Dear Sis,

When I left your house back in December, I loaded up a few of your items with me. One, was your black winter coat. A simple coat with no closure or decoration.

We both know, that you tend to finish making things for everyone else and leave out yourself. Besides, I like working with trimmings, so it seemed like an ideal project for me. The downfall, boy is it hard to trim something to the taste of another. 

I had no idea what to do with your coat. But, while talking to you I made a few discoveries. One was that you made a black coat because you thought it would look best with the Princes Capote hood that I made you, and that you would have preferred having items with a bit more color. Seeing that I had found some emerald green wool suiting for your next dress… coming soon. I figured I could add another jewel tone color to your coat, and make you a whole lot more colorful.

First, I put on a hook and eye closure. I also added a rabbit fur collar, that wasn’t very fitting for the jacket and got removed. I ended up picking this design, it was featured in Godey’s in 1865. It called for some buttons, and I figured basic black silk covered buttons would handle the job well.

I couldn’t find any cording to suit, so I decided to buy a Lucet and make it myself. I had plenty of silk yarn in the closet after all. A bright purple seemed the most fitting, and I got to work. Boy, did that take awhile. Each row needed about 6 yards of trim. And while the cording went together faster then I expected, it still seemed to take forever.

It took almost as long to put it on, as to make. Trimmings can be so fiddly. Silly me, also lined up the trimmings with the edge of the overlap on the coat as the center. It was my husband who pointed out that the eye was drawn to the buttons as the center focal point. So, I ended up moving the center trimmings several times. But, I do think the result was worth it.

And those chunky tassels with a tatted top really drew the whole thing together. I hope you really like it. And I can’t wait to finish your emerald green wool dress and fancy silk apron!

I hope you like your jazzed up coat!

Love,
Jamie

See more of our outerwear in our Historical Closet