Hello, and welcome to this Isolation/Lockdown2020/Stay Home Sapporo Coat Sewalong. It’s super exciting to be here!

The Sapporo Coat by Papercut Patterns is hugely popular and one of my favourite coats to make. Just look up the hashtag on IG and you can see it has well in excess of 1000 tags. And there is some amazing inspo in there too. It’s a quick sew as far as coats go, and it has serious impact when you wear it – get ready for the compliments, and start practicing your response ‘thanks I made it. It has pockets!’.

The fabulous peeps at Papercut Patterns have come to the Iso party and are offering an excellent 15% discount on PDF  & printed patterns to get us all going, discount code is valid to 24th May 2020. Just use this code Berninasapporo when you place the order – click on this link to go straight to where you need to for the PDF.

And this is the perfect project for these times. Why is it perfect? Because it can be made in a variety of fabrics from light weights to heavier weights, which means it suits both hemispheres. It doesn’t have any closures, so no need to for buttons or zips. Because you are more than likely shopping from stash – you can make it up as a two tone coat if you don’t have enough of one colour, and/or you can choose the shorter length (the shorter length version is available with the more updated release of this pattern, if you have the original pattern already – making a shorter version is pretty easy and will be covered in a later post). There is also no topstitching (and only a small amount of understitching), so if you don’t have a matching thread – it’s going to be fine. And because it is fully lined – and an easy lining to put in – it looks super profesh and makes for a fairly quick finish.

This coat is perfectly suitable for confident beginners who have tackled a project or two and much more experienced Sewsters. I often teach this as a 2^nd project for absolute beginners, and the results are great. Plus, super happy Beginner Sewters having tackled a coat and a lined project all at once – winning!

I have three Sapporo Coats, and I have made one for my Ma as well. My first two were winter weight in the longer length (as is my Ma’s), and my third is a lightweight linen/denim two tone, perfect for
those fringe seasons. The shorter length is easy to wear as a cardy alternative – and you look really put together with minimal effort – winning again!

So let’s get started and have a look at what next.

Sewalong timings

This sewalong is going to take place over 5 weeks. It is to compliment the instructions, so will not be photo heavy (trust me, I am no photographer lol) or too focused on individual steps, but will be a general overview to help you along. Plus tips and tricks I have learnt along the way making this coat a trillion millionty times (does 4 count as a trillion millionty?) and teaching it oodles of times (just for the record, oodles is more than trillion millionty).

• Week 1, 29th April – The Pattern and Fabric Choices:

This first week will see us downloading, assembling and cutting out the paper pattern. We’ll talk about size and fabric choices for both the main fabric and lining. I’ll show you the fabric I am considering. 

• Week 2, 6th May – Cutting the Fabric and Lining

This week we will prepare the fabric. You will need to prewash (if necessary, more on that in this post) and get it cut out and ready to go.

• Week 3, 13th May – Sewing the Main (or outer) Fabric

This is a big week, but you can handle it. We’re going to be sewing the main or outer fabric together. Bascially, we are constructing the shell. Get excited!

• Week 4, 20th May – Sewing the Lining

This week will see us assembling the lining. This will be easy because you’ve already made the shell of your coat, and this is virtually the same construction.

• Week 5 – 27th May – Attaching the Lining to the Main Fabric

This week you will be putting it all together. And before you know it you will have a finished coat. Did you hear that?? Finished, because once the lining is attached, that’s it – it will be ready to wear!!!

So, let’s all get on board this Iso Sapporo Coat Sewalong. Start looking at what fabric is in your stash and look on Social Media for inspiration. 

I’ll see you on the 29th April.

Mwah…