McCalls 2233 - chef's coat

These are the folks that I'm referring to above. Seems I always end up on their site when doing a fabric search, without knowing I'm going there. Their search feature is pretty good, though it would be better if you could do something like "coat herringbone -wool" to get rid of all the wool fabrics.

Their search is very simple. No boolean commands, apparently. Too bad!

Do you know of a fabric site that does do boolean? These folks are the best I've seen so far for a fabric site, though compared to something like Google, its way down there.

Does anyone order from Cheeptrims? I wanted to buy a little bit of jacquard ribbon for a trim around a seam on sleeves for a jacket. Then I read on the web site that the minimum order they accept is $65. Sigh. It was pretty stuff, too. Sharon

No, and it's a mystery to me. When the search brings up way more than you wanted, and too much to look through, you tend to wander off somewhere else to shop. I would think they would want to have a more effective result. Surely it can't be that expensive to get an effective search program.

I have in the past. The $65.00 minimum must be a new-ish thing. It's probably been oh...2 years maybe??? Since I ordered from them. I know I didn't spend $65 last time. (although I really **could** lol Let's not mention that to DH ok?? LOL!!) I've always been really happy with the stuff I've gotten from them in the past. But there really is no buying just a little bit from them since everything is in bulk. As long as it's something you can use a lot of, the quality has always been wonderful.

That's really too bad that they went to that minimum order policy. :(

Sharon (the other one lol)

If the shirts I wear are any indication of what this jacket will be like, I need to put a larger size collar on than the body size would indicate.

On shirts, I've done it by adding fabric where the front and back shells meet. I'd take 1/4 of the size increase needed and add that amount of material to the front and back seams on each side, but only on the inside part that meets the collar, tapering to zero increase at the armscye..

Can I do this for the jacket as well?

Folkwear got back to me with an answer to this question, and they just advised increasing the back pieces by the needed amount and tapering down to the waist. I'm thinking that will move the shoulder points out.

I would draw a new neckline delta/2pi outside the original one and not alter the pattern pieces themselves unless they need it for other fit issues - which of course they may.

You could also use your existing method and 'slide' the neckline deeper or wider into each piece, without changing it's other edges. (Just trace the neckline on another piece and slide it further onto the pattern piece, filling in one or both ends with straight segments of the length calculated your old way.

I guess it all depends on what shape you want the increase to be.

Well, the neckline abuts against the double-breasted "lapel" in the front. That's a concern.

Mostly I find ANY pressure on the front of my throat to be fairly unpleasant. Which is my reason for adjusting the neck. I did cut out a copy of the collar, folded back the seam allowance and tried it around my neck. It did not seem to be a problem. And I assume I'll usually have the top button open on the jacket anyway, as with my shirts.

So, if I were going to move the collar line in any direction, it would, at least in part, be forward a bit. But then it abuts against the lapel.

I'm doing the first one with some "test" fabric, some grey sueded polyester, with an added flannel backing. Then I'll try the herringbone I have. I cut out the pattern pieces tonight, but don't have room on my floor right how to lay out all the fabric.

So shorten the lapel by a quarter of an inch or whatever...

Maybe on the second one. Looks kinda complicated right now.

With our name, there's always another one. A lot of our mothers loved the name, and I'm not unhappy to share it. :-) It has a musical sound.

To be sure I wasn't dreaming, I just called their customer service dept. and the rep said they've always had a $65 minimum. I said that people I know would be surprised, but she repeated it. Maybe they haven't been careful about observing it, or (no, it can't be....) you bought more than you thought? Hey, I'm on your side. I need very little encouragement to start a new stash.

That other Sharon