Have You Got A Light Mac?

…No – but I have a dark green overcoat!

It is a Dannimac, and I bought it in Fenwick’s in Leicester in the autumn of 1997. So it is pretty old. But it is a brilliant coat – as well as two deep pockets outside, it has an inside pocket with a zip. The top is double layered- as well as having the interior lining. It has a hood. And behind that row of buttons, it has a zip. So it is brilliantly warm. I love it.

I was really glad of it on Wednesday when I stood in the playground for an hour watching an enthusiastic guy in a tracksuit teaching my class to play Tag Rugby. It was freezing that afternoon- and it even started snowing briefly after school.

However, I’m afraid this aged coat is also a-frayed!

The cuffs [wool outer/corduroy inner] were worn right through, and also the stitching on the pockets was coming undone.

I found a scrap of pretty fabric in The Great Stash, and got out my trusty 25mm bias binding maker

I made some long strips of binding

Then I applied the binding to the cuffs, and also round the collar [which wasn’t frayed, but I thought it made for completeness]

I also mended the pockets. then I decided that I needed a bit more detail – so I found another scrap if fabric [plain red] and a couple of buttons. Using this crockery as circle templates…

…I cut out circles of fabric and made ‘yo-yos’ and stitched them together with the buttons to make a little brooch. This I attached to a safety pin so it is removable.

And now the coat will be wearable for a little longer.

Very pleased with this little renovation project. [the photo above has come out way too pale – the picture at the top is a better reproduction of the colour of the rich green wool]

[For details of my lovely red French crockery, see my first ever post – here]

Use it up, wear it out, make it do

…or do without!