I have been working furiously on making a blackwatch plaid coat in Harris tweed for DD1, as she does not own a dress coat, and needed one for a family wedding earlier in March. I made a toile of Marfy 1005 and a coat called Talea from Burdastyle’s website which I downloaded a couple of years ago. Neither one was quite to her taste, so we went back to the original Harris tweed coat I’d made for her a few years ago from Burda 9/2010 #101, and put together a frankenpattern for the blackwatch coat.
- front and upper bodice Burda 9/2010 #101
- sleeves from Marfy 1005
- 6 quarter-circle panels for the coat skirt
- collar and stand from the Talea coat
I have completed the hidden button opening, complete with hand-worked buttonholes instead of the snap buttonholes I used last time. 
I just felt like practicing buttonholes this time ’round. Need I say that the fourth one is significantly better than the first!
BTW, if you google “blackwatch McQueen coat” (runway version) you can see the inspiration behind this one. I am not a master cutter by any stretch of the imagination, and this project has both frustrated and challenged me. It has whet my appetite for more tailoring, and I truly wish I could just sit and learn somewhere on Saville Row, or at a tailor in my own city. Projects like this make me realize just how little I know and how much more I need to learn. It’s been a big project, and I loved every minute of working on it. More details soon!
Mezzo Couture 
Looking good! I’d love an apprenticeship with a tailor, in another life.
You have a lovely fabric there. Looking forward to seeing the finished garment. I figure I will never stop learning… And that makes me very happy!
Thank you! This fabric is always a delight to work with. And it is fun to know we’ll never stop learning, although the learning process can sometimes be difficult! I learned today that my van will continue running while the battery is being replaced. Who knew!?
Your van? Battery? Those things I know nothing about!
Wow wow wow Mac queen is such a master and I love his coat.
Your project is fabulous and I am realy looking forward to see it
Thanks, Marie!
I am right with you on wishing I could learn from the masters. I hate muddling through the various books and taking a little from each. I think that’s why I’m so inclined to go the fusible tailoring route. Handworked buttonholes are a thing of beauty, and truly a skill that requires mastering! I did some on a winter coat a few years back and it took me a whole week of practice before I even considered doing the ones on my coat!
I would practice a week, too! Fortunately, these are hidden inside, so no one will see them!
oooh, can’t wait to see your finished coat!
I suppose learning from a master tailor would be quite frustrating as I’m sure they would regards most of our homesewing ways as all wrong and we would have to re-learn everything. But I sure would love to learn a whole list of techniques that I’ve never quite got my head round.
Yes, the learning curve would be frustrating, but imagine the resulting skill set! It would open another world of possibilities in the sewing room….
Love the plaid, can’t wait to see your finished coat!
I think the reality of sitting down with a tailor the traditional way -aka apprenticeship – would probably bore us Internet generation to sleep. I’ve read that they spend months practicing each portion starting with the least risky. A Crafts class with a Master Tailor / Cutter is probably more our speed. Then again maybe I’m the only impatient one on the block?!? 😉
You’re probably right, but the idea seems divine!
I’d love to sit with a master tailor too! But gathering good information from the web will have to do for now. I saw a photo once of hand worked buttonholes done over machine made ones for extra stability…maybe that is something for me to try with samples one day. Really looking forward to the finished coat as the last one for your daughter turned out quite nice.
Loved the inspiration coat and would love to see your finished version.