Hello, friends! Between all the end-of-summer excitement and the hubbub of our move, I’m only just getting a chance to give you a proper introduction to the fall Lisette patterns, which have been available for several weeks already. But it’s been too hot to do much fall sewing, anyway, right? Now that back-to-school is upon us, it’s finally time to turn our attention to cooler weather and to fall: my favorite season to design and to wear.
This season we have two new Lisette patterns. Today I’ll focus on Lisette B6244 for Butterick, which includes two pieces: a classic dress with a little twist, and an elegant drapey coat. Don’t miss the video of the coat near the end of this post!
I love a classic silhouette with a little twist that makes it special. In the case of the dress, the silhouette is a feminine, fitted bodice with an A-line skirt: the dress that flatters pretty much every body shape. The added special detail is what I call the multimedia effect. It’s a bit difficult to see in these photos, but the side panels and shoulder yokes can be made with a contrasting or complimenting fabric. In the case of the dress on the pattern cover and in these photos, we chose a classic tartan and used a faux leather for the contrast panels.
I’m a little obsessed with the faux leather right now; it’s inexpensive, easy to work with, comfortable to wear, you name it. But you could also use lace, a solid color, or a contrasting print as your second fabric. Here are a few photos to get you thinking creatively about this style. I’m seeing similar ideas all over the place right now.
I’m really excited to sew and wear this style as soon as I find time and fabric. (I loved the tartan so much I may need to make myself the same dress!) I hope you’ll like this style as well. I think it’s the sort of dress that’s perfect for work (see the above photos), but you can also dress it down with boots and a denim jacket. Layer it for cooler weather (thus the coat, which I’ll talk about next), and the short sleeves will let you wear it all fall and next spring as well.
Next, the coat: During our last couple of days in New York I alternated between packing suitcases, cleaning our apartment, and cutting and sewing the coat. And despite the total chaos at our house I can tell you that this pattern is a really quick and easy make. It has only three pattern pieces: front, back, and sleeves. No lining or facings, no separate collar, just three straightforward pattern pieces. It’s a very clean and straightforward design. And I’m so pleased with how my coat turned out.
It’s sort of a cross between a winter coat and a comfortable cardigan; I’ll wear it on cold but not completely freezing days, and I think it will be really cozy. For me, it’s the coat I never have in my closet: the one that splits the difference between a heavy winter coat and a spring jacket. If you sew it from double-faced wool or wool/cashmere (which is what I really wanted to do until I fell in love with the burgundy wool you’ll see below) it may even be warm enough for the really, really cold days of winter.
What I love about this coat: its utter simplicity. I love architectural influences in fashion, and for me this is that sort of coat. The draped front occurs naturally when the front panel hangs from the shoulders, and the collar is formed with a simple dart and a neck seam. I think we’ll do a sew-along for this one, just to show you how incredibly easy it is to sew. You probably won’t need it, however. Each seam is finished with a flat felled seam so the inside of the coat is just as clean and finished as the outside. But I’ve already said enough. How about a video so you can see how the coat moves?
And here are more photos.
As you can see, the coat works just as well with casual clothes as it does with dressy. I wear jeans a lot during the fall and winter, and I’m pretty excited by how the coat looks with them.
Oh, and I almost forgot to show you some other styling ideas! I love this part:
So that’s B6244, and I hope you’ll love it! I think both patterns work really well as core pieces in a wardrobe. I didn’t pack many clothes for our time abroad, but I know I’ll be wearing the coat a lot this fall and winter. And the dress is on my To Make list as soon as I have time to sew it.
I hope you’ll show us how you sew these pieces for your own wardrobe! Post your photos to our SewLisette Flickr group or tag them #sewlisette and #B6244 on Instagram so we can find them, OK?
LOVE LOVE LOVE this coat pattern (B6244)! CHIC-AS-CAN-BE in simplicity of design. Versatile to wear anywhere and everywhere! I like the coat sewn in burgundy wool. BRAVO and Good Luck on sales, Liesl! Sarah Helene in Minneapolis
Thank you, Sarah Helene.
Love it!! The coat looks awesome. I’ll have to do something lighter weight for my climate (the fog in SF), but love the style!!! and the trim on the dress is what draws me to it!!
Absolutely, Rebecca! Look for a lighter-weight wool coating and I think it would work great.
Sweet! LOVE it.
OOOH I have a request/suggestion for the coat. When you do an introductory about to sew along post, can you suggest various fabrics.
For those of us who may have to purchase something off the internet, it is really hard to judge weight and hand and weave, and…. well everything.
