Pattern Review: McCall's m7478, View A– Vintage Coat with Beautiful Curves

This coat brings 1950s flare without being tacky or matronly. The shaping of the bust and waist of this coat is supremely elegant and eye catching. I get so many compliments when I wear this!  

Pattern: McCall's m7478; Fabric: wool suiting material (Thrifted), Dress: McCall's m7748 view B, made by me, Dress Fabric: printed sateen (Spotlight), Shoes: Topshop. 

What I love about this pattern 

This coat has the most beautiful shaping in the bust and waist: look at how perfectly it curves to the shape of my back! I really love wearing this coat because it's very flattering on my small bust and waist. The vintage details like the shawl collar and big skirt are timeless and could pass for modern. The cuffs are cute, warm and not cumbersome. Best of all I can also wear this coat over the top of my puffiest dresses!

What I don't like about this pattern 

There are some minor instruction issues for sewing the hem of this coat. The instructions don't tell you that the bottom edge of the facing and front should be sewn together at 2.5 cm (1", the hem allowance). Also you don't need to leave such a big gap when sewing the bottom of the facing to the lining, 2.5 cm (1") will do. 

I had a number of fitting issues with this pattern. The sleeves are tight to the point that I can't wear many layers underneath this coat. This is an odd fitting issue because my arms are by no means chubby and I've haven't had this issue with McCall's coat's before. I also brought up the sleeves by about 3.8 cm (1 ½)" and took in the shoulders by 1 cm (3/8") on each side. The shoulders are probably a little loose on me because I didn't add padding, my shoulder are square and I look silly with padding.

Changes that I made 

I decided to be a little fancy and pick-stitched the entire hem and edges of the coat. While this was very laborious but pick-stitching creates a perfect crisp edge without ironing and it's less visible than top-stitching. I also didn't use shoulder pads or horsehair braid as suggested as the skirt was full enough for my taste.

What I could have done better 

I don't think I used the best fabric for this pattern. The skirt doesn't drape as well as I'd like and pockets tended to stick out. This doesn't seem to be a problem when I wear it over the top of big cupcake skirts though. I recommend using a wool flannel fabric with good drape instead of thick wool suiting like I did. 

Difficulty 

I would consider this coat an average difficulty. Sewing the neckline for this dress will be difficult for beginners because the neck seam merges with two darts. Also, making button holes in such a thick coat is challenging. 

The Verdict 

This coat has an incredible shape which is very flattering on small busted women like me. The small shawl collar gives the illusion of a bigger bust yet doesn't make you look top heavy/chunky. This is a fantastic pattern for vintage enthusiasts even if it has some teething issues. 

• Instruction Clarity: 4/5. The instructions don't give the proper seam allowance for sewing the bottom of the facing.
• Fit: 3/5. The sleeves are oddly quite tight and long.
• Design Elegance: 5/5. The design is very elegant yet works great with modern clothes. 
• Final Product: 5/5. I love the slimming style of this coat and I'll be wearing it over all my dresses. 

• Overall: 4.25/5.