'Project Jacket'

For the past few months, I've been quietly working on what became known as 'Project Jacket.'
Back in February, while rummaging around in the loft looking for the car log book (...don't ask!), we stumbled across some of David's old Navy kit. The log book remains at large and is probably enjoying a holiday somewhere behind the water tank.

That discovery sparked an idea. I decided to repurpose one of David's Navy jackets into something special. A cushion? A teddy bear? A jacket for me? Even a lampshade? The possibilities were endless. After much deliberation, I settled on ... a waistcoat.

What followed was months of designing, pinning, tacking, cutting, sewing, unpicking, muttering, cursing, re-sewing, more cursing, and occasionally questioning my life choices. There were times when I genuinely felt the jacket was fighting back.

The sleeves came off first. I hoped that might be enough, but it just looked like a jacket that had suffered a tragic gardening accident.

The collar then went through more redesigns than the Southampton road system. It was reshaped, reduced, adjusted, altered again, altered some more, and eventually removed altogether when I admitted defeat and stopped pretending we were getting along.

I experimented with the length and even tried pointed front panels, but that made me look less "naval elegance" and more "can I interest you in today's specials?" In the end, I kept the original shape and proportions as close to the original jacket as possible. The shoulders were also reduced because apparently I wasn't built like a male Royal Navy Artificer. Who knew?

The areas where the buttons had pulled over the years showed signs of wear, so I removed them and added darts, which not only disguised the damage but gave the waistcoat a more flattering shape. Pleats were added to the neckline to help transform a very masculine naval jacket into something that suited me whilst still respecting its history.

My fingers have suffered considerably throughout this project. At this point, they resemble a cross between a pincushion and a medical experiment. I may never regain full feeling in some of them, but sacrifices had to be made.

Today, 'Project Jacket' is finally finished.

I hope David would approve. I've tried to keep its Navy character while giving it a new life. Like my fingers, it carries the marks of its history, a fair bit of my stubbornness, and more hours of work than I will ever admit to publicly.

    
         

  And the best part? When I wear it, it feels a little bit like being wrapped in one of David's hugs.

I can't think of a better tribute than that. ❤️

What do you think?

Love and Light peeps,

Dbee x