Hey folks. Im still new to the site but I wanted to share this jacket with you that I converted from a peacoat to something I believe is a little more suitable for kilt wear. As you may know it gets mighty cold in Michigan. I was looking for a jacket that would fit the bill for warmth but also be able to button up to keep me toasty from the wind. I found this charcoalish peacoat at the Salvation Army for $8.00. I then went to my local fabric store and found some nifty buttons for about $14.00. I dont think it turned out half bad for $21.00! I also wanted to thank F-H C.A.G. for the post about how to convert this jacket! I also want to premise this by saying that I am a novice sewing guy. The first thing I ever attempted to sew was my daughters homecoming dress. WOW! New respect! Youll be happy to know that I somehow banged it out and it was a success. I also sewed binding on a blanket I made for my wife. Thats my experience with sewing. I am hooked though. Anyways....
1. I started by measuring and cutting the bottom off. So far so easy.
You'll note that I created an arc in the front of the coat to make room for the sporran. I know, a little unorthodox but work with me here. I had to measure carefully as the coat overlaps so symetry was a little difficult.
2. Next I hemmed the sides to make it more fitting for my body and not blousy.
I was going to leave it big enough so I could wear a lighter jacket under it but I liked the cut so much I made the decision to let it hold its own.
3. I then began sewing the arc at the bottom and continued to the back. The jacket has a split up the back so I had to sew in two parts.
This is the result of sewing the bottom up. It was a little difficult because some of the fabric was very thick and I have a hand me down machine.
4. And now the sleeves. I had to carefully remove the lining to get to the fabric of the jacket. I used extra fabric from the bottom tail of the coat (there is a ton of it still). I wanted the sleeves to be oversized to match the bulk of the coat so I had to cut up to the seam of the sleeves almost to the elbow to make it work. Someone with more experience would probably not have had to go as high as I did but im a rookie. Plus its nothing to sew the sleeves back up.
5. Here are the sleeves. I lined them up with the seams. I put the buttons on next because the inside fabric of the sleeve was exposed. Also I had waited to sew the seam back up also to make putting on the buttons easier too.
6. Next was sewing Frankenstein Sleeves back up. I did sew by hand at this point to tack it and sew the lining cuffs back in
7. I then added these buttons. 13 in all. I opted not to sew in epalettes as I quite liked the look as it was
8. And the finished product! Not too bad. And extremely warm. I wore it for the first time to a friends funeral (unfortunately), but the weather was cold and I stayed toasty!
Originally Posted by Remy
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