Firstly – I sewed this a year ago.  I took some photos, looked at them and was very unhappy with how the hems were sitting.  So it sat, for months, until I fixed the problem.  Then it sat again, for months, until I finally got around to taking these photos!

It’s the Tessuti Oslo coat, sewn in wool/cashmere coating from Super Cheap Fabrics, bought a few years ago. It’s actually teal in colour; my phone can never get this shade correct in photos.

From the pattern page: The Oslo Coat is a fully lined, double-breasted style with a shawl collar, full length raglan sleeves and side pockets. This classic style has a straight fit and sits on or just above the knee.

I have just discovered a link on that pattern page to a tutorial for catching the lining hems together! If only I’d realised this tutorial existed before I sewed the coat! It would have helped quite a bit with all that angst, and the many months of leaving the coat to sit. Ah well, now I know for future reference, and hopefully now you know as well if you want to make it!

This is a lined coat, which makes it warm and cosy, but also means that you need to know how to finish the hems properly in order for everything to sit nicely. I eventually catch-stitched the entire facing and the sleeve hems to the main fabric, and used loads of steam and a clapper to press all the edges into submission without anything hanging weirdly or pulling.

I used vintage Liberty silk (!!!) that was in my stash for the lining. I’m generally not likely to wear that type of floral, but it’s super pretty and makes such a special lining. I added a hanging loop to the centre back, and my label. The colour in the above photo is fairly accurate. I also used the Liberty for the pocket bags.

I did add some raglan shoulders pads to help the coat to have a little more structure. The collar does tend to ‘collapse’ a little, but that’s not surprising when you consider that other than interfacing, it doesn’t have much tailoring.

I decided to not both with a button; it’s meant to be slightly double breasted, with one feature button and another hidden on the inside. I really didn’t want to make a mess of the buttonhole through the layers of coating, didn’t want to do a bound buttonhole, and didn’t really know where I could take it to get a professional buttonhole made. So I took the lazy route and just didn’t bother! I might still get a professional buttonhole made at a later stage, but in Melbourne’s relatively mild winters (relative to the Colorado winter we recently experienced!) it should be fine without a closure. However, no closure means that the inside staystitching below the roll line is visible.

I didn’t shorten the coat, so rather than being above or on the knee, on my 158cm frame it’s longer. Now that I’ve finally started wearing it, I am really enjoying it! It’s very warm and cosy, and I love the rich teal colour.

Sometimes you just need to be comfortable and cosy. This set definitely fits the bill.

The top is the Tessuti Mandy boat tee, yet again! Size Large, with full length sleeves. You need to choose your fabric carefully when sewing this top as it needs to have enough stretch for the seam around the bicep to be comfortable. If you’re looking for an alternative tee pattern with a wider sleeve, check out the Grainline Hemlock tee (free to newsletter subscribers).

If you pay attention at the cutting out stage, it’s not too difficult to match the stripes at the side seams. I usually check that the stripes at the top point of the underarm and the hem line match up.

The fabric is stretch french terry that came to me via a friend, but I think originally came from Clear It when it was open and selling deadstock fabric. It’s superb quality, really easy to sew and to wear, and feels like it has some viscose content. I actually cut out the pants before realising that I had enough of the fabric to also make a top.  As it turns out, I even had enough to eke out a simple sleeveless tunic top as well!  I’ll get that blogged at a later stage.

I’ve sewn the Style Arc Palermo pants once before, in black wool french terry, and have found that I wear them a great deal when working or lounging at home.

As you can see, I didn’t do as good a job with lining up the stripes accurately on the crotch seam! But hey, hopefully no-one is staring at my crotch. I don’t bother with the optional cord in the waistband.
From the Style Arc website:
On trend knit pant
Drop crotch
Saddle seam
Elastic waist
In seam pockets
Easy lounge wear fit
Slim leg opening
FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit jersey or any knit fabric with drape.

I can’t decide if all those stripes give more pyjama vibes or prison uniform vibes. Not that I care a great deal!  I know that not everyone is a fan of the drop crotch, but I find this one dropped enough to be extra comfortable, but not too extreme.  I also really like the leg width.

This pattern is probably the most used pattern that I have.

The Tessuti Mandy boat tee – a free pattern – has been around since 2013, originally in just one size, and was updated in 2018 to include four sizes, two sleeve lengths and some reworking of the back neckline. I generally sew the size Medium or Large, depending on the fabric that I am using and my current size. I have altered the pattern to include a forward shoulder adjustment.

I really like the neckline on this top. I use double sided fusible tape to secure it in place, then a twin needle to stitch it down. The neckline is finished before the shoulder seams, and it’s really straightforward. This time around I sewed size Large, with full length sleeves. The fabric is left over from a dress I made last winter; it was originally from Super Cheap Fabrics.

If you look closely you can see the design choice that I had to make in order to squeeze this top out of scraps. Can you tell what it is?

