"GiGi"

Y’all! Can I just start by saying that I am in looooovee with my new coat!! I mean I’ve always wanted to make my own fur coat but kept putting it on the back burner because I figured it wouldn’t be an easy task. However, the minute I spotted this ah-mazing faux fur at MoodFabrics.com I knew it was time.

Ok so before I get to that…I wanted to open up a little about what’s been going on in my life. If you’re a relatively close friend or family member you know I lost my mother back in November. I’ve had a really rough time coming to terms and dealing with everything the past few months. I haven’t felt like talking to anyone or doing much of anything. And of course being in the middle of a pandemic hasn’t helped. I mean I’ve been in a funk that even sewing couldn’t pull me out of. I understand now more than ever that grief is a very serious thing and if you’re not careful it will consume you. With that said I wanted to shine a light on Calm and Teledoc, two apps that have been a complete blessing to my life. Combined with the power of prayer and fasting I’m starting to reemerge better and stronger than ever. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression and/or anxiety I encourage you to use these resources or seek help elsewhere.

Now let’s talk about this coat shall we? First of all the fabric is from Mood Fabrics as I’ve already mentioned. You can find it here. The pattern I used is Simplicity 8797. I literally bought it a few years ago and never used it until now. I made view A which required nearly 4 yards of fur and lining. The lining by the way is also from Mood Fabrics. I love it because it’s not your basic, plain old lining…it has stripes! Which adds a pretty unique flair to the coat in my opinion.

So as mentioned, I had never worked with any type of fur before, fake or otherwise so I had absolutely no clue about all the shedding involved. I mean there was fur everywhere!

I also didn't know that there was a certain way to cut it, that I needed to use certain pins or that the settings on my machine needed to be adjusted. Well you live and you learn. I recently ran across this awesome site which is full of amazing tips on getting started if you’re a fur beginner like me.

So if you’ve ever made a fully lined jacket or coat before you know that it’s technically like making two jackets in one. You literally have to create the front, back and arms of the lining just as you would the outer garment. And then put it all together into one seamless garment. This process wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I mean I’ve made lined garments before so I was pretty familiar with the process. The sketchy part for me was working with fur. But once I got the hang of things it became pretty easy. Here’s a glimpse at how it looks on the inside…

Overall I’m extremely happy about the way this coat turned out. It’s soft, warm, and oh I almost forgot to mention there’s also pockets for snacks! 😉

The funky colors remind me of my mommy and how vibrant and fun she was with her sense of style. Wearing this coat is like getting a hug from her every time I put it on. ❤️ I named it GiGi because it was a nickname given to her by her friends.

If you’re interested in making a fur coat of your own I would recommend that you just go for it! Definitely choose a pattern that’s not so detailed (there are some out there that are a lot easier than the one I chose). Do your research, and for goodness sake get your fabric from Mood Fabrics! You won’t be disappointed. 😘