.  They gave people an opportunity to learn more, dive deeper, and express creativity -- through cloth and culture.  

So, to kick off our fun series of 50th anniversary contests, we want to see the first Folkwear item you ever made (or wore)!  Was it from the 1970s? or 1980s?  or 1990s?  Or more recently? Do you have a photo?  We want to hear from you!  In this contest, everyone is a winner!  We will have a coupon code for everyone who participates (20% off your next order in our store), and we will choose 2 winners with the oldest garments for a $50 gift card to Folkwear.

To enter the contest: 

1. Send us a photo (a photo of a photo is fine) of your oldest Folkwear garment. Email it to us at mail@folkwear.com
2. Tell us about the garment! When was it made? Did you make it? Did someone else? What fabric was used? Was it for an occasion? What did you love about it?  Do you still have it?

And if you don't have a photo, but you have a good memory and can tell us all about the garment, we will accept that too (sometimes the garments don't last as long as we wish).  What pattern was it? What fabric was used? Was there handwork on it? When did you wear it? Tell us the story!

You can also tag us on social media with your make:  @folkwearpatterns on Facebook and @folkwearsewing.patterns on Instagram.  Add the hashtag #50YearsofFolkwear to join in celebrating Folkwear's 50th Anniversary.  

The contest will end on February 28, 2026.  We will pick winners by March 4th.  

More questions?  Send us an email at mail@folkwear.com

First photo at the top is #101 Gaza Dress - from one of Folkwear's first photo shoots.

Threads, the premier magazine for all things related to garment sewing, has teamed up with Folkwear to present a sewing challenge to celebrate Folkwear's 50th year.

Sewists of every skill level are encouraged to construct a look that updates traditional American garment design, then enter their work into the competition. One winner of the challenge will be chosen by a panel of judges and receive a prize package. 

Here are the challenge details from Threads: 

You must begin with a pattern(s) from the Folkwear vintage line and interpret it to reflect contemporary American fashion. For a limited time, Folkwear is offering a 20% discount on these patterns; enter the code THREADSVINTAGE for 20% off at checkout now through April 1, 2026.

Your entry must be a garment or ensemble you’ve sewn that covers the wearer’s body. Acceptable garments are a full-length coat, dress, jumpsuit; and/or separates, which must be paired to create a full ensemble. You may adapt your chosen pattern in length, embellishment, construction methods, and closures, but the original design concept should be discernible in the finished garment. 

Entry Requirements:

To enter, complete the entry form and submit photos to the challenge submission page between January 20, 2026 and midnight April 23, 2026 EDT.

The entry forms require an artist’s statement in which you must explain:

• the Folkwear pattern(s) you chose
• what modern activity or event your look is intended for
• fabrics, trims, and other materials you used (including sources)
• any special techniques you employed to create your final garment
• how you interpreted the design
• what you learned through this process, including any challenges you encountered and how you solved them.

You will also need to fill out the artist statement form and upload it along with at least two—but no more than six—clear photos of your garment to our challenge entry form submission page: a full-length front view, a full-length back view, and no more than four additional photos of your choosing. These may be close-up photos, process photos, or individual pictures of an ensemble’s components. 

Judges to Choose a Winner

The entries will be judged by a panel of experts, based on adherence to the challenge guidelines, as well as overall construction, fabric choice, and any embellishment. The judges will select and contact up to five finalists by May 5, 2026. Finalists’ garments must be sent to Threads magazine for photography, and from them, the judges will choose a winner. The winner will be announced in the Threads Fall 2026 print issue (on newsstands September 8, 2026) and online.  

The Threads-Folkwear Sewing Challenge winner receives a prize package:

• One-year membership to Threads Insider, valued at $59.95. It includes a one-year subscription to the print and digital magazine, Insider eletter, and access to 40 years of Threads content through the online archive;
• Three e-learning courses of your choice, minimum total value $149.97;
• Your challenge entry featured in an issue of Threads magazine and at ThreadsMagazine.com.
• Challenge finalists will also be noted in Threads.

For more information, submission forms, and links, go to Threads Magazine Folkwear Sewing Challenge.

