Remodelling a Coat and Skirt (continued) - Making a Smart Coatee from an Old-fashioned

Coat - A Design for Edge Braiding

Before any cutting out of the material is done, put aside some good pieces, large enough to face the revers and collar (with the stripes running in the direction shown in the sketch). Also reserve some pieces for the cuffs and for bordering the sides and back of the coat. (See page 2676, Part 22.)

Place the pieces of the old coat and any left over from the skirt on the table, and arrange the whole pattern on them to the best advantage. Before using the scissors, see that all the stripes will run in the right direction, and that the pieces for the two sides of the coat will "face, or, if this is not done it may afterwards be found that all the pieces have been cut for the same side.

As instructions for making coats have already been given in Vols. 1, 2, and 3, it is unnecessary to repeat them; but if the coat is not to be lined, the canvas interlining should not extend beyond the facing of the fronts. The raw edges of the seams should be bound with lute ribbon or silk Prussian binding. Cotton binding would be too thick and clumsy.

The bottom of the coat must be turned up and "faced" with a piece of the flannel or tweed, sufficiently deep to cover the raw edges of the added border on the back and sides of the coat. This will give a firmness to, and improve the appearance of, the bottom of the coat.

If sufficient material is not left over, a "facing" of silk can be used instead; if the old coat was lined with silk, there will probably be sufficient pieces in good enough condition to be cut up for this "facing," and also to line the cuffs.

To cut a pattern for the revers and collar, put the coat on a dress-stand, take a piece of leno," and with it model a pattern on the coat, following the shape of the revers and collar shown in the finished sketch. Only half the collar should be modelled; remove the half "leno" collar from the coat, and place it on a piece of paper folded double, with the end (the centre-back) down the fold, and cut out the pattern through the double paper. Open the paper collar pattern, and place it round the neck of the coat, the crease of the fold down the centre-back. When the pattern is quite correct, cut it out in the material and canvas, allowing turnings all round in the former. Cut the canvas on the cross, without turnings, make and pad the collar and revers, following the instructions already given in this magazine. Make and put in the sleeves, put on the cuffs and the buttons, and work the buttonholes. If there is sufficient of the old silk lining (in good condition) the sleeves may be lined, even if the coat is not.

If the worker prefers a shorter and more useful skirt for country wear, it could be made a good deal shorter than the one shown in the sketch, and it would still look smart. The coat, too, if preferred, could be shortened, and would look equally well.