As cocoon style blanket coat are everywhere my refashionista inspiration struck hard & I knew I could create one for myself with some hoarded bits of awesome from my stash:
any idea what I used?
I guarantee if you don’t already have the ingredients lurking about the house you’ll be able to find them at your local charity shop so let’s get makin’!
snag a round table cloth that comfortably wraps around your body & a cozy coordinating fabric 1.5 times larger than the table cloth (my elderly table cloth had a few stubborn stains so I dyed it blue before pairing it with a 1970’s wool-blend plaid)
pin the table cloth to the fabric right-sides-facing, then chop the fabric to match the size & shape of the table cloth
stitch together leaving a bit open for turning
flip right-side-out & top-stitch all around the outside edge, set aside for now
onto the sleeves: grab the rest of the fabric + some coordinating cotton for a lining (I simply used a piece of vintage bedsheet) & chop out 4 rectangles of each measuring your ideal sleeve length & width + seam allowance
place each outside fabric piece with a liner piece right-sides-facing & stitch together (as always, leaving an open bit for turning)… flip right side out & top-stitch around the edge
fold each almost-a-sleeve right sides facing & stitch together
flip right-side-out, et voila! Fancy lined sleeves!
grab that giant round cocoon, wrap it around yer body, fold down the top part & decide how long you would like your collar to be (mine is 35cm)
lay the cocoon-body on a flat surface and, measuring down from the center of the top edge, mark your collar length with a pin
snag a loose fitting jacket & center it on top of the cocoon-body, lining up the jacket collar with your pin
pin/mark the fabric at the position of the shoulder seam on each side of the jacket
remove the jacket from the fabric, grab a sleeve, place it at the shoulder mark & use its width as a guide to mark the sleeve opening, repeat on the other side
slice from mark to mark
pop your sleeves into the holes right-sides-facing
stitch together
zig zag over the outside seam for extra strength
slip it on…
(I love tablecloth farm scene on my collar!)
and head out in your stylin’ new coat!
*I simply pinned my cocoon closed with a purty vintage brooch but you could easily add a button, ribbon tie or even a short zipper to keep the cold out
awesome from the back…
and from the side…
and absolutely fabulous in action!
*Simply use a fleece blanket for an easier version without a lining…and as fleece doesn’t fray you don’t even have to hem the raw edges!
Transform your whole wardrobe with my groovy e-book collection too:
