Remaking a jacket for the wedding

Photo of me (by Jim) hemming the remade jacket wearing a t-shirt Jim got me for our anniversary.

You've no doubt heard of reverse engineering, well this weekend, I engaged in a little re-engineering of a jacket that I got for a song (70% off at Steinmart). It wasn't quite right--not petite, so it was way too long and the sleeves had these impossibly ugly turned up cuffs--but there was potential.



The first thing I did was get rid of those cuffs.



Then I was able to hem the sleeves to fit my short arms.



Shortening the body of the jacket was the next order of business. The jacket is a solid color and except of the pleated edge, it's pretty plain. I decided I needed some kind of decoration on the front.



Using the bands on either side of the front as a guide, I made a pattern of that area with tracing paper.



Using the tracing paper pattern, I cut two base pieces.



My idea was to use the kimono pieces that remained from the shirt I had made years ago to create two panels to appliqué to the jacket. I decided to do a little sashiko embroidery on the panels as I had done for the shirt.



Using a simple sew and flip technique, I covered the base fabrics. I tried to alternate silk with 100% cotton because the silk slips so much. I press after each seam.



Here's on panel nearly done. I pin the sides of the silk pieces to the base fabric to help keep them in place. I don't trim until I stay stitch the entire panel.



Stay stitching is slightly less than one quarter inch from the edge because I'm going to turn that seam allowance under to sew it down to the jacket and I don't want the stay stitching to show.



Here's one panel ready to be embroidered.



This book, by the brilliant Kimi Ota, has been my sashiko guide for years.



I'm spreading three different sashiko designs over the panel.



This little circle template comes in handy for marking the seven treasures of Buddha pattern on a small scale.



The embroidery on this panel is finished.



Here's the first panel sewn in place. I'll model and have Jim take a photo when it's all finished. Sweet dreams for now.