project past: Claude Montana, vintage vogue Paris original pattern 2204

Another sewing project past that i made approximately 10 years ago is a design by Claude Montana, Vogue Paris Original Pattern 2204.  I still wear this coat on the occasion that it gets really cold in Holland ;-) So last winter i didn't get to wear it at all  :-(  Even though i do not reside in Canada anymore i still make very warm winter coats as if to withstand the Canadian winter windchill temperatures of - 40 Celsius.  Mind you the wet Dutch sea climate can chill you to the bones because of the dampness. So whenever it snows or outside temperatures reach below - 5 C, this is the coat to wear.  Only thing is, i cannot bicycle in this coat, which becomes tricky anyway with snow on the roads because Holland is only geared toward removing very light snowfall from highways and main roads on such occasions.

The fabric i used is a chocolate brown faux-fur with a woven backing. ( it is not a knitted faux-fur fabric) It's a beautiful material that might even get mistaken for the real thing. Or i assume that passersby make this mistake, because i sometimes get a dirty look when i wear this coat, but most of the time i get compliments.  It is not a difficult coat to make. The pattern has an average rating on the envelope. But i didn't add the cord for top stitching which makes things easier. The faux-fur is a good choice for this pattern because the fabric falls beautiful in spite of the thickness of the material. Actually, a heavy woolen fabric might even be too stiff  for this flared pattern with its large collar?   I did not use the recommended shoulder pads, plus made smaller seams when stitching the sleeves into the armholes. I do this purposely (with almost all my winter coats) so i can wear a thicker sweater or jacket underneath this coat and still have ample room for moving my arms without fabric bunching up because of a tightness in the shoulders.  Several  fur hooks were used as a closure for this coat. Side front pockets are also wonderful to keep hands warm. Add a knitted hat and woolen scarf plus thick leather gloves and off i go for walks through a Dutch winter wonderland on the incidental occasion. The pattern for this coat is a timeless classic: Thank you Claude Montana for sharing your designs via Vogue patterns with us, sewnistas. Affordable democratic design for your less affluent customers.