HFC 14 Challenge 1 - completed

Hi folks

shoulder to big so sleeve hangs

I love the victorian era, but don't really get any chance to justify making anything from it as we never attend anything of that elk, maybe one day. But coats you can get away with in everyday wear I think or at least thats what I tell myself and thats good enough for me.  So this challenge was perfect for sorting out a black wool coat I made a long time ago, and that has been more or less stuck in the cupboard since I remade the pattern in red, (3 years).  Well I always intend to get it out again, but it had gotten shabby, the hem was down in places (and had the odd safety pin in others) and it was too big over the shoulder area as I didn't really know how to alter patterns back then.  This challenge, Make Do & Mend, was perfect to getting me motivated, to quote the challenge text "adjusting that jacket that never quite fit you, or re-making that out-dated item into something fresh and new"

pining for dart

So I sewed up the hem to start, you may as well get the easy bit out of the way, and also repaired a number of tears in the lining. Then I removed the old shoulder pads that were completely bent out of shape and good for nothing but the bin and then looked at the shoulders. My options were to take the sleeve off, cut the top of the armhole closer to the neck thereby reducing the shoulder length and then trying to get the arm back into what would now be a large hole, (all to do with maths and angles, just believe me) or leaving that well alone and take in the shoulder.  This could be either a pleat or a dart running down the front and back. As the easier option by far I opted for this and a dart as I wanted to attach some cord  in a decorative manner and a pleat would get in the way.

I cut the dart down the centre (not all the way to the end) and ironed it flat so I didn't get a lump on one side.

 I also changed the top three buttons, well 1 was missing anyway, and added the decorative cord around buttons and button holes, only for the top three though as I thought it might look a bit too much otherwise. And I finished of new shoulder pads.



What do you think?

And for the Challenge here are the details

The Challenge: 1

Fabric: old wool coat, 

Pattern: originally a vogue coat pattern, with extra gores added to the skirt

Year: hopefully vaguely victorian, I will be a lot more specific in future challenges

Notions: 5 meters of gold coloured cord and 5 brass buttons

How historically accurate is it?  Well I did some internet searching so a little, Victorian does seem to be the more decorative the better.  The original coat was mainly sewn on an overlocker as I had just got it back then and everything possible was sewn on it, so ignore that bit please. Trim sewn on by hand so that must be accurate.

Hours to complete: 7 although watching tv whilst hand sewing so not really concentrating

First worn: today to walk the dog up to the vet, don't worry just for her worming.

Total cost: £2.50 for cord, the rest I already had.

I'm really looking forward to challenge 2, Innovation. It complete stumped me to start, but once I got my head round it, I got very excited. You'll see all about it in a couple of weeks.

Below is some of the inspiration I saw whilst browsing this wonderful thing we call the web, how did anyone manage to research before this?

Well thats about it for today, take care all
hugs and kisses
ally


http://img0.etsystatic.com/021/1/7346469/il_340x270.503734312_pxm6.jpg


http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6048397/il_340x270.261676651.jpg


http://www.retroscopefashions.com/images/ladies/CT00142.jpg