new fall patterns: school days jacket, winter coat version

In my last post I introduced the School Days raincoat. In this post I’ll to highlight the versatility of this pattern’s features and how you can use them to make a true three-season, cold-weather jacket.

The multi-season versatility comes from the jacket’s innovative, removable insulated lining. The jacket itself, remember, is lined. Sewing a version with a wool melton or a more luxurious cashmere and lining it with a quilting-weight cotton will make a perfect coat for cold fall afternoons and spring mornings. (And here’s a thought. Do you have, hanging in your closet, an old, out-of-style wool coat that you probably won’t wear again but that’s too nice to send to Goodwill? Why not cut it down to make a child’s duffle coat using this pattern?)

But what about those winter days when the temperature falls below freezing? To add additional warmth, we’ve provided pattern pieces for an insulated lining that you can make either with or without sleeves. Here’s a view of the sleeveless vest version of the liner.

The lining is designed to be flexible. In addition to the vest or full-sleeve version, you can select from a variety of fabrics and insulation. Quilters who are sewing for children in more temperate climates might want to use quilting cottons and batting to create a quilted lining. Those of you living in areas where the thermometer doesn’t edge above freezing for months at a time may want to use a thicker, warmer fabric and a more contemporary (and warmer) insulation material. The choice is yours.

The lining attaches to the jacket with little elastic loops that are sewn into the binding and that attach to buttons sewn onto the coat. This makes it easy to insert and remove the lining quickly. It’s not complicated to make at all.

The coat can be finished with either the duffle toggles or with button tabs. This post features a toggle version of the coat. We’ll show a cute little version made using the button tabs next week.

There’s one other element of the coat that I want to highlight. In addition to the button tabs or toggles, the coat features two hidden snaps to secure the coat and ensure that it stays closed against the elements. I’ve designed the coat with only two snaps, instead of the more obvious three, because many kids like to wear their coats gaping at the neck.

The two snaps allow the coat to be left open at the neck and still look clean and finished.

Many of you have asked for a classic, cold-weather jacket and coat pattern. I think you’ll be happy with this design, and I’m looking forward to seeing your creations start showing up in the Flickr group.