TL; DR – Learn how to do finished garment measurements when you aren’t provided them. Using a lighter fabric for the outer coat and a heavier fabric for the lining is a recipe for disaster.

I wanted a coat that I could wear in a open field and imagine myself on the cover of Taylor Swift’s Folklore album. My son has had a red buffalo plaid coat every winter for the past five years. I wanted one for myself, oversized and in the spirit of white girl normcore.

The Hazel Coat pattern from Mood Fabrics (FREE DOWNLOAD!) was EXACTLY what I wanted. No zippers, no buttons, no sleeves to set, no collar…Perfect opportunity to learn about adding a lining. And, folks, the pattern is fine, great even. Nice and simple. But, reader, I fucked it up.

First, I had a lighter flannel buffalo plaid, and then a heavy fleece lining. That isn’t usually how coats work; usually, the heavier fabric is the top fabric and the lining is lighter (look in your coats, you’ll see). So, what happened is that the top coat would not stay put and putting the two together was an EPIC FAIL. I don’t know know what happened at the neckline. There is a lot of stay stitching to try and keep everything in place, and even then it’s unstable.

Second, I did not do any final garment measurements, nor did I read up on how Mood Fabric patterns fit. If I had, I would have learned that the patterns are HUGE as compared to the size chart. To make matters worse, this pattern goes up by two sizes every time. According to the size guide, I would be a size 20-22, but only because there is no waist on this coat – my waist is a size 24.

I should have known when I finished the outer coat that it was…a little large. OK, it was ridiculously large. Researching their patterns later (which there isn’t much surprisingly), I learned that their patterns run large by at least a size or two. I don’t know if 16-18 would have been the right size, but it would have been a lot better that the clown coat I made.

Because of the lining, I can’t just “take it in”. I folded the front facing over to take some of the size out. I made a tie for the waist. I added buttons and button holes but I think that this coat is my first irredeemable failure. I was hoping that I could pass it off as a chic homage to Japanese oversized style, but…Probably not. My husband suggested that I just give it away to someone who wears a larger size.

If you’re that person! Let me know! Because I have a coat I want to give you.