Around here, the Downton Duffle Coat is our go-to winter coat pattern! We just love how easy they are to sew, how many sizes are included, and what professional results you can achieve. This time, the recipient of the Downton Duffle Coat was David, age 7. His younger brother is wearing this one I made for him a couple of winters ago.
For the wool fabric, I used a cut of fabric gifted to me from a friend. It was grayish blue on one side and a brighter blue on the other side. I ended up using the muted side, and think it complements his eyes perfectly!
The inside is the fluffy side of a sherpa fabric I got from JoAnns. You can see both sides in the vest I made here. I asked David which side he wanted against his skin, and he chose this soft and cuddly side! Can’t blame him there…
I did use the reverse suede side for the hood trim. Because this fabric is so thick, there was no need to interline the body or hood of the Downton Duffle Coat. It’s toasty warm, and David is so happy with it!
The sleeves however, did need to be lined with a slipperier fabric so that his arms can slide in and out with ease while wearing a long sleeve shirt or sweater. I used some gray lining fabric from the stash, and quilted some batting between the layers. I’m quite pleased with how they turned out as well!.
The only place I ended up using leather on this Downton Duffle Coat was on the elbow patches. Since the last time I made this pattern was a relatively short time ago for baby Tina, I hadn’t forgotten yet how much trouble those faux leather toggles were. So I just decided to forego the toggle closures altogether on this one. They are purely decorative anyway when there is a zipper. Cute, but not worth the struggle this time!
I made a size 8 for David hoping it will last him 2 winters like it did last time. You can see the arms are a little bit too long, but that’s usually where my kids outgrow their clothing first. So perhaps… He hasn’t mentioned the sleeves bothering him or feeling too long, and when I said he could roll up the sleeves to make cuffs, he declined, saying he liked it just like this!
If you’ve never made a coat before, I really suggest this pattern, the Downton Duffle Coat. It’s delightfully simple, and can be accomplished with ease. You’ll feel like a professional! Have you made a coat pattern before?
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