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Simone's Cambria Duster by Friday Pattern Company

 

Women wearing a Cambria Duster in rust color untied with a black shirt and pants. Women is standing towards camera, right hand by her side, left hand in her hair smiling at the camera. Women is standing in front of a white garage door.


Pattern: Cambria Duster by Friday Pattern Company
Fabric used: Cupro Tencel Linen in Henna with matching thread
Simone chose to make her duster out of our Cupro Tencel Linen in Henna which we are almost out of (though we do still have some limited quantity black!). If you would like to replicate the flow and drape of this fabric, we recommend our Brussels Washer, available in a variety of solid and yarn-dyed shades
Size Made: XS
Modifications: Shortened 2”

I’ve been dreaming of a rust colored trench coat for years, but have been too intimidated by outerwear to ever delve in. Enter my first project as a Fancy Tiger Crafts Brand Ambassador: the Cambria Duster by Friday Pattern Company. This pattern is specifically for confident beginners which makes it a great place to start.

Photograph of lay flat with pattern laid out, looking straight down on fabric with pins holding the project in place. The cutouts are in a rust color against a white background.
Photo Credit: Simone Nelson

Friday Pattern Company’s commitment to making and doing good things with beautiful, easy to sew patterns makes them one of my favorite designers. Not only do they donate 5% of all proceeds to charity, they also offer minimalistic designs with instructions that are fun, encouraging, and easy to follow. The Cambria Duster’s proceeds benefit The Innocence Project.


Women wearing a Cambria Duster in rust with the duster tied. Women is standing straight on to the camera, with her hands in her pocket looking off over her right shoulder and smiling. Women is standing in front of a white garage wall.Photo Credit: Simone Nelson

Fabric:
The Cupro Tencel Linen in Henna is almost exactly the color I had in my head (though black was also calling my name). This fabric is even more beautiful in person and perfect for this pattern. It’s slightly textured, super soft, and has the dreamiest drape. It was easy to work with which is always a bonus and I love the character the bit of wrinkle brings too.

Women wearing a Cambria Duster facing the white background showing the detailing the back of the dress.Photo Credit: Simone Nelson

Size + Modifications:
I made size XS based on my 32” bust measurement. Since the pattern is drafted for a height of 5’5” and I’m only 5’ tall, I decided to shorten it by 2” which is the only modification I made. The finished length hits me just below my calves. If you’re in between sizing, I’d recommend sizing up. Although this size fits me pretty well, I could see myself sizing up in the future for a roomier fit in the shoulders especially if I planned on wearing thicker layers underneath.

Up close photograph of a women wearing the Cambria Duster. Women is wearing glasses, facing the camera, hand in her pockets facing the camera and smiling. The background is a white garage door.Photo Credit: Simone Nelson

Finishing Seams:
The most intimidating part of this make is deciding on a seam finish. The instructions offer some recommendations, but it’s ultimately up to the maker to decide. This pattern is unlined which means some seams are more visible than others, most notably on the folded sleeves. I decided to do one of the most time consuming options: bias bound seams. Although I’ve done bias binding before, this is the first time I’ve done it so extensively since every raw edge is bound either together or separately. The only seam I didn’t bind was the arm sleeve which I serged instead. I made over 12 yards of bias tape from my fabric remnants to match. I forgot to account for that in my yardage,but luckily had just enough. It was quite a laborious affair, but I love the end result. If you’re unfamiliar with bias binding, it really isn’t too difficult and this is a good way to practice.

Women wearing the Cambria Duster in rust. Women is holding the duster open to show the seams on the inside. Women is wearing a blue and black striped shirt with black. pants. Women is looking down to the right. Background is a white garage door.Photo Credit: Simone Nelson

This final make is a dream come true and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. When Fancy Tiger Crafts asked me what dream project I wanted to work on, I referred back to a trench coat I saw on TV years ago. They suggested fabric and pattern options that might work and I was instantly closer to making my dream come true than ever before. Sometimes you need someone to tell you that you can do something to make you finally realize you can. If you have a dream project you’ve been too scared to start on, what are you waiting for?

If you would like to follow Simone you can find her at:
Instagram: @intenselydistracted
Website: Intensely Distracted

Women wearing the Cambria Duster in rust walking to the right with her left hand in her hair. Women is walking to the left in front of a white garage door.Photo Credit: Simone Nelson

Comments on this post (1)

  • Oct 05, 2020

    i need to hire a sewer!!! love love love

    — melisa r halfmann

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