1929 Coat with Pin Tucks and Godets: Final Stretch Finishing Tips

I am wrapping up the coat this week.  I am 'spoiling' the lining rotten with a bias-turned hem so the bottom of the lining will lay perfectly smooth!
This is just one little trick I like to do with single bias facing to lend a nice finish with interesting detail (click on images for larger view):



I treated the brocade lining hem with a single bias of silk organza.  I had plenty of scrap around to create it in the same red to match the coat.  That way, if the bottom of the lining hem flips with movement, it will blend nicely with the coat.

The bottom of the lining hem is 1/2" above that of the coat (click on images for larger view):

1929 Coat with Pin Tucks and Godets: Godet Lining Tip

I treated the godet lining pieces the same as for the coat wool godets as far as turning a silk organza facing at the very top portion.  There is one big difference in that I stitched that facing down each side as shown (click on images for larger view):


This is so that I can make complete points out of the top of each godet so I may get crisp, secure turnings at that difficult juncture.  As you see, I clipped into the seam allowance so I may stitch the rest of the godets down each side by machine.  This also could have been done on the coat wool, but I felt I had better control of the turnings doing them by hand (as posted here) since the wool is so bulky.


Stitching down from the clipped seam allowance (which is at the bottom of the organza facing) when sewing the godet lining to the coat lining:


...and sewing the opposite edge of the godet to the lining from the clipped seam allowance (clip is not visible from this side, but its position is indicated by blue pin):


A view of the godet lining stitched into place from the wrong side, relative to the organza facing:


Godets are turned and pressed in place and ready to be hand-stitched along the edges turned with the organza facing:

1929 Coat with Pin Tucks and Godets: Hem Bias and Pin Tuck the Lining

Whenever possible, I like to keep bulk to a minimum in my sewing.  So, I am finishing my coat hem with a bias self-facing (click on images for larger view):
I am using fusible interfacing in just the hem of the coat.

A 2" hem is given in the coat pattern, yet I shortened the pattern below the waistline so I can use just a 1/2" allowance at the bottom to turn the bias facing I will sew.  I cut fusible interfacing on the bias about 3" wide so I can place it with the contours of the bottom edge of the coat.  I also pieced it so it goes behind the seam allowances of the coat.

Here, the bias interfacing is pieced and overlapped 1/2":


The coat hem is now ready to be turned and pressed to fell the bias to the wrong side of the coat.  On that note, I move to the inside of the coat.  I will pin tuck and assemble the brocade lining the same as for the coat.

1929 Coat with Pin Tucks and Godets: Stitch the Godets on and Trimming the Scarf Collar

Per the previous post about sewing this coat, I emphasized the process of facing the top edge of each godet to ready them for stitching to the coat.  Here, you see I am stitching the godet with the top edges turned in with the organza facing (click on images for a larger view:

After getting that seam in, I then clipped into the godet seam allowance just below my organza facing and stitched the top godet edges in place by hand.  this is better illustrated in the process for the lining godets, see November 17 post above.

When I turn the godet to stitch other side down the godet opening, I clipped into the seam allowance at an angle to fit the machine as far up as possible (not shown).
The free section of the top edge on the godet is to be invisibly hand-tacked to the coat, making sure to catch each folded corner of the top in.

When it came to cutting the faux fur trim for my scarf collar, I opted to cut it in one piece which would wrap over the top seam of the scarf rather than be sewn into that seam to reduce lines and bulk.  The advantage in this is also in cases where real fur pelt is used to reduce stitching and piecing.  Notice I faced the faux fur trim along the inside vertical edge only.  It is then turned right side out and with raw edges matching, hand basted to the fur layer (click image for a larger view):


I then hand basted the faced trim to the right side of the scarf so its edges will be caught in with the stitching of the scarf ends (click image for a larger view:


Alternately, the fur trim could be cut and seamed into the scarf (having cut the scarf fabric away with seam allowances included), but I like the idea of having the wool behind the trim for weight.  It swings round so well!