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Style Arc Romy Anorak

April 3, 2014 by SewMaris 16 Comments

You would not know it too look at my shimmery purple beauty named Romy, but she totally kicked my butt! I tried to give up swearing for Lent, but this project broke down all resolve. A sailor would have blushed!

Look at Style Arc’s Romy. She doesn’t look that difficult, now does she? A few seams, a front placket, a collar, and a couple of bellows pockets. Easy-peasy.

ROMY-ANORAK

Welllll, things are not always as they appear. First off, I was using Seattle Fabric’s Silkara, which is a beautiful, iridescent, highly water-resistant nylon/poly fabric. Perfect for raincoats in rainy Seattle. It also does not press worth a damn. Which is kind of significant when you are constructing an unlined jacket using flat-felled seaming and the fabric ravels if you look at it sideways. I worked on this coat at my ASG sewing retreat, and the actual assembly of the jacket pieces (center front, side front, back and sleeves) was not hard. Just took a l-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g time because of aforementioned pressing/double stitching on every seam.

AnorakFront

Hmmm, but that front placket. Put one side in 4 &%^@#^%$ times before it was “right”,and the other side twice. Where were you when I needed you, peeps? I could have used some expert counsel because as we all know, Style Arc does not overdo in the instruction department. Thank goodness my sewing sister Helen kept me sane, because I was seriously considering murder more than once.

ThoughtfulAnorak

Despite all my rage and hysteria during the process, I LOVE the completed jacket. Yes, I will be emailing Style Arc with a few “suggestions” on how to improve the placket pattern pieces and the instructions. I may even write up a little tute on how others might go about constructing it with less ripping and cursing. Beg me, it will definitely help.

AnorakBack

Happy sewing!

Maris

Filed Under: Coats

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Velosewer

    April 3, 2014 at 7:53 pm

    You’re a survivor and you chose a great fabric for this jacket.

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 3, 2014 at 8:29 pm

      Hahaha – I should have played the Survivor theme song! I think the fabric is the only thing that kept me going, and today I had 3 students (all 11) and was able to impart a life lesson. Can’t very well encourage them to persevere if I’m not willing, right?

      Reply
  2. Lynn

    April 4, 2014 at 10:06 am

    Love the coat! And nice photos of you and your coat (DH taking or self timer?)

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 4, 2014 at 12:52 pm

      Thanks Lynn! What a bear it was – but definitely happy with the outcome. Camera work was all DH. I want to use the timer eventually, but need to practice.

      Reply
  3. gMarie

    April 4, 2014 at 4:17 pm

    What a fabulous coat! Love the ‘a sailor would have blushed’ line. Too funny. Missing retreating – maybe next year. You look mahvalous!! g

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 4, 2014 at 4:29 pm

      I missed you too gMarie! Thanks – I think I will really enjoy it. And “thanks be to God” it is done (except snaps)!!

      Reply
  4. Cindy

    April 4, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    I love it! It’s gorgeous (and so are you missy)!

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 4, 2014 at 7:37 pm

      Thanks darling, you are too sweet!

      Reply
  5. Lisa Laree

    April 4, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    I hope you enjoy wearing the coat enough that the pain of its creation subsides. I *love* that color!!!

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 4, 2014 at 7:37 pm

      Thank you Lisa…most of my pain has subsided The bottle of wine helped! 😉

      Reply
  6. Ginger

    April 5, 2014 at 8:00 am

    This turned out great! I was tearing out my hair the whole time I was constructing this jacket and thought it was just me being in over my head with an advanced pattern. Question: did you increase the seam allowances to do flat-felled seams, or is it possible to do them with Style Arc’s 3/8″ SA?

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 5, 2014 at 7:42 pm

      Thanks Ginger! I definitely increased seams to 5/8″. I think you could do a tiny flat-felled with 3/8″ SA, but never in a million years with the “spongy” rainwear fabric I was using. Those plackets – arrgggh! It was NOT you. I am going to write some tips and add to patternreview.com. Might save some other poor soul a few strands of hair! 😉

      Reply
      • Sally

        April 6, 2014 at 11:03 am

        I had the sAme problem too, so glad it wasn’t just me. I did flat felled seams without increasing seam allowances – its doable but definitely wouldn’t recommend it!

        Reply
        • SewMaris

          April 6, 2014 at 11:08 am

          AMEN!

          Reply
  7. Melody

    April 5, 2014 at 10:01 pm

    All your perseverance in taming that unwilling fabric really paid off. That jacket is fantastic weather perfect and beautiful color!

    Reply
    • SewMaris

      April 5, 2014 at 10:14 pm

      Thanks, SewMelodic! I hate to let a fabric get the best of me. 😉

      Reply

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