[Anonymous]

I’ve got wool all picked out on fabric.com for a school days jacket for my daughter. BUT by the time I add the lining and the insulated lining, the fabrics will be about $60!! I haven’t spent more than $10 on my daughter’s used winter coats in the past. I’m having a hard time clicking “place order”! I’m wondering if I should use less expensive fabric. But I really don’t want to. Hmmmmm……

[sayiamyou]

I have found myself spending much more on some of the items I’ve made for my daughter than I could have gone to the store to purchase a similar item. It’s become easier for me to justify this by telling myself that it’s ‘Mommy Made’. 🙂

I’ve wondered the same about making this jacket for her though. I do really want to, but I know I could buy one for less. Yours will be very unique though and that’s something special, in my opinion. (probably not much help??)

[Anonymous]

Ha ha ha – yeah not too much help, maraya 🙂 🙂 🙂 He He. I’m kind of thinking about using corduroy instead of wool but of course it wouldn’t be as warm. The wool at fabric.com is very inexpensive (relatively speaking). It’s only $13/yd compared to $30/yd at the wool shop down the street from me. I have picked out some nice quilting cotton for the lining. I could save some money by using less expensive lining fabrics but I hate to put cheap linings in a nice wool coat.

I was originally going to make it gender neutral so my son could wear it later. Then got sucked into using a soft pink wool with Moda Tweet Tweet for the lining. Maybe I’ll have to go back to robin’s egg blue wool – at least then I can spread the cost over two kiddos!

[Nicole]

If two children are going to wear it, divide the cost in half.

If it is too hard to spend the money, you could always try cutting down a second hand coat.( Liesl’s suggestion) Thats what I am doing to try out the pattern first, and my children need a paddock coat and a good coat.

I love the sound of your duck egg blue, and I had mentioned to Husband how clever you were to change the liner.

You could also purchase a label,and sell the jacket ‘ as is’, if you do not think you will have anymore babies.

Finally, your time is precious , and you really would be making a heirloom . Sewing is not always about saving money, it is showing our children how long it takes and the effort one has put in. At least you will know some poor chap has not been paid 50 cents in a sweat shop to run it up!

Go with your instincts , but if it makes you feel ill, choose something else, Nicole

[Sarvi]

If you buy an inexpensive coat off the rack or used, you do save money, it’s true, and these days none of us has enough to throw around without thinking about it. But maybe ask yourself if that inexpensive coat is going to be just the material you want, just the style you want, just the quality you want, and moreover, something that can be handed down to your grandchildren some day.

I think Nicole makes an excellent point, too, about what it says to your kids about your priorities if you go to the trouble and expense of making them something special yourself. We can’t always do that but it sounds like you’re a little in love with the coat you have envisioned. It seems like it’ll make you happy to sew it as much as it’ll make the little one happy to wear it.

[Toyota888]

I absolutely know what you mean! I specifically chose my fabrics so that my little girl can wear it after my son… I went with a red wool melton from fabric.com when it was on sale. I would be tempted to scout around for lining fabric that is on clearance and gender neutral. It is not only an expensive jacket but it does take a bit of time so you will want it worn by more than one child.

Perhaps we need to get Oliver & S to set up a second hand clothes board for us to sell our old coats to each other!

[ckcsbella]

I know the feeling of sticker shock when shopping online! Although, I have to say, $60 for a wool coat really isn’t that bad. I paid more than that for DD#1 coat last year. I have two daughters, though, and I know it’s getting passed down.

Another thought – if you consider something like a wool coat made in decent fabric, when stored properly, will last for a very long time. If you want, think of your coat as an heirloom to be passed down to grandchildren. I know it seems a long time off, but I have a dress I wore (my aunt brought it from Scotland) and I saved for my daughters. I know several people who have coats and clothes that have been passed down as heirloom items.

And, yes, I can justify almost anything! My best friend calls me the ultimate enabler.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all. ckcsbella – I still have a dress from when I was little and my daughter wore it on her 2nd birthday. It was very special.

My kids do absolutely love it when I make things just for them. My daughter still needs diapers at night (arg) and she’s so excited about the new cloth pull-up trainers I’ve been sewing that she keeps kissing them. Ha ha – I don’t think she’s ever kissed a disposable trainer!

I think I’ll stick with my original idea of the gender neutral fabrics except for the insulated lining. I’m very excited to make a coat!

[ckcsbella]

That sounds like a good plan. And I have to add, I think I’m cutting up a wool coat of mine to make the same for DD#1! It’s floor length, and I never wear it. I knew I was keeping it for something!

And if you do a boy-themed lining, and a girl themed lining no matter WHO comes along in the next generation, someone will wear it!

[Emily]

SAHM, if you haven’t placed your order yet – have you googled for fabric.com discount codes? It’s pretty easy to find codes for 20% or so off your order, so that would knock the price down a bit and you’d probably still qualify for the free shipping.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Emily. I was able to find a coupon code. I ordered the oh-so gender neutral pink wool (LOL) for my daughter and some red corduroy for my son. I’ll have to include the sleeves on his insulated lining to be sure it’s warm enough. Outer fabrics for both coats $35 after coupon and free shipping! Yippie!

[ckcsbella]

Yippee! You won’t regret it!