Herringbone Coutil

I've been lurking around BurdaStyle a lot recently, because I'm totally enamored of free patterns. I also like cheap patterns, and BurdaStyle has both. I especially like this military style jacket, Hikaru. I first saw this one at the end of the summer and made a mental note to get some herringbone fabric, which I promptly forgot about. I've been doing so much maternity sewing for a while now that jackets and warm weather clothes like this one have been on the back burner, but I returned to the pattern last night and have fallen in love all over again. Even though it is now too cold here in CA to enjoy this one, I'm still going to make it. It will be perfect for Phoenix "winter" weather, when I go home in a few weeks for Xmas.

Check out this version of the jacket by ParaNoire--lovely, right? The level of detail is fabulous--the little button on the inside of collar, for instance, is perfect. And I really like that she got rid of all the buttons running up the front seams and turned this into military chic, rather than Salvation Army. Finally, check out what she listed as the fabric: Herringbone Coutil.

I never heard of it before. Turns out coutil is generally used in corsets--it has a super tight weave that has hardly any stretch. I'm totally in awe to see a fabric that typically has a very singular purpose be used in a radically different way. And to have the result to be so lovely, just seems to be a bonus.

Unfortunately, from what I can tell, herringbone coutil is about $30 a yard, so I probably won't be making my own coutil jacket anytime soon. Maybe as a graduation present to myself. But still, this kind of thing makes me want to buy a fabric dictionary and start studying.