Refashioning a vintage fur, Pt 2: Collar

So far, my Vintage Fur Refashion has consisted of unpicking parts of the original fur coat and wearing them as separates. Not very imaginative, but a surprising amount of work nevertheless.

My Fur Stole is something to be worn when it is very cold. This collar is a bit more versatile, and is worn for fashion rather than warmth.

Under collar (before)

The underside of the coat collar was really quite spectacular. The pelts are narrow with quite short hair. I think there might be as many as 24 different pelts joined together. The colour variation is marvellous and the effect is of luxe stripes of black and brown silkiness.

The inside has been lined with horsehair canvas and bound with bias tape around the edges. The cut edges of the skins were visible at the edge of the collar, so I needed something to line the edges. I considered adding a full lining, but decided that my cutting skills were probably not up to the job of getting the lining to not bag out somewhere, and again, this fur is on it's last legs so I didn't want to sink a lot of materials into this project.

A length of black ribbon, fished from the present wrapping bag, did the trick instead. I attached it by hand to the right side of the fur edges, catching both the skin and the bias binding in the edges.

The skin held up pretty well. This part of the coat is not terribly decayed. Some of the edges are a bit wavy where the skin had disappeared and I had to move the stitches inward to find it again. I left two long edges of ribbon to make ties. Sewing the ribbon down to the canvas on the inside is not the prettiest. The edges are curved and the ribbon is not Petersham, so my ribbon is full of pleats and tucks. Plus, you can see the canvas. Maybe after I refashion the rest of the coat, I'll take some of the old lining (which is silk) and line the inside of this collar.

I have worn it over the collar of my leather jacket - again, a fabric that won't hold onto the shedding hairs. I appreciate the bit of extra grip that the canvas gives the underside. I tied the ribbon under the jacket collar. It takes a bit of holding together to put it on, but I managed it. The pile runs the "wrong" way on this collar, in that you stroke it from the edge up to the neckline. But I am going to be the only person stroking my clothing thank-you-very-much.

It also makes a very pretty child's stole/cape, and Cruella de Ville is going to wear it to school as part of her World Book Day costume.

Vintage Fur Refashion

Part 1: original coat and turning the collar into a stole

Part 2: under collar into a new collar

Mini Me Coco Sweatshirt Dress

Getting my sewjo back with a Coco dress seems to be how I need to ease myself through January. Even though I made my NYE Tablecloth between Christmas and New Year, I still find that the Christmas comedown and preparing for two birthdays in January means that I don't sew at all in January. Then I start to panic and think that I'll never sew again. Then I calm down and make something easy. Like a sweatshirt dress.

Big Sis has been an admirer of my Coco Sweatshirt Dress ever since I finished it last February. She, adorably, asked for one of her own. I had plenty of fabric left over from mine, so I added it to my sewing queue.

For the pattern I went back to one of my all time favourite children's patterns: Simplicity 1584. Seriously, this pattern is amazing! It is a perfect basic pattern block, the long sleeve dress can be made short sleeve, or sleeveless, I've done a drop waisted dress from it - actually, three; it also has a long sleeve knit t-shirt, pull on bottoms - which together would make great pyjamas - and of course capes. Because everybody needs capes. I've made three myself. Between this pattern and the Cottage Mama Party Dress, I think I have everything I need to keep my children in clothing. And it goes up to a size 8. Which still fits my 11 year old. Best Pattern Ever!

It was also FAST! On Thursday night, I got inspired to get on with it (two days until her birthday), dug out the fabric and pattern, cut out, realising I could cut the back on the fold - saving another seam in the process - and overlocked all the seams together. Win for already having dark thread in my overlocker. She tried it on and I scooped out about an inch from the front neckline. I didn't lengthen the sleeves because I was adding ribbing. I did add two inches to the hem length, and then shortened it by the same amount in the end. The side seams also needed shaping at the waistline. This is a very shapeless dress.

The next night, I found the navy ribbing I bought at the same time as the fabric and sewed that on to the neckline and sleeve cuffs. The fit was really good, but the colour (Dark Navy) is darker than the main fabric. She knew it was on its way, so I didn't have to rush to get it finished for her birthday. She was pleased that I was working on it though.

She liked the idea of pink patch pockets, and these scraps from my Liberty Sweatshirt (also Coco) are a very nice match with the navy. I really struggle with patch pockets. I never get them exactly right. And this style, with the marked contrast, is very unforgiving. I used the small pocket from the Coco pattern, and added 1/4 inch all around. I also topstitched the top edge of the pocket facing so that these were held down properly. I forgot to add a proper allowance for folding over at the time of cutting out. The pocket pattern piece should not really be square, but rectangular to allow for this.

Never mind that, it is a minor niggle with an otherwise great pattern. I mainly got my pockets sewn on straight, without too many wavy edges. The hem is finished with two rows of top stitching too. I would have liked a deeper hem, but chose to leave it just a smidgeon longer than requested because she is growing fast, this big little girl of mine.

