As soon as I read Kenneth King’s Kermit Green Jacket (12/14/10) I went out to the thrift store to see if the nearly identical, but tomato red jacket with the same fraying issues was there. Sadly, it was gone. 

A few weeks later, however, as I was going through the closets trying to be ruthless, I came upon a really nice, heavy black* denim jeans jacket I had bought (also at a thrift store) thinking my husband would like it, but he didn’t.  I pulled it out and put it on, but even though I’m not exactly small (about a 14, and 5’9”) it was much too big – a men’s XXL-Long.  Then I remembered the fringe. 

The style of this jacket was a kind of updated classic Levis, with some vertical tucks added in the front. It had a bottom band, cuffs, and brass “bachelor” buttons. I cut off the bottom band and the cuffs, and closed up the sleeve vents. Then, I cut fringe, about ½ inch wide and ¾ inch long all along the bottom edge and the bottoms of the sleeves. I also trimmed off about 1/8 inch of the long edge of the collar, and cut fringe there, too, each layer separately. 

I used the bottom band and cuffs I had removed to make more fringe, which I sewed to the yoke edges and the tops of the pockets. 

Then I changed it from a “boy” jacket to a “girl” jacket. I carefully removed the brass buttons, mended the holes closed, and made new buttonholes. I sewed the original buttonholes shut, and sewed on square black buttons salvaged from another garment I didn’t want any more. 

I washed and dried the jacket twice, and I love what happened to the fringe.  I’ve worn it several times and received lots of compliments. It would originally have fit my husband like a fitted jacket, but it fits me more like a coat. 

Then comes the latest issue of Threads, featuring the use of the KandiCorp hot-melt applicator. I always wanted one of those! So, I ordered one, along with some assorted black nailheads, and it came today.  An hour of hot-melting them onto the yokes, and here’s the result. I like my “new” jacket even better.

 

* It looks blue here, but it’s black overdyed.

 

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