I made the Papercut Patterns Sapporo coat at the beginning of winter this year. I’ve seen so many amazing versions on Instagram and thought it would be a great addition to my wardrobe. Coats which resemble giant blankets are ideal in my book!

This garment has a lot of inbuilt ease. For reference, I’m 165cm tall and normally wear a size 12. I made the smallest size available as I’d tried on other versions of this jacket. My measurements actually fell into the largest size range but I didn’t want to feel overwhelmed. Since the pattern prints out on to quite a few A0 pages, I purchased the paper pattern from Papercut to cut out.

The pockets are drafted to be shallow I increased the depth by an inch I wouldn’t want them any smaller! I’d read some reviews which recommend interfacing the body of the jacket. I didn’t as I thought my fabric had enough structure. I regret not following this advice. The bias cut seams mean that the fabric stretches slightly. It changed how my fabric drapes. Interfacing the wool would have emphasised the boxy shape of the jacket.

I used a grey cashmere wool coating for the whole jacket. I used the outer fabric for the inside sleeve they are meant to be lined with regular lining. I had read on other blogposts that the lining is visible unless you draft a facing or use the outer fabric like I did.

Does cashmere wool normally feel a bit itchy? It irritates my neck ever so slightly. Do I need to cut the garment with the pile going in a different direction to avoid this?

This coat is amazing for layering as you can fit lots of layers underneath. It’s perfect if your office air conditioning is as erratic as mine.

I’ve tried on a linen version of this coat which felt amazing on. I could definitely see myself in an unlined spring version in heavyweight linen. I will stick to wearing my Londres Trench for the moment though!

I considered making a second version of this coat in brocade fabric for Frocktails. I love Heather Lou’s brocade version.

This coat is a great neutral colour and the fabric is lovely and snugly even if it is a little itchy around the neck. My favourite brooch nicknamed Grumpy Roger takes pride of place. His sass keeps me smiling on long winter days.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any tips to avoid scratchy wool.