But if you link to some suggested fabrics, perhaps those suggestions can give us enough information to find similar fabrics, but in our color/pattern of choice.
I see this as a Christmas gift for my sister and mother. So I need to get cracking! 🙂
I can absolutely suggest types of fabrics, but do you mean suggesting specific fabrics from specific stores? That might be a little tricky! The pattern is specially designed for coatings like wool and wool/cashmere, and it will also work beautifully with double-faced wools because the hem so neatly. You could also go a bit lighter with your fabrics. Just look for fabrics with body but also with a little drape. Does that make sense? I will talk about it at the start of the sew-along as well. Cheers!
I was thinking sometimes how you have links to fabrics at say Mood, or wherever. When I go to the link, I can see oh… this is a good example that I could use. And then I can find a color, or pattern I like that has those “characteristics” of the fabric. Does that make sense???
Cybele, due to our relocating, I’m not able to do Mood swatches this time. (I don’t think they ship to Spain?) But I’ll browse their website and see what I can find that looks promising, ok?
Also, if anyone else finds fabric and wants to share the source, please feel free! On-line shopping can be tricky, so we can all help each other out here.
I notice this is for a Miss size. Any assistance for adjustments to fit either the dress or coat to a short person/petite size?
Kathie, all Lisette (and all Butterick/McCall’s/Vogue/etc.) patterns include a lengthen/shorten line, so you shouldn’t have any problem adjusting to fit. I lengthened mine a little bit because I’m tall, and it’s very easy to do. Here’s a tutorial for adjusting our Oliver + S patterns that might help you as well: http://oliverands.com/community/blog/2010/02/lengthening-and-shortening-a-pattern.html
Usually commercial patterns (and the liesl and co) patterns have a line that says “lengthen or shorten here”. And I believe Liesl had a video about it in CreativeBug
https://www.creativebug.com/classseries/single/lengthen-or-shorten-patterns?
Wow — these new patterns look amazing. That coat, in particular, is just my style! I want to drop everything and start sewing!
So glad, Cate! Thanks for the kind words.
Thank you all – I am in and looking forward to the sew along. I love the lines of the coat.
Hello,I absolutely love the coat. I am 40″ bust size, I was wondering if the pattern pieces are easy enough to grade up one size? Many thanks.
If you know how to grade you probably could, Melania. But I’d pay more attention to the shoulders and hips for this style. It’s not closing over the bust, so that’s not going to be as much of a concern as a dress, blouse, or classic button- or zip-closed coat. I hope that helps!
yes, it does help thank you. I am actually two sizes smaller at the waist/Hips, so I will most probably have to adjust just the shoulders and the overall length (I am tall and big shouldered!).
Many thanks, I look forward to the pattern. I have some double-faced wool fabric which is perfect for the coat).
If you’re going to grade down the shoulders/neck, etc, I find it much easier to sew the size for your neck/shoulders, then do a simple FBA. This is what I learned from Nancy Zieman’s book, by measuring the shoulders, and makes it so much simpler for me! http://www.sewlisette.com/blog/2011/06/two-resources-to-help-you-find-your-correct-size/
… oops … I’ve just noticed that the sizing does cover bust size 40″ (for some reason, I thought it stopped at size 16, hence my previous question). So I will go ahead and order size 18, and do what I usually do with patterns (grade down at waist/hips and add overall length). thanks again.
I already ordered my swatches from Mood. They arrive soon and I can’t wait to start on that coat. It’s absolutely perfect for the fall to winter time.
Melanie, keep us posted on what you find, will you? It’s not possible for me to do Mood swatches this time due to the distance, but if you find anything great please let us know and maybe other people will be interested as well!
I have loads of Mood swatches obtained for this coat which I am more than happy to post to you from the UK if you want. I have chosen my fabric! I would offer to comment on them but I’m not experienced enough a sewer to have confidence in my judgement!
They arrived right after I posted that! My favorite is a real camel hair. It feels like cashmere, but with a tiny swatch it is a little hard to tell how it will drape on the front. Its also a little thin and not strictly reversible. I’m thinking of doubling it and treating it as one, but again, a little unsure about the drape. I caught a sneak peak of this ages ago before you announced it and Joann had the new books, so I’ve been thinking about it for a while already. I ordered a couple other swatches from georgeous fabrics before I decide. I’m shopping for a black felt fedora to wear with it. 🙂
Oh I adore this pattern so so much! I have been searching for a coat pattern just like this so I know I will be needing to sew one up for myself here very soon>
So glad, Sandi! I hope you’ll show us when it’s ready.
