Tux jacket conversion

[Bugbear]

Well good luck.

Yes, the fabric would probably need to be heffty, mine is corduroy, to do the full back vent flaps.

Did you work the waist reduction into the vent seam? It would seem like a good place since you already have the seam open.

I very much look forward to finding out how you do the pocket flaps. Those are the one thing on formal jackets that I don't quite understand yet.

[sydnie7]

Lots of fiddly hand-sewing going on tonight, doesn't photograph well. Stitched the straight portion of hem in similar manner to original -- raw edge turned under 1/4 inch, then 3/4 inch turned up for hem. I'm working on the lining now, will have some pics to post of that tomorrow morning.

Finally found a larger photo of Brian Boru jacket (thanks, USAK!) which has helped me decide how to "decorate" this conversion. All buttons will be round and gold-tone (to match the cantle of his formal sporran, and his kilt pin).

Pockets will stay as is -- straight opening with narrow satin band -- no flap or buttons added there.

Wide cuffs that rise to a single point will be applied to sleeves, with three buttons parallel to edge of cuff "on the rise."

Three large buttons on either side of jacket front, roughly parallel to lapel but about 2 or 3 inches to the outside, middle button aligned with bottom of lapel (I'll play with this layout before committing to it).

Button and chain closure for the jacket, buttons for the epaulettes.

Still lots to do but I am feel good about it at this point.

[Alan H]

I'm following this thread, you know. *wink*

[Bugbear]

Thanks for describing the layout in such detail.

[sydnie7]

I'm following this thread, you know. *wink*

Then you know why you haven't seen the RevK Addendum yet! I haven't forgotten. . . just prioritizing, by my lights. . .

[Alan H]

Then you know why you haven't seen the RevK Addendum yet! I haven't forgotten. . . just prioritizing, by my lights. . .

Bob comes first! I ain't no fool! LOL

[Arlen]

This is looking great. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

[sydnie7]

Today's mantra was "work more, post less" so I have a lot of catching up to do!

Lining: trimmed to about 1.5 inches longer than hemmed jacket. Turned up and pressed a 1/2 inch hem allowance. . .


Aligned that edge just above jacket hem. This leaves an extra fold of lining for ease of movement.


I had to get a little creative with this treatment around the side vents and flaps. I ended up leaving the lining loose (not sewn at hem) for about 2 inches either side of vent, folding up the excess lining, and whip-stitching the vertical edge of the fold. This is still problematic. The fold wants to unfold at center rear, so I will probably give it a loose tack (like an inch of "leash") at center back. Not elegant, but effective -- I hope!

On to the sleeves. I stuffed one sleeve with a bath towel to make measurements easier. I decided that my cuff would be 4 inches at its shortest, and come to a 7 inch point. So I put a pin at the underarm sleeve at the 4 and 7 inch marks.


This allowed me to measure sleeve circumference at the hem, at the 4 inch height, and at the 7 inch height.


Using those measurements, I began to draw out the cuff pattern on a large piece of paper. I used a Macy's shopping bag -- I have lots of those, just ask Bob! Midway through pattern making, I decided the cuff's lowest point should be 3 inches rather than 4. Didn't bother to remeasure circumference, just drew an angled, vertical line between my hem level and 7 inch level ticks. I started with a gentle curve between the high and low points of cuff.


Cut out that pattern and pinned it to one sleeve to see how it looked.

[sydnie7]

Decided to try a straight edge for top of cuff rather than the curve. Taped some paper onto the top of the pattern, marked a straight line, cut the revised pattern, and pinned it into place. Much better!


I have the luxury of donor pants from this full tuxedo, lots of material to play with. The pants have a line of satin down the outside seam, and I toyed with the idea of placing that satin trim up the cuff from hem to highest point.


Decided against it, as the satin would look odd just ending in mid-sleeve. The ultimate treatment would be edging the cuff in satin, but that is much more work than I have time for!

The pants legs were just the right size for cuffs -- I'm using the existing pants hem as the bottom hem of cuff. Yes, Bob will be wearing his pants around his wrists -- please try to control your laughter. Here, I have chopped off the bottom 8 inches of pants leg, opened it up along the outside seam (where the satin is), pressed it flat, and laid my pattern in place.


Sharp eyes will notice that my pattern has changed slightly. I drew it with the high points at either end and the low point in the middle, but I don't want a seam up the high point. So I cut the pattern in half at the low point, and taped it together at the high points.

Remember, you need mirror image cuffs, so one is cut with the Macy's logo showing and the other was cut with the Macy's logo hidden underneath.

The pattern also doesn't perfectly match the pants hem along the bottom. I'm leaving the pants hem as is, trusting that it is a more level hem than my pattern

[sydnie7]

Remember that the paper pattern represents finished size, so I cut the material 1/2 inch outside the edge of pattern.


Then I pressed that 1/2 inch under, to finish the raw edges of the cuff.


The existing sleeves have a small vent, which I stitched closed to prevent it bunching up underneath the applied cuff.


Pinned the cuff to the sleeve, first along the hem (with new cuff hem about 1/8 inch below the existing sleeve hem).


Then pinned the upper edges of the cuff to the sleeve.