18/6/21
I bought this denim coat at a car boot sale sometime last century, I like the shape, but it is lined which limits what I can do to it.
The lining is ripped at the back slit, and I was having a look at it to see how to mend it when before I knew it I had picked up my seam ripper and removed the whole lining!
Now, I could neaten up the inside seams and turn it back the right way, but I think I like the look of it inside out/ootside in.
I’m choosing from a selection of braids and tapes for something to neaten up the deams with. Maybe I could do a mixture? Depends on what other fabrics I add to it, I suppose.
11/10/21
Four months later and things have taken a surprising turn for this coat. It happened to be in the right place at the right time and I cannibalised it to use in another project.
A friend asked me to create a jacket for her in a Jacobite style, and sent this as a reference..
Luckily I had this charity shop denim jacket that was the right size, but a bit short in the sleeves and body…
I sent her these ideas and she liked them…
I lengthened the sleeves using a denim knit cardigan ….
and I looked around for something denim to lengthen the body, and that’s where the aforementioned coat came in.
I cut out these sections …
and made a long strip which I pleated and attached to the bottom of the jacket.
She had seen this jacket and wanted some lace on hers…
Luckily I had some charity shop bits and pieces that I had dyed previously…
I was going to use lace for the pockets….
until I came across these pockets on a denim shirt that had a somewhat Jacobite feel to them, if Jacobites wore denim it’d have pockets like this.
Here’s the front, before we chose the buttons.
Usually I use my own handmade buttons on the jackets I customise, but I didn’t think they were quite right for this one.
So I tried a few other sets from my stash…
and in the end we decided on these..
Here’s what I did to the back, the tartan came as offcuts from a kilt shop, and the celtic motifs on the sleeves came from a teatowel.
This was a fun project to do, took a fair bit of figuring out, but I’m pleased with the results and so was my customer, which is the main thing.
What a great transformation! Loved seeing the process.
Thanks for reading it, Chin 🙂
Fabulous Fran, I love it. Xx
Thanks Claire 🙂
Fabulous, Fran. Enjoyed seeing the steps from start to finish.
Thanks Gilleoin, just need to remember to take photos as I go along, worth it in the end 🙂
SUPERSUPER WOW!!!
THANK YOU !! 🙂
I too love the process photos – the nutting out of how to come with the commission using whatever you have on hand…no small mission, for sure.
Thank you Catherine, it took some nutting out, right enough!
That’s absolutely amazing Fran, every addition was brilliant x
aw cheers JaneyB, it was a fun one to do 🙂
Bought a tear to my eye, what a lovely story. It would make a fantastic film.
Well done.
I could call it “Jacketnory” 🙂