A Slight Change of Plan

Let's get back to the pea coat project.

As you'll recall, I'm making my coat from the Japanese men's coat pattern book up top.



I made a muslin, and last week was all set to make the coat in this brown Donegal tweed.



Then it hit me: I didn't have sufficient time to do all the tailoring it required (what with all my Japanese TV commitments) and I wasn't confident enough about the pattern, which I'd had to trace from a book written entirely in Japanese.  (This month's theme is JAPAN.)

After sleeping on the issue, I decided to buy a different fabric that would require less tailoring and if I liked the way the pea coat turned out in the new fabric, make a Donegal wool version later on.  Doesn't that make more sense than rushing?

My new fabric is a coated cotton canvas.  It's as if the canvas has been painted with a thin coat of brown rubber, but it's not heavy or clammy feeling, and the grain remains visible.  It also has a slightly stone-washed patina I love.  It reminds me of waxed cotton.  Also, it can be pressed without the coating coming off.





Here's the selvage:



The underside feels like brushed cotton.



I plan to line the coat with the cotton flannel below, a remnant from a shirt I made for Michael last year.



Today I started cutting and I hope to start sewing tomorrow.



And that's it!  I do intend to make outerwear with that wool; maybe next month if all goes well.

In closing, readers, have you ever seen fabric like this before?

What do you think it's coated with?

Happy Monday, everybody!