Yeah, I think that I’ll be sewing this pattern until the day comes when I can no longer sew.

I barely need to say it, do I!  These are both repeat patterns.

I first sewed the Style Arc Bob pants in 2019, in chambray and in linen. I enjoy wearing both pairs, and wondered if the pattern would work in a more wintery fabric such as corduroy. As it turns out, it does!

I sewed the same size 12, with legs shortened an inch and a half for my 158cm height. I did alter the front pattern piece to give an angled pocket opening, rather than do the inseam pockets that were included in the pattern. This was very straightforward; I just grabbed the two pocket pieces out of the Barry pattern and used those, in combination with folding back the top of the front leg pattern at the side seam at the same angle as the pocket piece. I much prefer this style of pocket; it doesn’t flap around as it is secured into the front waist seam, and it’s still nice and deep.

The corduroy came from The Cloth Shop, and it’s very soft and drapey. Choose your corduroy carefully; this wide-wale soft cotton works beautifully. The waistband is quite wide; I find wide elastic very comfortable in waistbands. I did my usual trick of securing the elastic with a safety pin and wearing it a few times before securing it. This helps me to make sure it is at the most comfortable length for me.

From the Style Arc website: Achieve great style with this simple pant. The pattern for this pant leg has been engineered to create the balloon shape. Casual inseam pockets and elastic waist make this a must addition to your wardrobe. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Washed linen, light wool, rayon, crepe. Note that there is now a step-by-step tutorial for sewing the Bob pants, and a quick Google reveals customer reviews and tutorials on YouTube.  I have cut out another pair of Bob pants for winter, this time in grey herringbone weave wool.  Maybe they’ll get sewn up later today!

If I am counting correctly, this is the sixth time I have sewn the Tessuti Athina top (a free pattern). In many ways it is the woven version of the Tessuti Mandy boat tee. I sew size Large, with a forward shoulder adjustment. This is the shorter length; the other is definitely tunic length on me. From the Tessuti website: The Athina Top is a boxy style featuring an extended shoulder and dropped sleeve. Comfortable and casual, this simple garment is a quick and easy sew and looks great with skirts, pants & jeans. The pattern includes two length options. Sizes (AUS): XS-XL Recommended fabrics: woven fabrics including linen, lightweight wool and cottons. Not suitable for knits, stretch wovens or stiff cottons.

There is a story to the fabric that I used. I picked up the fabulous green floral from a friend at a destash event (it’s from the Outback Wife range by Gertrude Made that was wildly popular a few years ago). It turns out that she got it from another sewing friends destash! As you can see, I didn’t have quite enough fabric for an entire garment, so I used a coordinating blue crepe from stash for the back. It matches the blue in the flowers.

There’s not much more to report about this pattern – it’s definitely a tried and true for me, and I can sew one in a short amount of time. I use bias binding applied like a facing to finish the neckline. This is definitely outfit success for me – I love both the top and the pants!

I even tried doing the front tuck that is so popular again nowadays (I used to do that back in the early 1990s). Although it looks okay in these photos, it didn’t look okay in real life. The verdict from me and my daughters was a resounding, unanimous ‘no’. No tucking in for me – whether full tuck or half tuck!

Tessuti really do offer loads of coat and jacket patterns especially for fabrics such as boiled wool, that doesn’t fray. These often feature overlapped raw edged seams. The first time that I sewed one I found it a little challenging, mostly because I am so used to traditional right-sides-together seams that have the raw edges hidden on the inside of the garment. But now I can sew one of these types of jackets quite quickly!

This is my second go at the Berlin jacket. The first one went to a friend, purely because the colour really wasn’t me. This one will be staying in my wardrobe – after all, it matches my hair!

From the Tessuti website: The Berlin Jacket is a collarless, longline jacket featuring patch pockets, extended dropped shoulders and full-length sleeves with a turned back cuff. The back neck is slightly raised. Effortlessly stylish, the jacket is the ideal winter wardrobe staple and perfect for layering over dresses or any casual outfit. Sizes (AUS): 6-16 & 16-22. Recommended fabrics: boiled wool and boiled felted wool. Not suitable for woven fabrics that fray when cut.

The overall silhouette is very similar to that of the Style Arc Sigrid coat; actually there are many patterns around that could potentially be subbed in for this one. However, the overlapped raw edged seams of the Berlin really do make it a worthwhile pattern to sew – it’s fast, and a little ‘edgy’ (see what I did there). The back neckline sits particularly nicely on me.

I sewed size Medium, which is a size smaller than my measurements, and like the resulting fit. The fabric came to me from a delightful friend. It’s much smoother than what I think of when I hear ‘boiled wool’ but it’s very tightly woven and doesn’t fray when cut. When I look very closely I think it’s actually a knit rather than a weave; it’s hard to tell in that slightly marled colour. The pocket opening, front/collar and cuffs are finished with an unusual facing treatment that results in a double raw edge. Very effective.

