She’s done! And about to be gifted so I figured it was time to share the new quilted coat in navy and purple with chambray with you!
This one has been getting lots of love on the ‘gram and you’ve even loved how I styled her (even though she’s not mine to keep 😉).
There’re so many opportunities to make your quilted garments unique to you. Today I wanted to share some of the details I snuck into this Hovea quilted coat featuring the Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat Pattern Extension in the hopes it inspires you to make one too!
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The Fabric Plan
The fabric took a hot minute to come together – ha!
I shared quite a bit of detail with you about this lengthy step in this blog post. The reason it took so long is that I was collaborating with my mum, and I wanted to nail the fabric pull. I obviously wanted my mum to love the fabrics and be excited about the direction it was heading in. Since I gauge the success of my fabric pulls based on my own level of excitement, I still wanted that feeling to be there even though the project wasn’t intended for me.
It’s a barometer I use to help steer me to quilty success and it’s a part of my design process that I didn’t want to skip.
I’m so thankful I stuck with my design approach as, while these aren’t colours I would have naturally gravitated towards, I’m 100% in love with the combination.
The hunt for the perfect fabric pairing paid off! And it serves as a great reminder that sometimes it’s worth taking the time to source the exact fabrics you want instead of settling for ‘good enough’. I don’t regret any of the hours I spent scouring online fabric shops for the perfect prints. I know my mum is beyond excited to get her hands on her coat, so that in itself is proof that the time invested was worth it!
Cotton on the outside
What was fun about this new quilted coat in navy and purple ombré version is that I opted to feature quilting cotton on the outside. Up to this point, I’ve typically featured linen or wovens on the exterior body of the quilted coat. You know I’m a sucker for the texture these fabric substrates offer, but I couldn’t find a linen or woven that was in stock or that met my colour requirements. So, I took a chance on just featuring these Tilda Solids in:
My impression so far is that it works! These 100% cotton solids feel wonderful to the touch and have a glorious colour payoff.
Chambray on the inside
While perusing the fabric options, I stumbled upon this gorgeous chambray. I had a floral print in mind for the lining, but I couldn’t find enough of the print in stock to make the lining happen. So, I switched tracks when I spotted this stunning Tilda Chambray.
Chambray isn’t something I stitch with often. I’ve used a linen version in my original Double Windmill quilt and then snuck some of the remnants into this Irish Vortex quilt, but otherwise, chambray hasn’t been featured in my sewing and quilting. I can now see that changing – ha!
Not only does it feel wonderful, but it’s got a beautiful drape to it too. This not only makes it perfect for a quilted coat but for garment sewing too (as you can see in this dress and this top)!
For more me-made fashion inspiration check out:
The quilting
I should probably switch up my quilting approach for my quilted coats but, here’s the thing, I really love the paired-back classic look of the 1” straight-line quilting. I love that it keeps the focus on the patchwork motif of the Etched Diamond design.
Plus, keeping the stitch work minimal, means the quilted jacket will have a beautiful drape to it. The more stitching you add the heavier and denser the coat will feel, and I tend to like a more flowy feel.
A first for me was featuring a prominent thread colour for the interior lining. My instinct was to suggest a matching thread colour for both the exterior and thread lining options, but my mum had other ideas in mind!
Instead of matching the thread to the lining, my mum wanted to make a statement with a bold purple thread colour.
And you know what?
She was absolutely right!
The dark thread pops against the lavender and adds detail and drama to the lining that wouldn’t have been there had we matched the thread.
This approach can be a little nerve-wracking as your quilting will be showcased, so take your time with your quilting 😉
Binding
After featuring a coordinated bias binding on the warm-toned Sprout Wovens quilted coat and loving the look, I decided to do the same with my mum’s.
Part of the reason is that I couldn’t find a print that I felt tied the look together. It either felt forced or detracted from the patchwork colours. I was tempted to feature that deep purple on the pocket binding, but in the end, opted to stick with a more streamlined look.
I’m happy I did as I find the end result is a more classic look with an enticing pop from the colourful ombré patchwork.
Big stitch hand quilted binding
Naturally, I tacked the bias binding down with some big stitch hand quilting in this deep purple pearl cotton thread. I just adore those little stitches and wanted my mum to experience that joy too.
Learn how to big stitch your own binding in this tutorial.
See it in action!
This one is for my mum, but before I gifted it I filmed myself wearing it so that you could see how the fabrics move. Note, the size is a little off as this one is a size 12 when I normally wear a size 4.
Learn how to make your own
So often, when I share these coats with you, you say you’d love to make one but that it feels intimidating. To help take some of that fear out, I filmed myself making one. I wanted you to be able to see how everything should look at each step of the piecing adventure.
The best part is that you can take the Quilted Coat Course at your own pace and from the comfort of your own sewing room!
Get started today!
Materials featured
In case you want to stitch up a similar version of this navy and purple ombré quilted coat, here’s what you’ll need:
- Hovea Coat Pattern – shown is the size 12
- Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat Pattern Extension
- Tilda Solids in:
- Chambray in Plum
- Coral Ocean Flower
- 50wt Aurifil Thread for piecing
- 40wt Aurifil Thread for quilting (here’s the 50wt)
- 50wt Aurifil Thread for lining quilting
- Batting
- Sewing machine
- Walking foot
- Guide bar
- Long ruler
- Square ruler
- Small ruler
- HST Ruler
- Rotary cutter with these blades
- Rotating cutting mat
- Tailor’s Scissors
- Tracing paper – this is what I use
- Sharpie
- Erasable marking tool
- Marking tool for plotting lines
- Pearl cotton thread in purple
- Leather thimble
- Embroidery scissors
- Pin cushion – featuring this pattern
- Pins
- Clips
Read about all of my most used notions for making quilted coats in this blog post.
As I always encourage my students, there’s really no right or wrong approach to your fabric and quilting plans, it just comes down to the look and feel you’re after.
What’s fun about making more than one is getting to experiment with your combinations and seeing what impact even a subtle change can make.
For more quilted coat inspiration check out:
If you look at the previous ones I’ve made, each has its own distinct look with some being bolder and brighter than others 😊 This navy and purple ombré quilted coat gives me classic vibes with a modern ombré pop.
Your turn! What fabrics and colours will you feature in your quilted coat?
xo
Shannon
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Would love to see your Mum’s coat inside out. Curious if the whole sleeve is the print (on the cuff) or the fabric of the main lining. Want to make a fall coat with similar peacock main color (I look terrible in warm tones) with fall color patchwork.
Hi Heidi, great point! I’ve added in a photo so you can see the lining print I used on the arms. You’ll notice the print goes the entire way up the sleeve, not just on the cuff. I just checked and it seems I didn’t take any pictures with the lining side facing out, but I do have a video that I’ll share on Instagram soon! Can’t wait to see what fall colors you pair with the peacock blue. It really is a glorious shade!
I’m not on Instagram, but the sleeve image explains it. If i wanted the inside sleeve to match the inside body, except for the cuff, i guess i can just figure out where to join the two fabrics on the inner sleeve. Thank you.
Wonderful! Let me know if any other questions pop up!
Yes, that would do the trick! Just remember to add the seam allowances 😁