I am so excited about making this coat, I have the pattern and have just ordered fabric! It looks like one where I wont have to adjust too much as it doesn’t fasten. I am worried that if I go by my bust size it wont go round by derriere properly. Should I still widen the pattern lower down to make sure that it falls nicely?
I would suggest holding the back pattern piece against your body to help determine what size. Watch the shoulders and the hips–the bust isn’t really going to matter for this coat!
Thank you!
I bought the pattern weeks ago and I thought I would start with the dress. After this post, I think I might start with the coat. . .
Oh, I’m glad!
What a fab coat!! I too am already drooling at Mood! I found a wool/cashmere suiting, but it’s only 56″ wide. Do I need more length, or just to cut carefully!?!
It probably depends on the size you’re making, but I always buy extra fabric. Better safe than sorry, and all that…
Would this work in fleece?
I’m not sure about fleece. It probably could work if the fleece wasn’t too stretchy, but fleece might be a bit lightweight so you wouldn’t get the same drape. Also, it might cling a bit –again affecting the drape. But maybe with the right fleece?
I saw this pattern at Joann’s last week and had to buy it immediately!! I love the dress and coat. I can’t wait to find the perfect wool for the coat!
I saw this pattern last week at Joann’s and had to buy it immediately! I love the coat and the dress! I can’t wait to find the perfect wool for the coat!
Love both of these patterns Liesl. There was a similar open, drapey coat pattern that everyone was nuts about in Australia this winter. I resisted buying that pattern. Happily, cause now I’ll have yours and know I’ll get the fit and instructions I’m used to!
Is the coat hemmed, or are we relying on the cut edge of wool coating not requiring hemming. I’m a bit OCD about unfinished fabric edges. 😉
I suspect it would be dead easy to line the coat too, and then get the effect of the lining being visible at the folds. So many ideas I’m almost sad it’s spring!
The coat is finished with a narrow hem all the way around, Shelley. I’m a stickler for finish, too. And yes, you could line the coat and get a two-toned effect at the front. I think I added a couple of images like that to the Lisette pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/liesl/lisette-sew-your-style/
Hi. I love this coat! Do you think a beginner can handle it?
I’m so glad you like it, Laura! It’s a relatively easy pattern to sew, but if you haven’t sewn at all I would recommend that you get familiar with a few other projects first. It’s not difficult, but it includes a dart and flat-felled seams, so you should probably have some familiarity with both of those techniques before getting started. Also, the bulky fabric may be a little frustrating if you’re inexperienced. But if you’ve sewn a few other projects already, you can absolutely do this!
Looking at fabric options…. I know you talked about it earlier. I am thinking that I might want to do an “inexpensive” option first. Besides the double face wool any other suggestions? And an idea of “weight”? I would like to have it lined up before the Sew Along starts. Thanks
Kathie, I’m working on a post about fabric choices that will be published on Friday. I’ll try to offer a wide variety of options, ok?
This is exactly the coat I have been looking for! I can’t wait to make my own! Now to hunt down the perfect mid-weight wool for mild Atlanta winters. Thank you for another amazing pattern!
I just bought this pattern on Monday. I bought it for the coat and didn’t realize it had a dress until I got home. I like the dress too. I’ll make the coat soon, as soon as I finish the quilt I’m working on.
Love this coat! It is fun!
I have the pattern and fabric.
Liesl, do you have a time frame for the sew along?
I like to line up my projects and want to be sure to save some space
for this one.
Thank you!
Rachel, I think we’ll hold the sew-along October 14-16. I’ll make an official announcement on Friday.
Liesel – looking at the sizing for the coat, it looks like the pattern only shows length from back of neck to hem. So how can I judge what would be best. I have the pattern for sizes 8 and above. I tend to be size 14. Just wasn’t sure how to select my size. Can you give some more suggestions? Thanks
Liesl…this jacket/coat is just perfect for woven fabrics…I see it in a Saori style weaving panels, sewn together to make this wonderful silhouette. Thank you for the inspiration…. mari
I LOVE this coat and want to make it right away BUT I am allergic to wool. Could you recommend another fabric? I live in Houston, TX so it doesn’t need to be very heavy…
Liesl: made the coat and really loved it but had to take it to a seamstress as the armhole was so incredibly tight I could not even wear a blouse underneath. The seamstress cost the same as the fabric, unfortunately! I’m a size 8 with normal size arms. Just want to mention that you may want to tell others to open it up a bit if they’d like to wear even a sweater underneath it.