As you may know, Folkwear first released the pattern, 501 Algerian Suit, in 1992 in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  The pattern was based on, and adapted from, a suit in the collection of the Costume Institute of the museum, and includes an open, lined jacket, a lined buttoned vest, and harem-style trousers.  We re-released this pattern in 2026 under Folkwear's sole name and brand.

The original suit that this pattern was based on was purchased in Bon-Loada, Algeria by Mr. Archibald D. Davis in 1930.  It was donated to the MET's Costume Institute in 1948 by his wife.  You can see the original suit in the MET's collection here (and a very similar one in the collection here).

The three-piece suit, also known as a Keswa del Mahsour, consists of a jacket, vest, and trousers. The original suit was made of blue-gray wool broadcloth.  Scroll-like designs of light blue and gold soutasche braid decorate the entire front, back, shoulder seams, and neck of the jacket.  The soutache also covers the collar and front opening of the vest, and trims the sides and pocket slits and leg openings on the trousers.  The vest front closes with small, round brass buttons, as does the faux sleeve placket on the jacket. The center fronts of the jacket, and the slits in the lower arms are lined in a bright pink figured silk.  Of note, the slits on the lower arms of the jacket are almost like a faux placket. The slit opens to an inside fabric that can give a little more room in the lower arm, but not at the wrist.  The slit closes with brass buttons similar to the front vest closure. The edges of the jacket and vest are faced with yellow, red, and black striped one-inch braid and edged with a black and white silk corded piping.  

We have a sample in our collection here at Folkwear that was obviously made as a copy of the original.  You can see some photos of it below. I am modeling this suit, which is a little large on me, but I loved the pants! So comfortable and warm! 

A long history of this style of suit in North Africa is included in the pattern, but I will give a brief overview here since it is very interesting.  The suit is not indigenous to North Africa -- a series of events led this style of dress to be in the region.

The region of North Africa was conquered by Arab Muslims between 670 and 700 AD. Before then, the region had been invaded for centuries by the Romans, Greeks, and Christians.  Islamic rule was eventually imposed between the 7th and 8th centuries. But the region remained culturally diverse due to the numerous occupants, including native Berber populations.

Following more invasions by Europeans, the Ottoman Empire was invited to North Africa to help dislodge the Spanish, who had conquered areas along the coast.  Pirates (Barbary Coast privateers and pirates) and Ottoman military (Turkish Janissary, a highly trained group of Ottoman military) came together to drive out the Spanish from the region and set up government.  By 1587, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli were incorporated into the Ottoman Empire.

By 1830, France started a conquest of Algiers and occupied Algeria.  In 1881, they also occupied Tunisia, and in 1911 Italy had unseated the Turkish government from Libya.  And by 1912, Franco-Spanish occupation of Morocco completed the oust of the Ottomans.

The original costume that became the Keswar del Mahsour was introduced to North Africa by the privateers (or pirates) of the Barbary Coast (i.e. North African coast).  It was commonly worn by North African seafarers.  Later, it became part of the typical costume of North African merchants who wore it with a variety of draped outergarments (like the Moroccan Burnoose).  This suit was also adopted and worn by the Turkish Janissary.  And later, by the Zouave, a body of light infantry in the French army, originally recruited from Algeria.  So, the suit had many iterations throughout the years and throughout the groups that adopted it, but with deep roots in North African culture.

The Keswa del Mahsour usually consisted of four elements.  Seroual (note the similarity to Sarouelles, folk pants from North Africa/Turkey) were very full trousers with generous pleats that gather into a wide waistband.  Mentan or mental was an eleborately decorated hip-length jacket.  And the outfit was completed with two bdaiyat, or vests, worn on top of each other with the inside vest buttoned and the outer one closed with only the bottom two buttons.

The trousers, vest, and jacket were generally made of medium to lightweight wool in pastel shades with bright calico or silk lining.  Islamic law dictates that no human or animal forms be represented in decorations, nor symbolism be applied.  So, the embellishments on this suit were usually soutache braid (thin or narrow flat cording) trim applied in elaborate scrolling or linear patterns.  And these patterns show the influence of Byzantine or classic Greek and Roman motifs.  This type of trim is also called passementerie trim, which is continuous soutache braid applied in intricate designs.

We are excited to bring this 501 Algerian Suit sewing pattern, with so much history and culture, back to print.  And hope that you enjoy the depth of the information that is provided in the pattern, as well as the great design and embellishment options.

