Phew, this leopard coat took a lifetime to actually finish. It wasn’t due to any difficulties within the pattern or super challenging parts of the sew, but mainly to me starting it and setting it aside for far too long, as I have a habit of doing. This project began way back in October of 2019 when I attended a sewing retreat. I had brought this beautiful Hobby Lobby Home Decor Leopard Fabric (which sadly I can no longer find online to link but last I checked it was still in my store’s clearance aisle) and my Ellie and Mac Duchess Coat Pattern and set to work. However, I found I was a tad short on the fabric so I sewed together the lining, the coat skirt and pockets and then had to pause until more fabric had been purchased.
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After picking up another yard, I finally cut out the last piece for my bodice and starting sewing the coat together. My coat was halted again when I discovered I had somehow cut and sewed the wrong lining pieces together. The bodice has one side that is wider for the wrap around and I made a silly mistake and reversed my lining so they were not able to match up correctly and be sewn together. In frustration, I sat it to the side. And there it stayed for a very long time.
Finally, last week I decided to pick it back up (now that spring weather has started to show up of course:) It took me forever to remember what I had messed up and how to fix it, but once I correctly sewed together the lining I was able to proceed. I started posting the process on my Instagram stories and had many helpful comments and suggestions from other sewists along the way. When I asked about button styles and had a vote, I recieved a direct message saying I should leave the buttons off for a more modern look- Yes! She was absolutely right and I am so glad I listened to her suggestion. I decided to only add snaps on the inside and I just love the way it turned out.
You may notice if you look at the original pattern cover for the Ellie and Mac Duchess Jacket that mine looks slightly different. Here are the modifications I made:
-Shortened the back of the skirt piece. I wanted a less dramatic high-low hem line. I used the side seam of the front skirt pieces to determine how long the back piece would be cut and then I trimmed down the skirt to be even around.
-I wanted a gigantic collar- so I cut one. I used the original pattern piece as a guide and added several inches to it for a nice big, tall collar.
-I ommitted the buttons and buttonholes. My heavy home decor fabric would have been difficult for buttonholes so I went with hidden snaps for the main closure and the tie belt that comes with the pattern. I used these size 10 snaps and made sure to sew them on securely using 4 strands of thread. I am hopeful these will hold up and stay put.
Ellie and Mac Duchess Jacket Pattern Review
PATTERN DESCRIPTION:
The boutique-style silhouette is classy and chic. This jacket not only has incredible twirl factor, but it keeps you warm while looking elegant at the same time. The jacket features a full circle skirt with a high-low hem line, pockets, and a tie belt.
PATTERN SIZING:
XXS-5XL and children’s sizing available as well, I cut a size XS in the bust, graded to a Medium waist and hip.
Supplies Needed:
This jacket is designed to be made using sturdy woven fabric. Suggested fabric types: med-heavy weight wovens for the exterior such as Jacquards, Cashmere, Wool blends, Wool, Tweed, Mohair, Corduroy, Velveteen, Faux Fur, etc.
Silk, Satin, etc. for the lining. Lining should be close to the same stretch percentage as the outer.
I used a Home Decor Clearance fabric from Hobby Lobby in this fun leopard print. I can not find it online but here is another option that is similiar:
I used a satin lining from my stash and size 10 metal snaps in place of buttons.
DID IT LOOK LIKE THE PHOTO/DRAWING ON THE PATTERN ENVELOPE ONCE YOU WERE DONE SEWING?
It looked similiar. I changed my collar, used snaps in place of buttons and changed the hemline on the skirt to be less of a high-low hem.
WERE THE INSTRUCTIONS EASY TO FOLLOW?
Yes, the instructions are clear and there is a sew-along video to help you out as well. However, it is easy to flip your pieces on the lining and sew them incorrectly if you are using something without a clear wrong/right side. I accidentally sewed the lining together with the wrong side being the wrap around bodice, therefore they did not match when I sewed my lining and main coat together and I had to rip my lining all apart and redo the bodice of it to make it work. Also, you need to pay close attention when cutting out the main pieces as well because of the different sizes of the skirt fronts and bodice fronts.
WHAT DID YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE OR DISLIKE ABOUT THE PATTERN?
I do not like patterns with 3/8 inch seam allowance as this one has, it is just a personal preference of mine to have a bigger seam allowance. This home decor fabric unraveled somewhat easily, and was too thick to go through my serger so the smaller seam allowances were not my friend here. I reinforced a few areas with fray check because it was questionable if I caught enough of the fabric (unfrayed) in the seam allowance or not. I love the pockets, the shape of the coat, the full lining, and the tie belt.
WOULD YOU SEW IT AGAIN? WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT TO OTHERS?
I made the youth coat for my daughter and an earlier muslin from the girl’s pattern for myself prior to their release of the adult pattern. I did not like the way that one fit, shocker…it was too small 🙂 LOL – So, technically this is the 3rd Duchess Jacket I have made. I guess I can not say I would never sew it again but I am not sure I need another in my closet anytime soon as I have an obsession with coats and have many more on my to-sew list. While I wouldn’t say this is a beginner friendly pattern, it is not terribly challenging in terms of a coat. It does take a lot of paper to piece together this PDF, so keep it in mind if you are not a huge fan of taping patterns together in the first place.
CONCLUSION:
A cute and stylish coat, fun to wear and twirl.
I sewed a quick and oh so soft Georgia Turtleneck to go under the coat. I wrote a review of this pattern here. And sadly, this fabric is sold out from Mily Mae Fabrics, which is too bad as it feels like a soft blanket.
Thank you so much for reading my review and if you followed along with me on Instagram during this sew, I thank you so much for being a part of that amazing community and for helping me finish this jacket!
Until next time,
Happy Sewing
About 18 years ago I decided to teach myself how to sew. Long before blogs and resources available today which meant it was often disastrous. But I never gave up because I loved it so much. Today I love helping others get started on their own sewing journey. You can read more about my family and I