Costs: 
 Fabric: used previously, £0.00
 Pattern: used previously, £0.00 
 Notions: navy ribbing, £6.45
Total: £6.45

Refashioning a Vintage Fur Coat Part 1: Stole

I have a secret which shames me a bit: I adore fur coats! They are so glossy, and silky, and warm! Does it make it ok if they are vintage? I hope so, because I have one. I got it in Italy - where the women are known for their beautiful furs. From a junk shop. Vintage shop is not the right word for this place, it is more of a salvage yard with used furniture piled up outside a shed-like building. They have an amazing selection of vintage home appliances such as pre-electric irons and rotary telephones. If you wanted to dress a film set, this would be the place to shop.

Before, front

Before, back

But back to the coat. I paid far too much for it, 120 euros, and it is actually worthless. More on that later. 

It's not something I would wear at the moment: it is too big for me, the full length is very dated, the double breasted style adds even more volume and the collar is the biggest problem of all. It is far too large, and the pile has been cut which takes off the shine, colour and silkiness of the longer pile pieces. Honestly, wearing the coat makes me look like I am wearing a bear costume. 

Watch out for that bear!

I was really torn about what to do with it. It was stuffed in the top of my cupboard for quite a few years because I had no idea, and I was really scared of getting it wrong.

The fur is beautifully glossy and silky and it is heavy and warm. I believe the animal is not a bear but fox, possibly male. The pelts in the back and sleeves seem very large and the joins and the stripes look fabulous. They are arranged in large strips with a black stripe running through the centre. The furrier kept a lot of volume in the hem and placed the darker colours here. I don't know how they joined the pelts to get this effect, but it is a lovely touch. The underside of the collar is also quite spectacular. I'm not sure if it is shorn, or a different animal altogether, but these are relatively coarse hairs, moving in stripe patterns. They seem to have joined lots of small pelts together. Possibly the legs? (I am simultaneously enchanted and revolted by this coat.) The short pile on the underside means the collar sits flat when worn. I wouldn't have even thought that it was even necessary to have the under-collar made of fur at all. This must have been a pretty luxurious coat in its day.

Under Collar

In its day. Unfortunately, that day has now passed. The skin has dried out, and the fur sounds rustly and feels papery when you move it about. I now know that if it sounds like that, you shouldn't buy it. I'm not exactly sure if it was that way when I bought it, or if it has deteriorated since I owned it - probably both - but it is in a bad state of decay now. Just from trying it on at home and wearing it about the house for fun (ok, warmth) caused a tear to open up in the underside of the sleeve. These are ugly tears in the middle of the skin. This is because the skin has rotted away under the fur. It also means that the fur is starting to shed. Most people don't bother to send their vintage furs away for storage in the winter, it's too expensive and too much of a hassle. So that means that most vintage furs are in a sorry state indeed. It is probably not worth buying furs older than 10 years. Even top quality furs are going to deteriorate with time. As a positive: I see this as part of the sustainable nature of real fur - it will rot and decompose, and not become more plastic in landfill, as faux fur will. We can look after it and enjoy it, but it is not going to be here forever.

Hole in the hide

The terrible state of the skin made me feel less scared about cutting into it. I knew that I was not set to ruin something, because it was ruined anyway. (Although it did leave me with a niggling question in the back of my mind: how does one dispose of a decomposing fur coat? Throw it in the household rubbish? Compost? Shall I walk past a street bin and dramatically throw it off my shoulders and stuff it in the bin? I would do that last one outside the Opera House!)

Before

But back to the refashion. There are so many different things I could get out of this coat, if only the skins are in good enough condition. Best case: a throw from the skirt, two cushion covers from the sleeves, a cape from the shoulders, a stole from the collar and a hat trim from the under collar. I started by unpicking the top of the collar from the rest of the coat.

After

I was terribly worried about being icked out by the sight of the skins under the lining. I didn't want to see all the little animals that went into this. I like fur and I like meat, but I don't like the animal products that I consume to look like the animals that went into them. 

Lucky me: the coat is more well-made than I even dreamed, the underside is lined with horsehair canvas and another layer of lining. This is all edged with bias binding to hold the shape of the collar. So unpicking the collar (which took three evenings) left me with a lined, bound piece in the shape of a stole. Win! It was a messy job though. The fur is a bit smelly in that old clothes / charity shop way, the pile shed at the edges and there is fine sawdust inside. Something to do with the cleaning process. 

I found this article on how to refashion a fur incredibly helpful.

Lining

There were two slashes, creating lapel edges, I sewed these up by hand and they add nice volume to the stole. I didn't use a special needle, or thread, just one of those hotel sewing kit needles! I tried to keep the stitches going through the bias binding and the hide for maximum strength. The stitches went in easily. Perhaps a better quality hide might cause more problems. 

I have been wearing the stole without adding a new lining. The underside looks pretty ropey, but in all honesty, I am not willing to put in the effort to line it when it is probably going to perish quite soon anyway. I have found a way to wear it as a collar/scarf with my winter jacket and I just stuff the long ends inside my lapel. It is lovely and warm and feels soft too.

Vintage Fur Refashion

Part 1: original coat and turning the collar into a stole

Part 2: under collar into a new collar