Upcycled Shooting Jacket with Fur Armholes

Upcycled Shooting Jacket

with Fur Armholes

This brilliant, 'Upcycled Vintage Belstaff Shooting Jacket', cost me about £40 to make. Might sound a bit pricey but it is genuine Belstaff.

By re-shaping the armholes I was able to bring in the shoulders, to make it a better fit.

Also, the addition of the elasticated waist at the back gave it a bit more shape.

 I got this shooting jacket from Portobello Market in London.

It cost me £20.

The 2 furry tails were from Barnet Lawson in London. They cost £9 each. They have a handy strip of binding attached to them.  

 Chalk out where you want to cut the armhole. I like mine really deep.

 Then cut it out. For my jacket it had a section in the side seam so I am opening it out so my fur can start and finish in this seam.

 Using double sided sticky tape, (yes that's right!) cut it to about 2mm and stick to the edge of the armhole on the inside.

 Get one of the fur strips and start sticking the binding of the fur around the armhole, making sure you cover the tape up.

Then flap the fur over the armhole ready to sew.

 Keep the fur back and using a zig zag stitch, sew all the way round.

 You've finished the inside and it should look like the above picture.

 Now start sticking you tape about 7mm away from the edge ready to stick the fur edging down on the front of the armhole.

 You'll need to make a little hem as you stick of about 5mm.

 Really press down as you make your little hem.

Then whilst pushing the fur back and using a zig zag stitch, stitch around armhole on the exposed edge of binding. 

 Sew side seams back up

 The inside should look like the above picture.

Look how lovely it looks!

Now for the elasticated back.
Turn the jacket inside out and chalk out where the section is going.

Get a piece of elastic longer than you need and cut a strip of fabric 1cm wider all round. 

At one end flap over the seam allowance

Then turn over and place in chalked out square.

Now 1st of all stitch down one end and then follow down one edge, follow the elastic and stitch close but don't catch the elastic or it won't be possible to gather it.
Then stitch down the other side.

Then when at the end of the other side, start to gather it up. When you are happy with the amount of stretch and gathering, stitch across elastic tohold in place.

This is a picture of the finished back.

Go on, have a go........!