As frost begins to coat our morning commute to work, it’s time to start thinking about winter wardrobes. Everyone wants to be warm, but that doesn’t mean we want to sacrifice style. The Alyssum Coat is the newest free pattern we’re putting out at Mood and it’s the perfect thing to stay cozy chic this season. Inspired largely by Yigal Azrouël’s enveloping aesthetic, the garment features a pullover neckline topped with an over-sized cowl.
Fabrics & materials used:
- 4 yards Herno Navy Knit Wool Coating (Also available in Gray and Tan!)
- Edit: It looks like this wool coating is going fast! Some other options are this gorgeous speckled wool knit if you’re looking for some subtle color, or this mohair blended knit for a more casual look. Check out all of Mood’s wool knits and tell me which one you’re eyeing!
- 1/4 yard Poplin or Pocketing
- MDF002 – The Alyssum Coat Pattern (Free download below!)
Pattern includes a 1/2″ seam allowance unless otherwise stated.
This coat is a pullover, so it doesn’t require any buttons or zippers or closures. It mainly consists of two panels, which meet in the center back (like you see above) and fold toward the front to form the sides of the coat. There are also two front panels and lapels, which overlap in the front and are sewn into the cowl. Plus pockets. Who doesn’t want pockets?
To start, sew your front panels to the lapel inserts, like you see above. Line up each of your pocket panels with the notches on the pattern, right sides together.
Once your pocket panels are sewn into place, pin the front panels to each of the back/side panels, making sure to line up the notches and pockets. Sew down the sides, and around the pockets, like in the above photo. Do not sew your pockets shut! They should be hidden in the seam when you flip your garment to the right side, like below.
Line up the sleeve openings and corners the shoulders and sew. To finish your sleeves, flip the ends in 1/2″ and hand-stitch. Sew your two back/side panels together along the center back seam, and then it’s time for facings!
This coat is super cozy and chunky, so adding a full lining could make it a little too bulky. Instead, I faced just the front two panels and the back/side bottom hem. Sew the hem facing first, fold it inward and slip-stitch the top along the inside of the garment.
Sew the front facing along the center front and bottom of the front panel, flip it toward the inside of the coat and slip-stitch along the side seam, where you see the pins in the above photo.
Lastly, you need to attach the cowl. I recommend sewing each cowl panel separately along the short side of the rectangle. You should be left with two tubes that can fit around the neckline of your coat. Match up the seams and sew them, right sides together, along one of the long sides.
Like in the above photo, sew one of the tubes to the neckline of your garment. The center back seams should be aligned and the front lapel inserts should evenly overlap. Fold the cowl facing inward and slip-stitch it along the neckline.
I absolutely adore this pattern. It’s the perfect stylish look for a crisp walk through Central Park, or it can be made with a bamboo fleece for a more street style vibe. I can’t tell which I would love more! I’m probably going to be making ten of these.
What sort of style are you going to make yours? I’d love to hear your plans in the comments!
35 comments
Love it
Thanks!! 🙂
Thank you so much. Now all I need is the fabric.
I wish it was a lighter color. I am having a hard time seeing the details. But thank you.
Lucy
Thank you very mutch
Love this pattern, thanks so much! Is there any chance you could provide a finished width measurement since it is a one size fits most? Also, I would like to make this out of fleece, how much stretch is necessary?
Thanks again!
Hi there! So the width at the arms is roughly 48″ (flat). Even though it’s a knit, the garment itself actually doesn’t require a lot of stretch. It’s very loose fitting and the only closed part of it is the cowl neck, which it pretty wide. You could probably make the pattern with a fleece without having to alter it. 🙂
Omg I have a soft green wool blend with the tiniest stretch I have been waiting to use. I’m using it on this thanks to your comment! I can’t wait!
Hi, could you tell me how does one do the slip stitch correctly?
Hi Kate! We have a tutorial on How to Handsew a Slipstitch that should help!
Thanks for your response Courtney. Is there any way you can post a couple more picture of how to make the sleeves? I am not sure if the v shape at the top of the back is the hole for the sleeve because you mention sleeve darts. If the v is a dart then I am not sure how or where to form the sleeve. Thanks!
Whoops! Sorry about the confusion. I suppose that should read ‘notches’ instead of darts; I’ve fixed the post so hopefully no one else runs into that. You are correct – the ‘V’ will be the sleeve opening. Fold your panel at the center of the ‘V’ and align the shoulder corners to create the sleeve.
