Kilt jacket or bust!

[Cowher]

So yesterday I went to the local goodwill shop as they were having a 50% off sale. I found a brownish tan tweed jacket about one size small. I'm on the road to shedding a few pounds so I figured it would do. And for $3 I couldn't say no. So I got it home cleaned it and hung it up. I then started to read some tutorials about how to convert it to a kilt jacket. Today I was doing some chores and sat to practice my piping. So I got up tossed on the kilt and jacket grabbed some chalk made a straight line about a inch below the part where my pleats are sewn down on the jacket. I then put white basting stitches in the jacked and eyeballed the curve. I grabbed the scissors and chopped away I stood up and it punched me in the face that I just chopped up a perfectly good jacket. oh man what did I do?!? I don't even know how to sew. Well off to buy some thread. I hope this goes well.

[piperdown]

I found a similar jacket but didn't have ther guts to chop it up. Therefore I have a nice Harris tweed for pants and I had to get a tweed jacket and waistcoat made for kilting.
The best of both worlds if I do say so.

[piperdbh]

From what I can see, you're well on your way to having a nice kilt jacket. Make sure you fold the outer jacket material (the shell) up and press the dickens out of it before you start sewing the lining to it. It wouldn't hurt to topstitch it about 1/4" from the hem, too.

Is this a Harris tweed jacket, or a non-Harris?

[Cowher]

This is a Perry Ellis jacket (non-Harris). Also what do you mean by topstitch?

From what I can see, you're well on your way to having a nice kilt jacket. Make sure you fold the outer jacket material (the shell) up and press the dickens out of it before you start sewing the lining to it. It wouldn't hurt to topstitch it about 1/4" from the hem, too.

Is this a Harris tweed jacket, or a non-Harris?

[Whidbey78]

I did my first one by hand with hidden stitches. Hadn't sewn since high school home ec class. Take your time and it will be good. You already got past the part that I find difficult...laying ot the cut line, especially around the sporran cutout. Looks like its spot on to me!

[sydnie7]

This is a Perry Ellis jacket (non-Harris). Also what do you mean by topstitch?

Topstitching is a lot like the basting that you have already done -- but it's even, neat, and meant to be left in place/visible on the finished product. It is a useful method to keep lapels and other jacket edges from rolling outward (exposing the seamline, facing, and other inner parts). However, you don't usually see it on a jacket hemline -- usually just down the center front and around the bottom curve, ending where the front facings end.

I think if you do as has already been suggested, pressing and steaming the edges well, you won't need a topstitch to "convince" them.

[Kiltboy]

I had the same fears on my first jacket modification. But remember, if it looks bad, rip out the stitches and try again. Remember, you only spent $3, and some time. If you don't like the final result, you can always go back to the thrift store and try again.

[norfair86]

Looking good so far! The hard part is done though. Like others have said, make sure you press it really well before you sew! I bought a nice jacket at Goodwill a few months ago, but I spent $25 lol
Having never modified any garment before, I was more than a little paranoid I'd screw it up! But, it turned out alright

[Bugbear]

*I'm not a tailor, and I might be stating this incorrectly. *

Small suggestion from experience. You might check to see if there are very thin, folded strips of interfacing in the original hem at the fold. If so, try to remove them and put them in the new hem in the same way. It can help the look of the hem edge a little sometimes. Same goes for the cuffs if shortening them.

If not,, never mind.

[MacMillans son]

Good on ya Cower for having the marbles to give it a try!!

I am not a tailor, nor remotely talented in that area, but I have spent a bunch of time obsessing over jackets (and of course kilts). So, please take this with a large grain of salt; in looking at the jacket from this angle it appears that the body extends below the sleeves. On the two jackets that I currently have, and most all of the photos I see of other kilt jackets, the sleeves are at least at the same length, or usually a bit longer, than the hem on the jacket. Even on what appear to be short models. This may be a function of the arm length of kilt jacket models though.

Just an observation. Again, good on ya for giving it a go!