Ultimate Six Frock Coat - how far have I got?

I’m at an exciting stage of my fabric gathering on my Ultimate Six Frock Coat, so I thought I’d just have a recap of how far I’ve got.

Fabrics
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
10, 11, 12, 14

As you can see, my painting by numbers is coming along very nicely, with all the solid colours sourced; the cuff fabric sorted out ages back; the hand-woven collar done; and the AMAZING lining done to perfection.

So what does that leave?
Just THREE fabrics and I’m there - at last!

Fabric 1 Red Tartan

This is currently being woven by a renowned Scottish tartan mill. When it is done, it is going to carefully finished to give it a slightly vintage feel, so it doesn’t look like it has been woven yesterday, which of course it will have been!

Fabric 9 Woven Back

As you will have seen in my previous posting, the yarns have been lovely selected, and the fabric is being woven as I write. I have seen a preview of it on the loom, and it looks brilliant!

Fabric 13 Applique Strip

I have sourced the raw materials needed for this, and need to sit down and work it all out and actually make it. Bit fiddly, but nothing that can’t be made.

With all this progress I am now itching to make a start and crack on with the project.
It’s been over two years in the preparation, but it’s gonna be worth it.
After all it’s gonna be the ULTIMATE Six Frock Coat!

Ultimate Six Frock Coat - the lining materialises

I have reached a major milestone and tipping point in gathering my Six frock Coat fabrics.

Fabric 14

There are two distinct levels of fabric on this coat: the solid colours; and those that need to be custom woven, and it’s this second batch which separates the men from the boys.

Most of the coat is from the solid colours, which I have been getting custom dyed over the past year or so. Subject to minimum orders, these still were within my budget.

This leaves me the four rewoven fabrics - Red Tartan (fabric 1), Checked Collar (fabric 6), Woven Back (fabric 9) and the Lining (fabric 14).
They all present their own individual challenges, but it’s the lining that’s the one which needs a seriously good specialist weaver to handle it. If I can't get this matched, my project would be dead in the water.

Early on in my quest I had been advised by a lining supplier that I’d be better off getting it printed and no-one would be able to match the weave.
This was very frustrating - it had been woven in the 1980s, so why, with all the advances in loom technology and computer control could it not be done today? Surely this should be a breeze.

Ignoring their advise, I pressed on with searching for a company that could handle it.
Last year, when I came to commission my rewoven Tennant Coat lining, the Chinese mill I used asked if I had any additional fabric needs, saying they could take on anything I could require.
I put the Six Frock Coat lining to them, and they admitted it was beyond their ability. This was a bit depressing.

Undaunted I carried on the search, this time with a new spin on the problem, by not regarding it as a lining. I hadn't thought of it in these terms before, and I shan’t say how I broke this mindset, but it worked a treat!

With this fresh approach one name kept coming up, and it was a UK based weaver too, making things a lot easier to handle.
I showed them the challenge, and instead of gasping and asking how I’d want it done, they simply asked how many metres I would want. At last - someone on the same page as me!

At a future date I’ll explain how we worked to make his extraordinary fabric happen, but once we had done two small test weaves, it was time to commit to commissioning the Lining Impossible!

This also signalled the commissioning of the Check Collar fabric I showed you last month, all of which took place while my lining was on the loom.


Early last week I had word from the mill that the lining was done, and being pressed and finished ready for shipping out to me, and after settling up a hefty bill, it arrived, triple wrapped for safety.

Frantically tearing the package open I knew this was make or break on this coat - but I shouldn’t have worried - my lining is PERFECT and jaw droppingly stunning to see in such a large quantity.

It has cost me double what I have already forked out on all the solid colours combined - but it has been worth the effort.

Six Frock Coat - fabric breakdown

As I have mentioned on more than one occasion, my first ever cosplay costume was making myself a replica Six Frock Coat (see right).
I made it in 1985 or so, when I was around 16, from fabrics I found at various fabric shops around North West London.
My self-demand for getting things as accurate as possible was evident even then, and I found some pretty good matches for some of the elusive materials used to make the original.
I have always hung onto it, despite it not fitting me for many years, as I am always proud of how well it stands up, even today.

It was an absolute honour to have the chance late last year to wear an original screen-used complete costume (see left), thanks to the kind help of some friends of mine who own it, along with several other rare and unique costume pieces.

I can’t hide that I was ever so slightly exceedingly jealous! But the chance to wear it and get some great photos was a fantastic opportunity, and it made me want to have a wearable one for myself to my own high standards.

This will undoubtedly be a long-term project, as locating and matching all the fabrics I will need will take some time. I then have to develop my frock coat pattern, though I have been making a number of these recently, so I now have a very good understanding of how such patterns work.

The first thing I need to do is get the ball rolling on finding some of the fabrics needed. To get my mind around the task ahead I’ve broken it down into the fourteen key and essential fabrics used on the coat.