Making Old Coats New: Alteration, Lining, and Embellishment

fashion design by Jen Paulousky Revive an old jacket or coat from your closet or a thrift store. Take an old coat to pieces and reconstruct it with new insulation, lining, and styling. Learn some fundamentals of tailoring, alteration, embellishment, and best practices for re-using textiles, and create something unique and fashionable in the process.

Course Number

AW537

Class Size

Age Range

17+, teens by permission

Skill Level

Intermediate

Prerequisite

Basic sewing skills

Materials

An old coat

Bring to first class. Try to avoid garments with any large, obvious moth damage or discolorations. If you don't already have one in your closet, buy one second-hand. We recommend:

Boomerangs (Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury, MA)
Garment District (Cambridge)
Goodwill (new store in Jamaica Plain; also in Allston, South Boston & South End/Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, Somerville)
Oona’s (Cambridge)
or any thrift store

Sewing kit

Bring to first class and all subsequent classes:

250–500 yd. spool of thread, of a color that matches or coordinates with your coat
seam ripper
fabric pencil or square of tailor’s chalk
small box dressmakers’ pins
flexible measuring tape or dressmaker’s tape
a pair of sharp fabric scissors
pencil or pen, for drawing
notebook, sketchbook, or loose paper, for sketching your design and recording your measurements

Embellishments

Students will decide on buttons/closures and any special trimmings during the first class. These can be purchased later and should be brought to the second, third, or fourth class. If you order these on-line, be sure to ask for expedited shipping to you can receive them before the final class session.

Find out where to buy supplies.

Instructor, Schedule, and Cost

Instructor: Jen Paulousky

NOTE: This class will be offered again in Fall 2010. Watch this space for details.