My best make of the year: Baby Claire!!

Max and I had a fun summer together doing toddler yoga, taking a music class and swimming at the pool almost every day. It was our special time before he became a big brother!

Baby Claire was born in September and she is such a sweet, easy baby! We all love her so much and Max is being an excellent big brother giving her so many hugs and kisses, bringing her toys and helpfully yelling "baby's crying".

I had gestational diabetes this pregnancy, which I cheerfully do not recommend! I was able to have a VBAC and avoid a c-section, which made life and recovery so much easier.

They are almost exactly 2.5 years apart

I have one more week before I go back to work, so I might write a flurry of posts. I really want to sew more again, I miss my beloved hobby. I need to carve out the time to make it happen!

Vogue 755 Button- Which size to get?

I am looking at these buttons from Mood, so I have to choose from only seeing them online which can be difficult. There are two sizes: 19mm and 32 mm or about 3/4 inch and 1 1/4 inch. Which size seems better for a coat?

I am shorter than this model drawing lady and am going to simplify down to only (lol) seven buttons. So just picture it skipping the second, fourth, sixth and eighth rows.

Which size is best?

Actually working on Vogue 755 coat!

I pulled that coat out of the drawer it lives in and am working on it! I started this coat when we lived in New Orleans over five years ago and have since gotten married, had a baby who is almost two, gotten laid off and rehired, etc. Here is post detailing my (lack of) progress so far: click here!

 Here is the long ago pattern for a coat dress. I lengthened the sleeves.

After some careful consideration, I have decided to not do the collar and cuff detail. The wool is too thick and the cuffs I made looked costume-like and awful. That was the point I stopped before it got shoved back in the drawer.  I added the facings, although they haven't been pressed or anything; the ironing board is still on the back porch because we put the Xmas tree in the dining room. 

I think it looks vintage, in an elegant way right now. The cuff and contrast collar put it over the top into the range of vintage clothes that I don't like anymore. When I started the coat, I was happy to sew vintage patterns and wear them no matter how silly they looked (and my middle school students were super enthusiastic!). I am older now and it's not my jam anymore. 

 The back darts and the pockets at the waist did not line up perfectly. I was annoyed with Past Molly and her lazy sewing, until I took them all out numerous times and tries to fix them. The left pocket is 90% better as well as the left dart. The right dart is still a little off, but it was the best I can do. The right pocket is improved, but still far from perfect. There are so many layers of heavy (underlined) wool that my poor Singer (a champ of a machine) can barely press through it and it was absolutely infuriating. So, I will live with imperfection.

I ordered plum Bemberg lining from Vogue Fabrics and am waiting for it to arrive.

Two hopes for tips:

1.Bagging a lining - Can you believe I have never done that? I rarely make jackets and I think I hand sewed the whole cape lining which was horrific. Tips? Good tutorials?

2. Online resources for buttons for this coat. I am kind of thinking brass or metal with a vintage feel? I am going to simplify the number of buttons down from 15. Cost is not really a large factor because they are the focal point of the coat.

Happy New Year to you all!!