I knew I had to jump on the opportunity to sew the Pixie Coat when Twig and Tale put out the call for their latest Sew & Show for the re-release of this cozy pattern. My husband was in need of a new wool coat. His last one was one I had bought for him for Christmas when we first started dating and he wore it to pieces.
I was not paid to sew these coats but I will receive a pattern of my choice on top of the patterns for the men’s and women’s Pixie Coats I made. I was not required to write a blog post or share anywhere online. But, come on, I made two coats! I’m going to show you.
Crazy for the Pixie Coat
I like the style lines so much, I wanted to make one for myself, too. Therefore, I boldly and over-ambitiously volunteered to make two Pixie Coats! I can’t believe it, but I made two wool coats in 10 days and lived to tell the tale here.
The Pixie Coat Re-release
Twig and Tale has been updating many of their patterns at a frankly astonishing rate and I have been so lucky to do a few Sew and Shows of these patterns along the way. This time, the sizes have been extended, and a whole men’s patterns added.
Men’s Pixie Coat Fabrics
My husband chose a soft, dark navy wool blend coating for his coat. To keep the warmth factor high, I used kasha lining. I highly suggest this lining not only for warmth but also for an easier-to-sew, but still slippery-wearing lining fabric.
One side is shiny like most lining fabrics, allowing you to easily slip the coat over you clothes. Meanwhile, the other side is flannel-like, making it slightly easier to work with and more stable. You can use a variety of fabrics for this coat, but this is my favourite.
Buttons
My husband chose classic leather buttons for a timeless look.
Pixie Coat Options
The Pixie Coat pattern comes with quite a few different design options, like a round or pixie style hood; regular buttons and buttonholes, or button loops; and regular patch pockets or wave patch pockets. My husband chose regular buttonholes, the round hoods and regular patch pockets for a classic look.
The Pixie Coat Pattern Instructions
As usual, these Twig and Tale Instructions are a pleasure to read and use. They include a beautiful layout, clear organization, helpful tips and easy to understand instructions with photos and/or illustrations for each step. Surely, all these elements helped me to make a wearable men’s coat that fits, as this is not my wheelhouse by a long shot.
Apprenhension
I was apprehensive about this sew because I haven’t sewn many men’s garments and I haven’t sewn any wool coats in a very long time. However, the detailed measurements and fitting instructions made the fit great! I only ended up removing 1″ from the body length. I did not move the patch pockets.
Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned on the Pixie Coats
Burns
Check your iron settings every time. I didn’t notice my iron was too hot and I scorched the front of my husband’s coat to a shine. Am I rusty at sewing wool, or what? Using a press cloth can also help prevent this. Luckily, this mistake only shows in some photos and barely at all in real life.
Pressing Tools
There are tools that are certainly helpful tools to have when making a wool coat. A tailor’s clapper, pressing ham, sleeve roll, point press, a point turner and sleeve board can all help you achieve crisp corners and seams. I don’t think you should invest in all of these at once. If you don’t have any of them you can make a tailor’s ham and sleeve roll following the free pattern on Twig and Tale’s website. If I was going to purchase one of these items, it would be a sleeve board as it is one of my top pressing essentials.
Buttonholes
Before committing to regular buttonholes, I would suggest doing enough tests with the exact fabrics and interfacing you will be using to make your final garment. I ran into some issues with mine like my buttonhole foot being too weak to handle the thick fabric without glitching. It also couldn’t sew a buttonhole long enough for the large buttons my husband chose. I ended up improvising and switching to slightly smaller buttons that I had in my stash.
Solutions for easier Pixie Coat buttons
Ways to get around these issues would be to experiment with techniques like this one from Megan Nielsen, bound buttonholes, buying or making toggles with leather patches, or using the button loop option included in the pattern. I elected for this last method on my coat.
The Fit of the Pixie Coat
The fit of this coat is very, very relaxed in my opinion. This is great for a winter weight wool coat for Canadian winters. Fitting bulky sweaters underneath is much easier. However, depending on your desired results, you may wish to size down after looking at all the measurement charts provided.
For mine and my husband’s coat, I stayed true to size and made the size L for me and the size 48 for him.
My Pixie Coat
I am not totally happy with my coat. While being wearable, I think fabrics with a softer drape are more suited to the relaxed fit than the one I chose. This felt-like wool blend was very stiff and sticks out from my body. I think a softer fabric would conform more easily to my body.
The Embellishments Got Out of Hand
I went a little crazy with the details but I blame it on being at the tail end of sewing 2 wool coats in 10 days! I put it away for a few weeks and I think taking the rick-tack off will help. I am beginning to feel emotionally ready to try.
The Verdict on my Pixie Coat
Even if I don’t love the finished look of my coat, I would sew myself another. Taking into account what I learned I would keep things more simple and use a softer coating.
A Beginner Friendly Pattern!
If you are ready to jump into sewing a coat, I would highly recommend this pattern. It has extensive body measurements and finished measurements, the detailed fit description, the fit adjustment tutorials and the clear instructions. That, coupled with the overall simple lines of the pattern mean you should have a successful first coat and learn a lot along the way.
If I can make two, you can make one and be quickly cozy in your new Pixie Coat!