Wrapping up warm - the Gaia coat

I've been thinking about making a coat for a couple of winters now. When I saw the newly-released Gaia coat from Named Clothing, I knew this would be the year I would finally take the plunge. I bought the pattern as soon as I saw it - it was exactly the kind of coat pattern I had imagined myself wearing. Luckily, that was a week before GBSB Live so I was able to buy fabric for it there. Coating and wool fabrics were definitely a theme for a lot of the stalls there, I really was spoilt for choice. The coat has two main outer fabrics and is fully lined. I opted for British-made wool fabric from Fabrics Galore in different shades of green. 

This was definitely one of my most ambitious projects to date. There were so many pattern pieces that it took all my sewing sessions (which are admittedly limited to nap-times and evenings) across a whole weekend. The first thing I conquered was the lined pockets with pocket welts which I was ridiculously proud of. 

I really took my time making this coat as it included a lot of new techniques and the fabric wasn't cheap. Overall, the instructions were OK, but aimed at people with a reasonable amount of experience. There were many times I had to re-read or even go freestyle to work out how things should come together. 

I am really pleased with the finished coat. It is a very loose fit, but that is deliberate (and means I can layer with cardigans). There are a couple of things I'm not 100% happy with - the collar doesn't sit as flat as I would like it to and it's not as warm as I had hoped it would be. Next time I make a coat, I will choose a heavier coating fabric or line with interfacing. 

Here are a few photos: