Sewing Project Update 5: Tibetan Panel Coat

There comes a point in time in many sewing projects where the visual progress slows. Now is that time on the Tibetan Panel Coat. It doesn't mean, of course, that progress isn't being made. However, an hour's worth of work yesterday is dramatic. However, an hour's worth of work yesterday is dramatic. An hour's worth of work today might be overlooked by a casual observer.

Today the seams are almost all hidden. The lining was permanently added, the hems were evened up, the slash for the side vent was selected, and the facing was constructed and placed in with long stitches so I could see what it looked like.



The decorative facings for the armholes are going in. I've laid out the collar pieces to see what more red looks like.

I was a bit worried about choosing the green for the contrasting decorative facing around the armholes, but after letting it sit for a while I ended up liking it as much as I did when I sketched out the design at the fabric store.

The side vents are not centered in the panel. If I make another panel coat, I won't make slashes in the lining before construction, like the instructions tell you to do. I'll wait in order to choose the location of the side vent after the lining goes in. That way I can stitch the seams for the slashed vent, then cut, making it a quicker and more stable process and allowing greater freedom in choosing where the vent goes. Cutting the pieces beforehand assumes perfect execution in cutting and sewing. With heavy or tricky fabrics, that's not going to happen easily. It was close, but not exactly centered after the lining was placed. I cut as accurately as I could, but things shift and some fabric does shift.

I like the colors and hope that this garment finds a really good home. I'm going to offer it at a charity auction.