We are celebrating Folkwear's 50th anniversary in 2026.  Our oldest copyrights are from 1976, and we wanted to celebrate this milestone for Folkwear. Folkwear has 50 years of creating sewing patterns for historic and folk clothing from around the world. Fifty years of researching, designing, creating instructions and illustrations, publishing, and packaging.  Fifty years of testing and sewing samples, of embroidering, of lace insertion, pintucks, quilting, and more.

We are so excited to celebrate this important anniversary with you!  We have many fun things planned for the entire year. 

Pattern Releases

We will be releasing one pattern almost every other month for the year, starting in January.  Most of these will be patterns that have been out of print, but we have at least one new pattern planned.  Bringing patterns back into print is a lot of fun, and a lot of work.  We digitize the pattern, often grade up (if possible) to expand the size range, re-publish instructions, and create a PDF pattern.  We love working with old Folkwear patterns, and think our 50th anniversary is a great opportunity to bring some treasures back into print. 

Pattern Contests

We will have several fun contests throughout the year! Starting in February, we will run month-long contests every other month.  Winners in each contest will receive a Folkwear gift card, and all participants will get a coupon code to use anytime during the year. You can submit garments from past contests in most of these, garments you made many years ago, or made just last week.    

• February:  Oldest Folkwear Make.  Who has the oldest Folkwear garment? Or oldest Folkwear pattern? When was the first time you used a Folkwear pattern? Do you have a photo?  Tell us about the oldest Folkwear garment you have made, or pattern you have.  Send us a photo with the story behind the garment or pattern and when it was made or when you got it.
• April:  Embroidery/Handwork on a Folkwear pattern. So many of our patterns include traditional embroidery or handwork instructions.  Have you added any to a Folkwear garment?  Send us a photo and let us know what you did.
• June:  Largest Folkwear Pattern Collection Contest.  Do you have a huge Folkwear pattern collection?  Let us know how many patterns you have, send us a photo of them, and let us know which is your favorite!
• August: Folkwear Menswear Contest.  Folkwear has a fairly large number of patterns for men, and sometimes they get overlooked. But we have some incredible men who sew with our patterns, and others who sew for men in their lives. So we wanted to feature these incredible makes.  Send us a photo of men (or men-identifying) in a Folkwear garment!
• October: Coat and Jacket Contest. We have our annual Coat and Jacket Pattern Sale this month, so wanted to see all the amazing coats and jackets you have made with Folkwear patterns.  Send us a photo of one to enter this contest.
• December: Folkwear from 2026. This is the only contest where we want to see what you made from a Folkwear pattern this year.  You have all year to decide what to make, and make it.  We can't wait to see what you do!

Details:  Contest will open on the first of each month and close on the last day of the month, with details each month on our blog. Please send the best, clearest, least cluttered image you have, in as high a resolution as possible (300dpi, if possible).  But, we aren't too picky! We just love to see what you make.  

Anniversary Gala

We are starting to plan an anniversary party here in Asheville for sometime in September.  A party to wear your favorite Folkwear outfit, or make a new one to show off.  This would be a great time to visit the area if you live out of town.  Ticket proceeds will go to support the area's continued recovery from Hurricane Helene.  More details to come on this!

Open Studios

We will continue to have our studio open to the public with small displays from our sample collection.  Open Studios will be on every first Friday and third Saturday (as long as these are not holidays).

More fun things throughout the year

If you order from us, you know that we send small postcards in each order with information about Folkwear.  We are going to have special cards throughout this coming year for each illustration of patterns we have in print.  Our iconic illustrations were done by Gretchen Schields -- right from the beginning of Folkwear.  So these postcards can be collectible items.  Store them with your patterns, use them for pattern notes, put them in small frames, or in your own special sewing journal.  You can color them, write on them, mail them, and more.  We will send at least one postcard in every order, and we will be changing the illustrations each month. 

Lookbooks.  We have created small commemorative Folkwear lookbooks that are booklets of our gorgeous pattern illustrations.  These small lookbooks will be included in every order over $50.  And, will be available to pick up in our studio.  These booklets are a fun way to remember Folkwear patterns.  Thumb through these beautiful illustrations, color them, remember the romance of Folkwear.  Every three months, we will be changing the lookbook to have new illustrations.  You can collect all four!

