All wrapped up
I popped into The Cloth Shop on Friday afternoon and went weak at the knees over a roll of lovely brown wool with a cream and orange fleck. I’m rather partial to a fleck. I initially stayed strong, sourcing the thread and interfacing that I needed, but when I was in the process for paying for those items I noticed an A4 piece of paper on the counter with the heading Winter Wrap on it.
I inquired and discovered it was a free pattern for customers (available in store) and in less than a minute I was admiring and wearing the shop sample. Not long after that the brown wool with a fleck was being purchased along with some wool binding. It was the only wool binding in the shop and it matched perfectly. I take these things as ‘meant to be’ signs. Do you?
The pattern is a simple one and all the work was in the nearly seven metres of binding! In short, you trim your piece of wool into a square, remove a u-shape piece that allows the wrap to be open at the front and to sit nicely around the neck, before binding all edges.
After testing out a few methods on a scrap of wool, I opted to baste the binding to one edge, fold it over the raw edge and topstitch it down. I used a long stitch length as otherwise I knew that any required unpicking would be near impossible. Just for the record, I didn’t remove the basting stitches as they just kind of disappeared into the fabric/binding. Well, that’s what I’m telling myself as I suspect such a volume of unpicking would have stalled the project considerably and I wanted warmth and I wanted it now!
I bound the neck cut out first and then proceeded to make my way around all the outer edges of the wrap. My first corner was less than neat, but as with lots of things, they got better as I went along.
The wrap hangs nicely by itself, but if you need to engulf yourself in a rug or blanket while braving wintery weather, then this wrap has you covered… it’s so toasty!
Pattern: The Cloth Shop’s Winter Wrap (free pattern available in store)
Size: NA
Fabric: Wool coating & binding from The Cloth Shop
Alterations: NA
Accessories: Scarf purchased at Scarlet Jones & boots from Manteau Noir
Your wrap is gorgeous Anna – the style and the fabric. I made a similar one this past winter using a McCall’s pattern and I LOVE IT!
It’s so toasty & warm Faye. I expect mine will get lots of wear too.
I love that basically ‘wearing a blanket’ seems to be in fashion now. This is fab!
Sometimes fashion is looking out for us Jane!
Love it! Even though we’re heading into “summer” over here in San Francisco, I could use a toasty wrap – the fog has been intense!
I can also imagine this style in a drapey wool jersey. So many options. I wish we were heading into summer Meg. Cold is not my favourite… hence the need to wrap myself in a blanket!
Flecked is so ON FLEEK. Hehehehe, see how up with the urban dictionary I am. If I was twenty years younger I may not have had to look up “on fleek” yesterday, but now that I know what it means, I see that it applies to your wrap coat. Gorgeous!
I so had to look that up…a perfect play on words. Love it!
Too divine… Love the fabric… I might have to get the pattern as it could be used with multiple of different fabrics all year round.. who doesn’t like a blanket wrapped around them.
I been thinking about different fabric options for this pattern too. Imagine it in a drapery wool knit….
Oh that is just gorgeous! I love the edging on it.
The edging really does finish this wrap off. I tried it on mid construction a few times & wasn’t sure. Soon as it was fully bound I felt the love!
Oh fantastic! Love the flecks! What length of fabric did you use? (I’m plotting to copy it, obviously 🙂 Just too cool!)
You definitely need one of these in your life!
Too lovely, the flecks are beautiful. Its the simplicity of it that’s inspired.
You last line is perfection Louise…
Oh hullo snuggly blanket! This is going to keep you so toasty and warm!
I’m pretty sure snuggly blanket needs to come to Canberra!
Looks fabulous Anna. How have I never heard of wool binding?
I made my Carnaby cape from brown wool flecked with little grey/white bits but mine looks more like stray cat hairs. Your big flecks are way better!
Wool binding is fabulous… but comes with a price tag. The 1.3m of wool & the nearly 7m of binding cost about the same amount…
Oh this looks so warm and cosy…and simple, yet stylish. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Jean. The saying ‘sometimes the simple things in life are often the best’ runs very true for this pattern.
Jealous!! I want to wear a blanket everywhere in winter – this looks so snug 🙂
I’m reaching for my warm me-mades a lot at the moment. My wrap will be getting another outing tomorrow.
See, I’ve been avoiding making up my Tessuti New York Cape for THREE years, yep 3 years. Why? It’s just so fussy and so many seams. Now this, this is a serious contender. I adore it Anna. I’ve got wool lined up, I’ve got wool binding, I just don’t live anywhere near Ivanhoe. What to do, what to do…. Out of interest, how much fabric does it require??
The NY Cape is my worst UFO. After taming the binding on my wrap I might just finish it this winter after all!
Oh it was definitely meant to be!
[…] it’s all Anna’s fault. She brought her gorgeous blanket wrap along to Sewjourn, where it was just the ticket for keeping warm and for acting as a pillow. So it […]