I really love my coat. After years and years of wearing first whatever my mother bought me, and then whatever fit me in the store, or hand me downs from others. I decided that I was sick of wearing a coat that wasn't my taste. I didn't want to wear a coat that made me look like a fluffy marshmallow. Or a men's coat. So I bought myself a coat online that looked great... only it wasn't warm enough; from the pictures you couldn't tell just how thin it was. It's pretty, but still only a light jacket.
Last year, though, I was in the store and I found a coat that I absolutely adored. A red wool looking coat. With two sets of gold buttons going down the front. And a fluffy faux fur hood. When I saw it, I was sure it wouldn't fit me, but it fit me beautifully, and was very warm, and wasn't too much money.
I've enjoyed wearing it since; I love how it looks in pictures.
Well, I figured the buttons on the sleeves are mostly decorative, don't have much of a purpose, and it won't look so strange if they are a different color. So I removed the buttons from the sleeves and sewed them on to the front of the coat where there were some missing. From my sewing box I took two brownish blackish buttons and sewed them onto the sleeves.
I was a little bit more stumped about the snap. Finally I decided to take off the uppermost snap and move it to the middle, where one was missing. Closing the top snap isn't so important, especially when I have a button there.
Last year, though, I was in the store and I found a coat that I absolutely adored. A red wool looking coat. With two sets of gold buttons going down the front. And a fluffy faux fur hood. When I saw it, I was sure it wouldn't fit me, but it fit me beautifully, and was very warm, and wasn't too much money.
I've enjoyed wearing it since; I love how it looks in pictures.
Over time, though, the buttons loosened, and though I kept telling myself I'd fix it before the buttons fell off, life happened, and I didn't, and I lost 2 of the buttons.
Not only that, there are two ways to close the coat. The buttons, but also some large snaps that are hidden inside.
One of the snaps fell off too.
While I loved my coat, it got to the point where I couldn't even close it, because both the buttons and snaps were missing.
Today I took out my needle and thread to do some repairs to some sweaters of mine, and I decided that I'd fix my coat.
Eventually I plan on replacing all the buttons on my coat (probably to black; I'm not the hugest fan of gold) but I didn't have any today.
Not only that, there are two ways to close the coat. The buttons, but also some large snaps that are hidden inside.
One of the snaps fell off too.
While I loved my coat, it got to the point where I couldn't even close it, because both the buttons and snaps were missing.
Today I took out my needle and thread to do some repairs to some sweaters of mine, and I decided that I'd fix my coat.
Eventually I plan on replacing all the buttons on my coat (probably to black; I'm not the hugest fan of gold) but I didn't have any today.
So how did I fix my coat?
Well, I figured the buttons on the sleeves are mostly decorative, don't have much of a purpose, and it won't look so strange if they are a different color. So I removed the buttons from the sleeves and sewed them on to the front of the coat where there were some missing. From my sewing box I took two brownish blackish buttons and sewed them onto the sleeves.
I was a little bit more stumped about the snap. Finally I decided to take off the uppermost snap and move it to the middle, where one was missing. Closing the top snap isn't so important, especially when I have a button there.
The sewing job of the newly placed snap is quite ugly, I'll admit, but its on the inside of my coat, so who cares?
While I was at it, I went and reinforced all the buttons so they wouldn't fall off.
I love this coat, and I'm glad that an easy fix allowed me to lengthen it's life without taking away from its beauty.
I love this coat, and I'm glad that an easy fix allowed me to lengthen it's life without taking away from its beauty.
Are you particular about the type of coat you wear? What is your favorite style? Do you tend to repair clothing when they get ruined or do you end up just buying new? Do you do the repairs yourself or bring them to a seamstress/tailor?
Your repair job looks fine. I'd say, "Who's going to look that closely?" but some people do. Complainers are welcome to re-do the job (for free of course.) I do my own mending (and not well but the repairs hold so who cares?) Bleach stains have been the hardest to deal with and tend to result in tossing the clothes, since bleaching the whole thing doesn't seem to work.
ReplyDeleteI live in a small town, no tailors, so I learned to repair.
My advice is to not use bleach when wearing good clothes.
DeleteNice coat. Good job.
ReplyDeleteit's really worth while mending expensive items like coats if possible. I do alterations and repairs for a living. This week a customer brought a coat, old one, asked if I could patch it up further. Last winter I sewed a strip of fabric under the collar as it was disintegrating. This time I mended the pocked, did button hole stitch round the button holes, which were fraying, sewed the buttons on after reinforcing the weak areas and removed the remainder of the tabs, the previous owner had cut them off. I opened the seams and put them back together. He was SO pleased!
ReplyDelete