New tweeds

[Whidbey78]

This post isn't intended to show off what I've done as much as it is to show off what I've found and what I'm about to do.
I also didn't want to jack Cowher's thread, located here: http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...et-bust-64628/

After modifying a handful of jackets, I was left with these two...not my favorites of my thrift-store treasures, but they're serviceable for casual situations and the occasional informal evening dinner. They're also the first ones I modded, and not as good as they really could have been.


Two that were much nicer fell prey to red wine. I'm now a winaphobic. One ruined jacket was my fault due to what I wish could be called a "corkscrew malfunction" but is more accurately described as "operator error." The other casualty was an accident due to dancing too close to the edge of the dance-floor as a slightly intoxicated but very apologetic lady passed by. It's 150 miles to a dry cleaner, the usual spot removal tricks failed, and the most expensive of these jackets was a whopping ten bucks, including materials to modify it. I enjoyed hunting down and converting them so much I decided to scrap them and get new ones.

I had been thinking to myself throughout my search for suitable replacements that maybe it's time to get tweed. After all, that's what all the cool kids are doing, right? Even a year ago I had no desire for one. I didn't even much like the look. Somehow, my tastes transformed and I found myself afflicted with a Jones for tweed. Weird.

Well, yesterday while getting some "sacrificial" work clothes at a local second-hand shop I happened upon these two gems.



They have identical weaves, but the one on the right is done in slightly darker tones. Tonight I'll put fresh batteries in the "fuzz-buster" and see how much sheep I can shave off of them.

They're made by different companies, and have slightly different cuts. The one on the left has a slightly more tailored fit, about 1 1/2 inch higher button placement and a small brown stain near the hem below the left patch pocket, so it's going under the knife soon. I can't say for certain yet, but I might be able to keep both buttons and still make a nice cut-away for the sporran. I plan to keep this one close to sleeve-length, but no more than 1/2 inch above the cuff. That puts the hem in a good spot in relation to the fell, should keep the lines pretty clean, and make a nice smooth "sweep" along the cutout. I would have preferred a three-button jacket to start with, but they're nearly nonexistent in these parts. The brown leather buttons are in rough shape, so I'll hunt down something nice to replace them. I'm not a fan of epaulets, but who knows what I might do with this? I wasn't even a fan of tweed jackets a year ago, remember? Now I gots me two of them bad-boys.

The other jacket, on the right, may not get modified. I think I might keep it as-is for use when I'm not kilted. I'll probably change out the buttons, though those black leather ones are already beginning to grow on me.

Total cost for these two jackets: $5.00
Cost to modify one, and maybe spruce up the other: $10.00 (estimated)
Lookin' sharp on the cheap: Priceless

[Whidbey78]

It only took about a month to get off my backside and finish this. Well, that's life.

As I stated before, one of these jackets will be spared surgery. This one got an extralengthectomy and some sporran cutawayplasty. I used a 16 inch pizza tin to trace the cutaway. It turned out to be the perfect size and shape to give it a good "swoop" without being too tight or too wide and I avoided having a sharp corner at either end of the cutaway. The patch-pockets were shortened three inches, but I elected to leave the flaps in place. I couldn't justify the extra work to move them up a half inch. Plus the stitching on the flaps is bar-tacked at the ends, and the pockets were enough of a nightmare to remove, so I decided they were fine where they were. It's done, except for replacing the buttons, a good steaming to shake out a couple of wrinkles and cleaning off a couple of chalk marks. I threw on some hose and a button down shirt, set up my tripod and snapped a few pics.



And one to rile up the anti-flatcap crowd.


I haven't decided on which buttons to put on it. I've narrowed it down to three choices: Plain black, plain grey or antique silver. Decisions decisions! These brown ones are ugly to begin with, but they're in rough shape and have to go.

The waistcoat, by the way, was a dollar and change. The lady at the thrift store had it sitting in the back when I asked about waistcoats. It was damaged on the left "point" so they couldn't sell it. I told her I'd take it anyway since I was cutting them off. She threw it in for free, but I donated my change from the purchase since it all goes to charity anyhow. It's color is a really nice blue-grey, like a Cadet Blue Crayola, but the richness of the color gets lost in pictures somehow. I think it goes really well with the American Heritage tartan. It plays off the blue stripe without being too matchy-matchy. In my mind anyway.

All-in-all I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out.

[sydnie7]

Very nice job, and the waistcoat was a real find! Looks great for a "thrown on" ensemble.

Did you consider just removing the patch part of the pockets completely, leaving only the flaps? I know, then you don't have pockets, but how often do you use them -- vs. maybe improving the balance. Or maybe not, hard to tell by squinting at my monitor

[Kiltboy]

Great work. I think the color with that tartan is a good match.

[Whidbey78]

Very nice job, and the waistcoat was a real find! Looks great for a "thrown on" ensemble.

Did you consider just removing the patch part of the pockets completely, leaving only the flaps? I know, then you don't have pockets, but how often do you use them -- vs. maybe improving the balance. Or maybe not, hard to tell by squinting at my monitor

Thanks. Most everything I own works together since I rarely buy anything that won't be pretty versital. Kilts and hose are the most "colorful" things I wear, so the rest falls together easily since most of it is grey, black or khaki.

As for the pockets, I would have left the patches off since I don't use the pockets anyhow, but there was a patch of interfacing and some stitches and folds from where it was tailored inside the pocket. The front corners of the flaps are right on the end of them so I opted to not mess with it. I could have moved them, but it just didn't seem worth the effort. Normally I would have moved them up a tad. Fortunately, they aren't extremely low, so it's not too bad. The patches kind of help it balance out.

Great work. I think the color with that tartan is a good match.

Thanks. That's the first thought I had when I saw it. It looks out of sorts with every other tartan I have, but will still get a fair amount of wearing since I wear this tartan pretty regularly.

[room2ndfloor]

Is the waistcoat knitted or woven? Wool?

You've done a very good job with the jacket. It's delightful to see another who likes to rework thrifted garments.

[Whidbey78]

Is the waistcoat knitted or woven? Wool?

You've done a very good job with the jacket. It's delightful to see another who likes to rework thrifted garments.

It's twill. The tag was gone but it seems like a wool-poly blend. I burned a little piece that I cut off and it had the smell of wool with a bit of plastic.

I dig getting things done on the cheap. Plus it's nice to know that nobody else has something exactly like it. Very very similar, but never exactly the same.

[Whidbey78]

What luck! I was taking my neighbor's mail to her since she doesn't get around too well and it was a bit drizzly out and was wearing the jacket. She liked it but thought the buttons were horrible. She had these in a box in her desk (she used to do a lot of sewing but arthritis has pretty much put an end to it). There were six small and three of the large ones. I brought them home and sewed them on. I think these charcoal and grey buttons will do nicely.


Much nicer than the ratty brown ones. Nothing like a nice neighbor saving me a 25 mile drive to the store!

And I just now realized I put this in the DIY help forum instead of the DIY showroom. Oops.

[Jack Daw]

Very nicely done!

[Whidbey78]

Very nicely done!

Thank you Sir!