Well, I've been sewing for a long time, so I've got some experience, and the shikifuku are a lot of work...my blue and white one took like two months, and this one's not done yet. My Seishirou trench isn't totally perfect (it's a women's coat...there were twenty of that style in women's and none in men's in like all the stores we checked), but I love it to pieces anyway. And thanks!