making a fuax fur coat

[Stolli]

So i really want to make a full length or 3/4 length faux fur coat for the burn (and LIB!) but i have no experience with making clothes and don't know how. I do have a lot of time on my hands though and want to give it a try! I dont really have any sewing experience (though i have sewed before) but i have access to a sewing machine + people that could potentially help me. I cant seem to find any instructions online anywhere other then an pretty unhelpful how.com article, and was wondering if any of you guys can point me in the right direction. A video would be awesome, but i imagine one likely doesn't exist. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks

-Stolli

[Drawingablank]

try:


This one is actually good too but you now need to sign into youtube to watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3DSSZjunUwixc

The main thing with fur is to cut as close to the backing as possible and to brush the hairs away from the seams.

[Savannah]

Hi Stolli,

Welcome to ePlaya. Feel free to delurk in the "Introduce Yourself" forum too, if you'd like some more hellos. It's not mandatory, though.

This ultra long thread has a lot about sewing faux fur, as one of the most important & frequently worn items out there is indeed a playa coat.

Costume & Crafting Help
viewtopic.php?t=34307

Yes, it's a general thread, including far more than coats, but on page one alone(!) I found a pattern recommendation, and the following tips about sewing with faux fur, such as:

I would actually love a whole sub-forum on costumes & crafting, so we could have specific topics. but then i'm a sewing geek.

my hints? Double stitch the shoulders on fur stuff- it's heavy.

CUT FUN FUR WITH AN EXACTO KNIFE!!!

from the back side. it's like 10000x easier and your living room looks less like you murdered a squirrel.

and

Trim or shave the seam allowances of fur before you sew. If you try to sew through bulky fur and you don't have an industrial-grade sewing machine, your machine will hate you and commit suicide.

And there are two more suggestions on that page alone, but I didn't want this post to be so long. So go look.

Here's some other stuff I found by trying different keywords on Google paired with the word "eplaya" and then searching only among eplaya results:

Links and thoughts and pics in Fur coat pattern?
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34244&start=0

Short but possibly good--Building an LED / Faux Fur Coat
viewtopic.php?f=279&t=53528

[theCryptofishist]

Have denim needles. The thinner ones break too easily. Have extra so you don't have to go back to the sewing store at 11 pm when your last one breaks... I think you need the tension loose too, but I dont' have that memorized, just the needle bit.

[Ratty]

You can totally do it with no experience. Do you have an old bed sheet or curtain? Make pattern from a coat. Just the back and front panels. (OK it's a vest so far). Cut out the pattern one inch bigger than the coat that's laying on the sheet. pin it together at the shoulder seams. Drape it over your shoulders and admire what a good pattern maker you are. NOW. Do you want it bigger? Longer? Are you going to wear a belt to keep it closed? Are you thinking a few laces in front to tie it closed? Buttons will be easy if you button them with a loop of something attached. Forget using a zipper they get jammed with dust. You could cut the front pieces wider so they over lap.

If you don't sew, buying a pattern is not a bargain. It makes it too confusing. Follow your heart, not directions.

OK. So now you have a vest and want sleeves. I've always made them by holding the fabric up to the hole, (armhole), and drawing on the back side of the material. Look at the sleeve of your coat laying on the floor. Put your piece of sheet under the sleeve and draw a pattern leaving plenty of room for seams. (Both on the shoulder and under the arm.) Trust me. Your X was harder than this. (and that's not HARD.)

I don't picture you lining this. It won't be anything fancy but if you have a fur that you like, It will look great and you will love it.

You need to know how much fabric to buy before you get to the store. So. Fabric comes in 36 and 45 inch widths. Don't quote me. You have the 'sheet' pattern. lay it out. Some fur has a nap. You don't want the front laying flat down, and the back laying flat up. Or maybe you do. Or maybe it doesn't have a nap. When you get to the store brush it one way and another. (One of these threads has great resources for online fur. Much better than going to a retail store.)

Wow. I really shouldn't post durring happy hour.

[theCryptofishist]

Wow. I really shouldn't post durring happy hour.

Posting on eplaya during the sixty minutes of joy is always encouraged.