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to know all that is happening all year!  Sign up here.

We are really re-introducing this Folkwear pattern, which has been out of print for many years.  136 Children's Kimono & Vests pattern was first published in 1986, and we have brought back the original, along with some small improvements to the pattern (notches adjusted to fit better, etc.).  So you can again make an heirloom-quality kimono with vests for the young people in your life.  These are garments to make that can be passed down for generations.

The 136 Children's Kimono has patterns and instructions for sewing a kimono with two sleeve views.  There is a simple, smaller sleeve, and there is a longer, more formal sleeve option.  The kimono is made much the same way as our 113 Japanese Kimono pattern.  It is made with the traditional technique of using seam allowances for the size made.  So the fabric is cut on the same lines for all sizes, but the fitting comes from where you make the seam lines.  Smaller sizes have wide seam allowances, and larger sizes have smaller seam allowances.  This also means that you can easily make the kimono larger as your child grows. 

The 136 Children's Kimono & Vests also includes a pattern and instructions for a quilted vest.  The quilted vest is traditionally worn under the kimono for warmth and to provide shaping for the kimono.  But we love how it looks over the kimono.  And it makes a great vest to wear with any outfit!  Comfortable, warm, and easy to play in.  You can make the vest with pre-quilted fabric or by quilting your own fabric.  The instructions tell you how to do either.  The Vest is finished with bias binding, so you can add accents with different fabrics with the binding.

Finally, the pattern also includes instructions for a knitted vest for children.  The knitted vest echoes the silhouette of the quilted vest, and uses an easy diamond stitch to give a three-dimensional look to the vest.  And, the pattern includes information on tying an obi, as well as a short history of the kimono for children and a few embroidery designs.

We are so excited to keep bringing back out-of-print Folkwear patterns.  They are treasures.  We hope you enjoy this pattern!

by Molly Hamilton

Every few years, I sew a new coat for myself.  Usually, it is because I have an awesome fabric that I love and want to make a coat from.  Not because I need a new coat.  I made the 137 Australian Drover's Coat with a cotton jacquard.  And I made a Basics Overcoat from a gorgeous UK-grown/dyed/woven wool plaid. When I made both of these coats, I had to make quite a few adjustments to be able to make them with the fabric I had (which was not enough for the full coat).  

A few months ago, I decided to make a coat from this incredible double-sided wool that we had in stock at Folkwear. I thought I would make a sample that would show off this amazing fabric and help the fabric to sell (it hadn't moved in over a year).  And, as soon as I cut the amount I needed for our 263 Countryside Fock Coat and started cutting out my fabric pieces, it all sold out.  Isn't that the way of the world!?

I still wanted to make the coat, but there was less urgency, and I finally finished the coat last week.  I thought the tailored look of the 263 Countryside Frock Coat would be great for this thick wool fabric and give me options for showing off both the grey and pink sides. I made the main body of the coat from the pink side of the fabric and used the grey side for the trim pieces.  I made the pockets from a small section of a Liberty of London lawn.  And, I finished most of the seams with bound seams, cutting the bias binding from the same section of lawn.  

This coat came together much faster than I expected. The thick wool was a little challenging to press, and I used interfacing to give even more body to the collar, cuffs, and front plackets. I ended up using a clapper (really just the wooden base to my sleeve pressing stand) to help press seams. 

This was my first time doing bound seams, and I just went with what made the most sense to me, but if anyone has tips for sewing bound seams, please leave them in the comments.  You can see I am not showing my seams. They look ok from a distance, but aren't really pretty up close.

I had a hard time picking buttons for this coat (see photos below), and finally decided on the shell buttons because of the hints of pink in the shell.  Since they were so flat, I made fairly large thread shanks for them.  For lots of info about buttonholes, shanks, and more, read our detailed buttonhole post.  I also went with fewer buttonholes than the pattern calls for.  

I had a great chance to wear this beautiful coat just a few days after it was finished when a cold front came in, and the weather called for a warm wool coat to wear.  

I really love this coat.  The color, the design, the buttons.  It is warm, pretty, and feels a bit luxurious (to me).  Now I don't need to make a coat for a few more years!

Let us know in the comments if you have bound seam tips, want to let us know which buttons you would have chose, or have general coat-making advice!