Cozy Warm Wool Coat

Step 2 Design Elements/Supplies

The coat I designed has a wool shell, a sheepskin lined hood, and the garment is lined in wool knit.  You can purchase a pattern for a coat you like and make a few small modifications if ease is needed. 

These are the tools and supplies needed:

Materials:
- Wool fabric
- Silk for pocket lining
- 2 Sheepskin hides (approx 24" long hides)
- Wool Yarn
- Buttons
- Rabbit Fur (for sleeve cuffs)
- Hair interfacing
- Cotton Flannel
- Cotton Twill Tape
- Cotton Twill fabric for interlining
- Pearl Cotton (heavy weight cotton embroidery floss)

Tools:
Basic Leatherworking supplies:
- Leather Needles
- Leather/Fur thread - heavy weight thread coated in wax
- Straight edge blade
- Marking tool
- Awl

Sewing supplies:
- Sewing Machine
- Hand sewing needles
- Thread
- Pins
- Marking tools (chalk)
- Rulers

Comments

[Icy13]

I have made my own overcoat as well. This is an awesome project and idea, and everyone who is so inclined should undertake one like this. However, I think that you need to make a full disclosure about your materials if you really are going to follow the mantra you laid out on the first page.

Materials:
- Wool fabric <--- This was processed and produced using synthetic materials. Exactly what dye was used?
- Silk for pocket lining <-- Same question as the wool
- 2 Sheepskin hides <-- other commenters have covered this, processing
- Wool Yarn <-- Same question about synthetic dyes
- Buttons <--- Material? Processing?
- Rabbit Fur (for sleeve cuffs) <-- Dies? Ethics of animals raised for fur?
- Hair interfacing <--- This is usually canvas, but how was it processed?
- Cotton Flannel <--- definitely processed, and I will bet the didn't use the old seed pods to produce the nap
- Cotton Twill Tape <-- made on a machine, probably processed, chemicals?
- Cotton Twill fabric for interlining <--- dyes? processing? weaving machine?
- Pearl Cotton (heavy weight cotton embroidery floss) <-- probably mercerized with a flame to make a nice sheen. That flame used a petro-chemical.

Tools:
Basic Leatherworking supplies:
- Leather Needles <-- your needles came in a plastic and paper package which used synthetic dyes/inks
- Leather/Fur thread - heavy weight thread coated in wax <--- what kind of wax? paraffin or beeswax?
- Straight edge blade <-- this is 100% the result of complex synthetic processes which produce a high quality, low cost metal blade. The handle is 100% petrochemical
- Marking tool <--- This is made of plastic, has a complex synthetic ink, the nib and feeding are 100% the result of complex industrialized processes
- Awl <--- this has a plastic handle. Petrochemical. Same comment about proccessing on the knife. Th

Sewing supplies:
- Sewing Machine <--- Machine. Lubricated with Petroleum Oil, MACHINE!
- Hand sewing needles <--- better believe these are made industrially using a highly complex alloy
- Thread <--- really? cotton or poly? was the cotton mercerized (with a petrochemical flame?)
- Pins <-- Adam Smith explained how these used to be made (by hand) and how that changed during the industrial revolution. Guess how your were made.
- Marking tools (chalk) <--- was this a raw hunk of chalk stone or a piece of tailor's chalk/chalk stick?
- Rulers <-- metal? wood? plastic? marked with ink? carved?

Unlisted material: That Computer you used to make this instructable and all the associated hardware. All sorts of synthetic, exotic, and novel materials there.

I have written this entire comment staring at the big red "be nice" policy. I know I am towing the line, but I hope this comment is at least as nice as the original mantra from the author of this instructable. I agree that many of the concerns of that mantra are justified, however the solution is rather narrow as pointed out by the many people who commented on the first page. My post was an attempt to logically extend the dialogue of this author's instructable and the other comments laid out on the first page.

[antibromide]

I agree that I used things made of plastic in the process and I never tried to deny that or hide it. Plastics are unavoidable at this point in time. There are many places were plastics are amazing and should be used because they have characteristics not found in natural materials (like being 100% waterproof).

I'm simply trying to reduce my use of plastics.

I never said anything negative about machines (and in fact admire machinery and the minds and skill used to create it).

Rabbits are not raised for their fur alone:
Source 1) http://www.chiggerridge.net/rabbitmeatforsal.html
Source 2) http://www.raising-rabbits.com/raw-meat-pet-food.html
Source 3) "In many parts of Europe and Latin America, the people there eat rabbits the way we eat chickens in North America.  The skins are a by-product of the food-processing industry.  The rabbits are raised for meat, not for their skins." See Where Do Rabbit Skins Come From here: http://www.chichesterinc.com/RabbitSkins.htm

The rabbit fur was not dyed. The buttons are antler tips. The hair interfacing is made from goat and horse hair. The cotton twill tape is 100% cotton and natural color meaning it was not dyed.

I can't acquire and use everything as an organic natural unprocessed biodegradable item. Does that mean I shouldn't choose natural material when I can?

[bajablue]

I would like to add:  Rabbit meat is delicious, and...

This is a beautifully done Instructable! Congratulations!!! ;-)