Eryn Shields created some wonderful patterns back in the day and I was always sure to get her patterns as soon as they were released. So when she released the Madison Cardigan pattern I was anxious to get the pattern and create this fabulous duster coat.
I went looking in my local thrift store for a garment to remake into my Madison because I am committed to using fabric recycled from existing garments. I bought this awesome Opera Coat for $2.00. I call it an Opera Coat because it looks like something you would wear to the opera over a long black dress.
Me in my $2.00 thrifted Opera Coat
The fabric is 100% wool in a warm cream color. I can hardly believe how rich and luxurious this fabric is.
Rich cream-colored 100% wool
So after I secured the fabric for my Madison Cardigan, I looked at printing the PDF pattern. Madison is a full size cardigan/coat and the pattern has over 40 pages to tape together if printed at home. I decided to take the pattern to a copy shop to have it printed.
When I got the pattern home from the copy shop, I cut out the pieces and pinned them to the Opera Coat. I worked strategically to get the maximum amount of usable fabric from the coat
This is the drawing of the Madison Cardigan from the StyleSewMe instruction booklet
Madison Cardigan pattern pinned to Opera Coat
BUT I noticed immediately after pinning the pattern pieces to the fabric that the pieces, as printed at the copy shop, were much too small to be the proper size. (Check out the last pattern piece on the right which is supposed to be the sleeve piece.)
I was shocked but it was obvious to me that they scaled the pattern at the copy shop and did not print it at 100%.
Since I had cut the pieces out before I realized the mistake, I was left with Madison cardigan pieces that were much too small to sew into a duster for me.
My deconstructed Opera Coat
The fabric is still beautiful so I really wanted to be able to use it. I was able to salvage a portion of the fabric and use it as the lining of a hobo bag made from this beautiful tobacco colored leather jacket.
A Vintage Leather Jacket
I used the fabric I could salvage from the Opera Coat as the lining for a leather hobo made from the vintage jacket above.
Lining for hobo bag made from fabric of the Opera Coat
This is the finished hobo bag that I sent to my BF. The opera coat is the inside lining.
