Vogue 2979 Issey Miyake

Reviewed by:	Ann Smith	About Ann Smith CA USA Member since: 8/24/02 Reviews written: 154 Sewing skills:Advanced Favored by: 185 people patterns reviewed: 151 Bio: I love to sew for fashion, especially unusual designs. I own way too many patterns and fabric! I hav...full profile
Posted on:	9/15/02 11:51 PM
Last Updated:	9/16/02 0:15 AM
Pattern Size:	Regular
Project Photo:
Pattern Photo:	Pattern Information provided by Ann Smith
Pattern Rating:	Difficult, but ended up with good results
A pattern from 1992 for all you Miyake fans. This coat was an absolute trip to make! A unique sewing adventure for me. I have been looking for appropriate fabric for 10 years. I finally found the look I wanted (at Joann's!!) but the wrong fiber. It should be a waterproof, raincoat fabric. This is a very inexpensive ($3.88 on sale) acetate. But I loved it. It is irridescent red on one side, and black satin on the other. I brought it home and cut it out. Then I worried about what would happen if it got wet. So I dipped a piece in water and it got all crinkled up. It didn't seem to have shrunk at all, just very wrinkly and crinkly. I decided I liked it if I smoothed it slightly with the iron. So, I dipped all the cut out pieces it water and laid them around the patio to dry. Next I started construction. I discovered while making the pockets that the fabric will slice at the slightest touch of the scissors. This I discovered after snipping a hole out of the body of the coat. So I had to devise a little embroidered patch. Fortunately, with all the crinkling, it is not noticeable. So when I wear this I will have to stay clear of water, knives, and probably flame, as I'm sure it must be very flammable. As with most Miyake designs, there are some very puzzling instructions. I pinned the huge collar on 4 different times before I decided which was the right way. The pattern is very vague about which sides go together. It tells you to attach the collar to the wrong side of the coat, but doesn't say right or wrong side of the collar. The picture seems to indicate one way but that turned out to be the opposite of the correct way. There are several other puzzling problems, plus miles of flat fell seams so I would not rate this Intermediate as the pattern suggests. I say Advanced. But after all that, this coat is fabulous. It is much more wonderful in person. It was hard to photograph to really show it off. It is very flamboyant and exciting. You can wear it at least 3 different ways, with the elasticized collar and other edges flipped under for all one color. Or with the edges flipped out and up for the contrast to show. Or inside out as it is reversible. Just not going to work very well as a raincoat.