This is a recent “woo hoo” garment – the Style Arc Lux coat.

I wish that I had realised the collar wasn’t sitting quite right on one side in these photos!  My photographer is generally quick to point out those sorts of things, but she missed it this time.  Here is how it usually looks:

This fabulous coat is a recent Style Arc release. It pairs beautifully with this boiled wool/viscose from The Cloth Shop.

I sewed this on my last trip to Sewjourn, and only realised when I was there that I had managed to cut only one pair of the lower front pieces instead of two pairs, and I didn’t have any of the fabric scraps with me. Actually, I don’t think that I there would have been quite enough to cut another pair anyway! A friend gave me some wool knit of similar weight, and so there is now a little contrast on the inside.

From the Style Arc website: This modern sophisticated on trend coat is clever in its simplicity, straight architectural lines give this coat an edge that differs from the usual. The clever design of the tucked neckline creates an interesting shawl collar.  Fabric suggestion: Wool, Melton, cashmere, bonded wool or any suitable coat fabric.

I enjoyed every moment of sewing this coat.  It was lovely working with such beautiful fabric, and pleasing to watch it evolve.  Even binding all the edges was fun!  I cut the bias binding from floral cotton that was in stash.  And I always like topstitching.

This is a garment that benefits from taking the sewing process slow and steady.  Between the written instructions and the diagrams I had no issues with construction.  There are pockets set into the front side seams. I cut them from the same fabric, but they’d probably have been better cut in something lighter weight.

The buttonhole is very clever – it’s an opening in the seam between the upper and lower front pieces. Nice! I found a vintage button in stash that worked beautifully with it.

Quite a few people have asked me whether I find the arm openings restrictive. Although I wouldn’t be doing star jumps in this coat, I don’t have any issues with it at all! The openings are at the front, so when doing things like driving a car with my arms forward there are no problems at all.

I usually sew size 12 in Style Arc dresses and tops, but after looking at the line drawing for this coat I decided (not without some trepidation) to give size 10 a go. I am happy with how this has worked out on me, as it still has an oversized cocoon shape but fits nicely across my shoulders. I would only suggest sizing down on this coat if you are comparatively small across the shoulders; otherwise stick with your normal Style Arc size. It could be quite restrictive if you go too small!

Have I already mentioned that I LOVE this coat? An unlined coat without long sleeves in a warm fabric actually works quite well in a Melbourne winter. It is a rather distinctive style, so I’m not likely to have two of these in my wardrobe at the same time, but I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes something a little out of the ordinary. As the name says – it’s Lux!

The dress underneath is the Style Arc Cher dress, reviewed in my previous blog post.

Style Arc’s Cher dress was offered as a freebie a couple of months ago.  I hesitated, because I generally don’t like high tight necklines, but threw caution to the wind and gave it a go anyway.

I like it! I like it a great deal! The key to getting this dress to work is mostly about fabric choice. It has to be a knit, and needs to have four-way stretch (stretches in both directions) because of the dropped shoulder and fitted sleeves. It also needs to be in something nice and drapey. I chose a striped viscose/spandex knit from GJs, and it was perfect.  Matching fabric to the pattern is SO important!  A cotton/spandex knit just wouldn’t fall and fold as well.

From the Style Arc website: Avant-garde pull over dress featuring a funnel neck and cocoon shaped body. A designer dress that is easy to sew and wear.  Fabric suggestion: Jersey, pane, sweater knit or any stretch fabric.

This dress is incredibly easy to sew.  The front and back pattern pieces are the same – actually, there are only three pattern pieces in total!  Upper front/back, lower front/back, and the sleeves.  The funnel neck is self-faced and actually feels quite comfortable in this fabric.

As well as demonstrating my double chin and forward head, this photo shows you how nicely the funnel neck folds and drapes, and also shows off my stripe matching! Woo hoo!

In my view, the secret of stripe matching is in the preparation. You HAVE to pay attention when cutting out. I cut this out one piece at a time so that I could lay the front onto the fabric with the stripes lined up properly to cut out the back. I also match stripes at key points. I generally focus on the underarm seamline, then other edges to make sure that everything will work when I go to sew it.

Then when it comes to sewing, I think it depends a little bit on your machines. The pressure foot on my sewing machine doesn’t press down too hard, and I don’t find that the top and bottom fabrics feed through at different speeds. A few pins at strategic points is usually enough to keep the stripes aligned for me. Others find that they need to hand or machine baste before the final sewing. I actually sewed this on my overlocker without basting first. A few pins were enough to keep everything where it should be – and yes, I did remember to remove the pins before they met up with the overlocker blade!

I sewed size 12 without alteration. This is a dress that works well on my shape – you know I don’t like waist definition! As it turns out, my lovely sister-in-law Jeanette has recently started sewing and is also a little addicted to Style Arc patterns – she’s sewn the Cher dress as well, in size 10. It looks fabulous on her! She doesn’t have a blog, but you can find her on Instagram as @jeanettedamen26b