The Raincoat

I've had the idea of making myself a good raincoat for a couple of years now. In summer I go to rock festivals around the world, mostly in Europe, where it usually rains. I needed something light but really waterproof. 

I found this wonderful textile in an American website. It is a slippery, velvety, black waterproof fabric. Reeeally nice touch, drape and fall. It wears wonderfully. Good quality and a very good value for its cost.

I decided to use the Chanel Jacket pattern, self made with Aldrich's book. I just elongated the panels of the jacket to reach my knee, and added some details: a funnel neck, a hood (both form Aldrich's) hidden inside the neck by a zipper along it, some pockets in the front of the coat, a zipper and its placket, with some velcros to keep it closed and a small cape covering the shoulders front and back.







































 I enclosed all the seams in themselves and made a black jersey underlining, enclosed inside the neck and hand-sewn around the bottom hem.

This has been a really exhausting project. It had so many steps and layers that I had to keep it simple, a step after the other, little by little every day. It took me a month to finish, sewing 1-2 hours a day. It was not a nice sewing, I had doubt all the way to the end, but finally I had the chance to try it in real life, under the rain in the Basque Country...

The result is wonderful. It not only kept me dry under the rain, but it looked and felt really sweet, classy and elegant. 

It has some point to be improved, though: the zipper placket shows some air bublles where it is badly sticked to the fusible interlining(I have to re-iron that), the hood moves backwards when you walk against the wind (I have to put a cord to tie it under the chin), the front cape is not perfect (maybe some buttons would help to keep it under control), and finally, I will make a bag with the remaining fabric. I will use the bag to keep it when it is not raining but still I have to carry it. I will show you the bag when I make it.

Ready!