Romana Frock Coat (blue version) collar and lapels

So far on the blue version of the Romana Frock Coat I have been commissioned to make, I have assembled the body and sleeves, and prepared the underside of the lapels with the necessary pad-stitching.

My next task was to create the lining with the lapels and collar attached.

Once this was done I could then stitch around the lapels and down the fronts, before sewing around the collar.

I paused halfway through just to check the lapels were going in okay, which they were.

The collar is designed to lay flat around the shoulders (see right) but is intended to be worn with it raised with the scarf underneath (see below).

After this it is the slow plod to completion, with the hemming and sleeve linings to finish it off.

I do have the trimming around the lapels and down the front edges to do as well, but this shouldn’t be too much trouble.

The coat is starting to come together a look someway finished.

Vrooop! Vrooop! Vrooop!

Wednesday this week I had a fun afternoon in London for a change.
It kicked off with a trip to some bootmakers for my Matt Smith series six boot fitting, after which I headed to the West End.

The reason for going was to visit the Cartoon Museum on Little Russell Street, hidden away in the backstreets of Bloomsbury.

They currently have a fantastic exhibition of Doctor Who comic strips through the years, dating right back to its beginnings and coming bang up to date with the current generation of artists.

The exhibition showcases works by the cream of British comic book artists, such as Frank Bellamy, Martin Geraghty, Dave Gibbons, Dave Lloyd, John Ridgway, Andrew Skilleter and Lee Sullivan.

However, my personal favourite piece was an uncredited artwork (see below) done for a annual exclusive to Marks and Spencer!
For me it just fires up memories of the Dalek annuals I read as a small boy, and the Dalek Death Ray ice lollies I would buy from the Toni Bell ice cream man who would frequent the cul-de-sac I grew up in in the 1970s.

The exhibition overall is seriously well worth a visit.