[Maggie]

So I’m planning my third School Days coat. A friend asked for one out of a piece of fabric she has. It is a thick cotton with a somewhat loose weave. Not really a warm fabric.

How best to add warmth? I thought about fusible fleece, but it might be too stiff. I know some have used fleece as the lining, but it isn’t as easy to slip on the sleeves.

What would you recommend?

[Deb]

Up here in the Great White North we often use a product called Kasha lining. It’s flannel backed satin that’s thicker than cuddle satin. When combined with wool coating it keeps out the cold. It may work well with the thick cotton your friend has chosen providing your outside temps don’t go into deep freeze like ours do.

http://www.siltex.com/catalog.php?cat=43

~Deb~

[with love Heidi]

I haven’t made the school days jacket but I have made 2 Secret Agent Trench Coats from courduroy and I have lined them with polar fleece, these have been worn as the major winter jacket here. We don’t get snow on the ground but we do on the mountain. Average winter maximum 12ºC (54ºF), but it does get colder!

I went up one size from measured to allow for the polar fleece and to fit a little longer 🙂 If using fleece for the lining it may be worth using the outer pattern pieces to cut the lining as a few people have found the lining pieces cut in polar fleece tend to grow and stretch over time. The boy I made the jackets for has had no problems getting it on with the polar fleece lining.

[Mama_Knowles]

I am wondering the same thing, Caspian’s coat has the fleece lining with the wool blend coat. Plenty of warmth with no stretching a tall. (School days pattern) But for Sarah’s I have been thinking do I really want to use fleece for hers. I have some very, very lovely wool for it. It gets down right cold here and it will be snowing so I want to line it to be warm but don’t want any stretching to happen on the lining. I have the main coat cut out and now I am stuck on what to do for the lining.

[with love Heidi]

If Caspian’s coat has held up fine I would do the next one the same way.