Fancy Detective “Nancy Clancy” Trench Coat

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Our daughter loves Fancy Nancy books, who doesn’t love glitter, fancy things and big words? Winter is coming and she needs a FANCY coat to wear!

Future Fancy Nancy Projects:

  • Make all the cutesie stuff on the coat
  • the pants (where do I find bright green check?)
  • the shoes
  • The magnifier glass!
  • A matching one for her doll

Looking at these pics above  it was hard to tell if it was a pink coat or a faded red. It was hard choosing the right color fabric. Trench Coats are historically made of a cotton gabardine.  I decided on the   Orange Red Gabardine there were others so close and online samples are never good enough. You decide which one is right. (Please post in the comments the ones you went with and how they turned out.) I know it is hard to tell in my (enhanced for cool bloging purposes) pictures, but the Orange Red is real close to the book, but if I was to choose again, I’d go with the Pale Red if I wanted it to look like the lower pic, or the Coral Pink if I was to do the Book 1 cover.

Orange Red Gabardine

Dark Pink Gabardine

Pale Red Gabardine

Mauve Pink Gabardine

Coral Pink Gabardine

 

 

 

I knew we had a trench coat pattern already from our Ottobre magazine it was in the 2006 fall mag. It recommends using a coated cotton Twill. Now that pattern magazine is not for the faint of heart. The patterns are on 4 double sided sheets that all overlap. You must decipher what pieces are the ones you need for your pattern then trace them and all the appropriate markings. Then use a very limited set of instructions. But there are tons of other cool patterns in that Mag for your littles for the same price as the one below.

This other Trench Coat Pattern by Oliver + S  looks more accurate to the book cover anyway, and you know I am all over accurate (more free, but accurate a close second). I’m thinking for THING 2, who now wants one, I’ll make it simpler. It probably uses less fabric (Ottobre is lined) and Oliver + S say theirs is “simple.” The Ottobre doesn’t have the “gun flap” or the flap on the upper back like the Oliver + S, plus the pockets on the O + S are the same as the book cover.

Here is a close up of the Ottobre version of the collar assembly (the confusing part for me) and the collar stand. I used this website to help me figure out the technical parts of the lining and collar because I’ve never made a coat before. I chose pink and cherries for the lining of the coat and some fancy large (book accurate) buttons for the coat front. But picked some complementing orange flowers for the cuffs. The book has the cuffs all rolled up, and that gives me liberty to choose my own fancy flair.

When I got to the part of the project when all that was left was the finishing touches, button holes and top stitches; my sewing machine stopped sewing right, I borrowed my moms and hers goes garbage too. That is so frustrating. Two machines in the shop.

When I finished I sprayed it with a water repellant. We were all rather excited and pleased. Then on day two of playing in it, our little detective cut 2″ off the belt because “the ribbon was too long.” That’s what I get for making it a size bigger for growth.

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About Rebecca

Rebecca is a seamstress and crafter who loves to create fun, unique and authentic items for her kids and others. She is a stay-at-home mom with two little ones. She and her husband are sci-fi and fantasy fans with a love for books like the Lord of the Rings and obscure movies like My neighbor Tortoro. Feel free to ask her a question or leave a comment.