Converting a tweed sport coat to a Braemar jacket

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

I didn't want to just fold over the top of my patch pockets, because I felt that would make them too bulky and they might push out the flap a little. So I decided I needed to just fold something over the top edge, like bias tape or something. I then had a great idea!

I'll take the lining out of the remaining pocket that I removed...



Cut pieces of it out, iron them flat and wrap them over the top of the pockets.



I did this just like doing a waistband, where you sew it right side to right side first...



Fold it over and iron it...



Fold again (burying the raw edges) and iron...



And just sew into place (remember, this is tweed, so the stitching barely shows, so I just sewed across the front of the pocket. Besides, this bit is under the flap anyway).



Then, I simply had to sew the pockets onto the jacket...

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

Sewing the pockets on was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, because there is a lot of material here for my little machine to handle. I probably would have been better off hand sewing them, but I was impatient.

So, I machine sewed, not too concerned about showing a seam, because the flaps and the edges of this jacket had a visible seam originally, as did the pockets, so I am matching the original work. This seam does show on the lining (the original had the pockets sewn on before the lining), but I wasn't about to rip open the lining just so the pocket seams didn't show on the inside. Even I'm not that anal!



I broke one needle and bent another before I realized that I was going to have to hand sew the corners at least.



I ended up sewing a double seam around the pockets, because even though these are shallow, mostly for show pockets, I know my father-in-law well enough to know he is going to end up putting inappropriately large or heavy things in there. He must have been one of those little boys you see in cartoons with the frogs, nails, bits of string, rocks, etc, etc, in their pockets.

From a respectable distance though, things look pretty good (remember that Panache is a little taller, with longer arms than his father).





The back side (needs pressing).



Now we just have to provide the kilt and we can respectably dress the man for the NorCal Rabble Second Annual Burn's Night Supper this coming year.

As soon as we have him outfitted, I will post a link to further pictures here.

Be well,

[starbkjrus]

Amazing. Can I send you my measurements?

Seriously, very nice work. I can barley adjust the tension on our machine.