Thank you so much for the pattern, Courtney! I just finished my Alyssum coat and I can’t wait to wear it. I just need the weather to cooperate: it’s way too cold (-3) for exposed forearms. BTW, I’m a size 22 and it fits great! Sometimes you just don’t know about ‘one size fits all’.
That’s amazing to hear, thank you so much for the feedback! 🙂 I hope the weather gets better soon; -3 is crazy!!
Really classy! Love it
Thanks for sharing this pattern
Gorgus pattern, thank you so much
I’ve just discovered Mood Sewciety’s free patterns. Beautiful pattern.
Beautiful! It sounds like not a lot of stretch KS needed… do you think it would work with boiled wool? Thanks!
Yes, I definitely think that would work!
So gorgeous! Do you think a bamboo & cotton knit fleece would be warm enough for those allergic to wool?
Yes, that could definitely work!
43 Questions: 1) To print the pattern—take pdf to a place that can print acchitechural type drawings? Or something else? 2) How many yards of 60″ fabric? 3) Would Boiled wool be suitable or better to have a pattern as in the recommended fabrics? 4) With a stretchy knit—is Serger used or can a regular machine be used?
The pattern is a PDF, so it can be printed with a regular printer. You’ll need 4 yards of fabric. This coat is an over-sized pullover, so stretch isn’t entirely necessary for the pattern. I think a boiled wool would look fantastic! I used just a regular machine. 🙂
Hi I really want to make this, would u recommend sweatshirt fleece
Yes, I think a sweatshirt fleece would be perfect for this!
Thanks
I love this! Classy, easy, stunning.
Absolutely love this! Being a whopping 5’1” I would recommend bringing the pockets and hem up 4-5” for anyone on the smaller side. Thanks, Mood, your free patterns make sewing on a student budget feasible!
Very pretty, but definitely chunky coat. I’m 5′ 3″ and shortened it 12″ so that it fell below my butt and above my knees. The length wasn’t doing anything for my height. I used a red and black “marbled” wool and I love it <3
Hi, I am kind of confused by the grainlines, they seem to be exactly opposite to all other patterns I have ever seen. Did you really mean to name the lines grainlines, should it not have been called maximum stretch (90 degrees to the grainlines)?
Hi Kate!
We get an overwhelming amount of questions each day, and sometimes a few slip through the cracks. We’re sorry for the late response, but we wanted to answer it in case anyone else had the same question:
Those lines are indeed the grainlines.
Hi
I am using google translator. I do not know English
I’m having trouble sewing this piece.
I don’t know how to join the front with the back.
Would I have to do any bending?
I also don’t understand the finish on the bottom of the front.
Please ! Help me!
Hello there!
Thanks for visiting the Mood Sewciety Blog! We’re proud to have released over 350 free sewing patterns, and we hope you’re enjoying them.
Behind the scenes we’re a dedicated team of three, and we want to be able to offer top notch support. We have exciting plans for our patterns on the horizon, and as we continue to grow, we’ve decided to focus our sewist support on patterns from the last 2 years. If this pattern hasn’t been recently reduxed or updated, we won’t be able to respond to pattern-related questions on these older posts.
If you come across any pattern errors, rest assured our team is on it – just let us know!
Don’t miss out on our Mood Sewciety Facebook Group – a fantastic space for fellow sewists to connect, share wins, and tackle challenges together.
Thank you for your understanding and happy sewing!
Best regards,
The Mood Sewciety Blog Team
I’m really struggling with the sleeves, neither the pattern or the instructions are very clear on where to line things up to form the sleeves and shoulders. Are there other tutorials/photos available for this pattern?
Hello there!
Thanks for visiting the Mood Sewciety Blog! We’re proud to have released over 350 free sewing patterns, and we hope you’re enjoying them.
Behind the scenes we’re a dedicated team of three, and we want to be able to offer top notch support. We have exciting plans for our patterns on the horizon, and as we continue to grow, we’ve decided to focus our sewist support on patterns from the last 2 years. If this pattern hasn’t been recently reduxed or updated, we won’t be able to respond to pattern-related questions on these older posts.
If you come across any pattern errors, rest assured our team is on it – just let us know!
Don’t miss out on our Mood Sewciety Facebook Group – a fantastic space for fellow sewists to connect, share wins, and tackle challenges together.
Thank you for your understanding and happy sewing!
Best regards,
The Mood Sewciety Blog Team