T'Challa Royal Coat

Pattern Description:

This was a free pattern from Mood Fabrics' Blog for one of T'Challa's royal coats from the movie Black Panther.

Pattern Sizing:

The pattern sizing goes from a men's 32-42 and is based on the chest measurement. I cut a size 36, which was the correct size according to my husband's chest measurements. I will say that the fit was a little more snug than I would like. The armholes ended up being too small and I had to make them bigger.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes, although I opted NOT to do any of the facings and didn't hem it either. To me it just seemed a bit unnecessary since the fabric is felt and doesn't fray. Plus I like the length as it is.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

The instructions were definitely on the vague side, so a complete beginner may struggle, but once you get all the pieces cut you can pretty much figure out how they fit together. My main gripe with the instructions was that they didn't explain how to create the "embroidered" panel. They tell you which paint to use and provide basic shape of the repeated pattern, but that's basically it. I was worried I would have to freehand it, but I ended up printing the outline on card stock several and basically cutting it out 3 times (so that I had one outside diamond, one inside diamond, and one piece of the design in the center of the diamond) and then used those pieces as a stencil to trace the entire design onto the panel. Then I put the paint in a fine tip squeeze bottle and went over the whole design again. I let it dry for two days before heat setting it with a dry iron.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I personally love the style of it. I think the embroidered panel makes it look really sharp!

Fabric Used:

I used the recommended fabric from Mood's blog: Royal Purple Acrylic Felt

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

As I said, I increased the size of the arm holes and skipped the facings and hem. Otherwise I followed the pattern exactly as written.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I probably won't make another one for my husband because he only needs the one, but I would definitely recommend this pattern. I would caution whoever makes it to size up just in case though.

Conclusion:

Great costume! Can't wait to make mine to match! For those of you familiar with Black Panther, I plan to make Nakia's dress from the casino scene.