Starting this year off right with a make do and mend project!
This vintage coat was gifted to me by a sweet lady who gave me some of her mother's things, a few years ago. I don't know its age - it's generously long and full, so it may well be from the 1970s - but it has a classic look that works for many different styles, including the late 1940s which is how I styled it here.
When this coat was given me, it went onto my mending rack. It had a few minor moth chews, and one major one that went right through the collar. It was very visible, but also very fixable. I intended to recover the collar in black velvet, and so it went on my rack.
Naturally, doing new projects was more exciting than a small fix-it project, so it languished until recently when I buckled down and went through everything on my mending/alteration rack, and as a result this is now in my closet.
I mended the moth holes as well as I could (I'm not experienced in mending yet, so I probably didn't do it right, but thankfully the nubby, multi-colored fabric hides foreign threads really well!) Instead of black velvet, I decided to use some faux curly lamb fur I thrifted this past summer.
I could use the collar as a pattern since I wanted the black to come in to the top stitching lines, and stitched it by hand to the top of the collar. Because of the fuzzy fabric, I didn't have to be really careful about getting the edges perfect or hiding my stitches, which was nice.
That was it! With just a little bit of work, this lovely coat was off my mending rack and wearable again. I really like the added black contrast too, so maybe the moth damage was actually for the best.
It does not have a closure, just a belt. It has deep, decorative pockets and cuffs. It does have one button loop under the collar so it can be closed higher, for 2 different looks.
I love the bright colors threaded through the plum fabric.
It's very colorful, and the fabric is thick like a carpet. With all that length, it's like wearing a heavy blanket! I feel like a Russian princess when wearing it. No way I'm getting cold when wearing this thing.
Despite my procrastination, I do love that I can use my sewing skills to give a facelift to old pieces of art like this beautifully crafted coat. It's using creativity and taking a damaged item that otherwise might end up thrown away, and making it even better, with a whole fresh lease on life.
I'm very happy to have it finally off my conscience!
what a beautiful coat, the collar upgrade is lovely and must feel very luxurious. You can't buy coats like this anymore - they were made well to last. You look delightful in it. What a great way to start the New Year!
Posted by: Susanna | 01/16/2020 at 10:39 PM
Perfect for cold winter weather! The coat renewal turned out so well. Sewing the faux lamb collar on the original was inspired. Add the fluffy muff and you are more than ready!
Posted by: Lynne A Johnson | 01/17/2020 at 04:41 PM