I have lost count of how many times I have sewn the Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee over the years.  It’s a frequent sewing palate cleanser for me; I often make one shortly after I finish something involved, or when I need a kick-start to get me back into the sewing groove.

This time around I used leftover striped knit bought from Rathdowne Fabrics way back in 2016 – I first used it to sew a Style Arc Maddison top that had frequent wear but has now left my wardrobe.

Check out my stripe matching along those side seams! It’s worthwhile paying attention at the cutting out stage. I didn’t baste the side seams but did pin them about every third stripe before overlocking them together. I also paid attention to the position of the stripes when I cut out the sleeves, and they do line up with the stripes on the body.

Even though I am pretty sure that everyone reading this is quite familiar with this free pattern, details are as follows: A Tessuti favourite, the Mandy Boat Tee is a wide, boxy style made for jersey knits. Featuring drop shoulders, it has a boat neckline and optional three quarter or full length fitted sleeves. Relaxed and easy-to-wear, Mandy really is the perfect wardrobe staple and a quick and satisfying sewing project. Sizes (AUS): XXS-XXXL Recommended fabrics: two-way stretch cotton, wool or viscose jerseys or knits with elastane, lycra or spandex content.

I probably sewed size 3, the L-XL, with a 1cm forward shoulder alteration. I used double sided fusible tape to stabilise the neckline before stitching it. A reminder if you’re sewing this that you definitely need a knit with plenty of lycra so that the sleeves fit you comfortably. They need to be fairly fitted to balance the proportions of the loose body, but you also need them to fit around your biceps! I twin needled the hems.

I bet that I never retire this pattern – it just works for me in so many ways.

Tessuti have a number of patterns specifically designed to be used with boiled wool.  They utilise overlapped seams and leave edges raw.  This makes them quite quick to sew, but the construction technique takes a little bit of getting used to.  Once you’re in the groove they’re actually quite straightforward.

This time around I sewed the Verona jacket. Tessuti describe it as follows: The cropped & boxy Verona Jacket features extended shoulders, peaked hemline at front, collar, front shoulder darts and two-piece bracelet length sleeve. This jacket can be worn open or secured at the neck with a decorative pin. A quick and easy sew and perfect layering piece for the autumn/winter months. As seams are overlapped, and edges and hems are left raw, the Verona Jacket is best made up in boiled felted wools or wool/blends.

I chose to sew size Medium, which is one size smaller than the Large that my measurements suggest.

More time is spent at the table pinning the pieces together than at the machine doing the sewing. It helps to have a large flat surface at the right height for you to lay things out. There’s no overlocker needed to make this jacket; all construction is with a straight stitch on the sewing machine.

The boiled wool came from Super Cheap Fabrics. Dusty pink has really been appealing to me lately! They don’t seem to have this colour in stock at the moment, but I have also seen gorgeous boiled wools at The Cloth Shop and Darn Cheap Fabrics. Note that boiled wool comes in a variety of fibre blends – some are 100% wool, others have polyester or viscose mixed in.

In these photos I am wearing my Verona jacket over an Aldi merino long-sleeved tee (no, I don’t sew everything that I wear) and a newly made pair of Style Arc Misty jeans. This really is my go-to pull-on jeans style pattern. I simplify it nowadays by eliminating the front ‘pockets’ completely, and I add a wide waistband with elastic enclosed inside it rather than the exposed elastic waistband treatment in the pattern. This pair is sewn in textured charcoal coloured bengaline from Super Cheap Fabrics.

Writing this blog post is making me want to sew another raw edge wool garment! My Sydney jacket is still going strong, but my Berlin jacket is now in a friend’s wardrobe, purely because the colour was too intense for me. I have some wool/cashmere earmarked for the Tessuti Oslo coat at the moment, but it’s a traditional lined coat. Before I get back to jackets and coats I have some outstanding projects to finish – and I’m heading off to a sewing retreat this weekend, so let’s see what gets made!

Goodness, I have sewn so many Tessuti Athina tops!  This is number five. There will be more.

The fabric is vintage that I bought a few years ago. What amazing colours – and that’s quite a zig zag! It’s definitely got a significant wool component – it has that lovely wool smell when steam ironed. I sewed the same size as I usually do with Tessuti Patterns, which I think is the Medium but could have been the Large, with a forward shoulder adjustment.

After trying it on, I realised that I had cut out the tunic length; my previous versions have been at top length. I’m wearing it in this next photo with a shawl knitted by mum and Style Arc Parker pants (designed for ponte but sewn in stretch corduroy).

It’s such a simple design that really lets the fabric shine. I find it an excellent foil for scarves and necklaces too. Sleeves roll up or down depending on the weather! You can see my previous versions of the Athina top here: first, second, third, and fourth.