DIY Jacket Conversion

**Lorna** · 29th December 12, 01:03 PM

Here is my latest project completed. I bought the jacket on Ebay and converted it using my son's dress tunic as a pattern for the cutaway. It took two attempts to get it right as I was a bit cautious about shortening it overmuch. The first try, I shortened it to the bottom of the fell which was still too long when he got to try it on. (He was away at school at the time.) Also the pockets were a bit low so I made new flaps out of leftover material to match the pattern of the check. They were then sewn on about three-quarters of an inch higher as someone kindly advised elsewhere on this website. In the end, I shortened the jacket a substantial amount and I think it turned out alright.

While I don't mind the look of the oatmeal coloured hose, I believe some claret coloured hose would be just the thing to punch it up a notch. I quite like the example the Duke of Argyle provides as pictured below. The kilt my son is wearing is my second hand-sewn tank which was completed in early summer. I'll soon be starting a third as I bought some Ancient/Old Campbell tartan on sale from Burnett and Struth for my husband for Christmas.

**Friday** · 29th December 12, 05:23 PM

Very nice

**plaid preacher** · 29th December 12, 06:58 PM

Lovely, Lorna. I especially like the notch at the bottom of the buttons. That is a feature of the cut away conversion as done by military tailors.

**crash** · 30th December 12, 10:48 AM

Looks sharp Lorna. There were a couple of nice jackets at the Goodwill store, I thought I might have a go at.

**Lorna** · 30th December 12, 01:09 PM

Thanks guys. I would encourage everyone to try a jacket conversion. It's a great way to save a little money and have a relatively quick project to put the winter in.