I have been working on the Five Coat on and off for a few weeks now, having taken a number of breaks to clear some garment commissions.
I recently had my first go at some of the piping on the coat, doing one of the pocket flaps as a test.
I simply pinned the piping around the flap and hand stitched it in place, finding it a lot easier that I had dreaded! (see above)
I also had a go at piping the sleeve, though in a different way this time. First I made my sleeve as usual, but only sewed the shorter front seam together. I then worked out the level of the piping and lightly marked a pencil line on the calico. I then machine stitched the bottom edge of the piping to the sleeve, which worked very well (see below left).
So the piping would match the lapel and pocket flap edges, I then folded it in half (see above middle) and stitched the other side down too (see above right).
When the back seam was sewn, the piping lined up and the join was on the back of the sleeve out of sight (see right).
All this was certainly easier than I had feared, but now I had broken the ice with piping, I had to face up to another little problem I had been putting off.
Each time I have returned to the coat I have progressed it a little further, but I have equally been finding issues and problems with the pattern I was developing.