My Wardrobe Transformation ~ Adding Details to a Much Loved Jacket

Jean jackets are a staple in many wardrobes. And this particular jacket is one that I am very fond of. But even the most well loved clothing could use a make over from time to time.

In preparation of writing this article I looked into the history of jean jackets. To no surprise at all I found that these jackets have been in style pretty much since their appearance on the fashion scene in the United States around the year 1800.

But, that is not when their story starts. I was very surprised to read that their origins date way back to the late 1700's to when they were first designed by Levi Strauss in the land of Germany.

That was all very interesting to me and I have this jean jacket, which I love but, felt that it needed a change. For years now I have been using this jacket with my moon signs and monarch patches. I always imagined that I would continue adding more and more patches but recently have been wondering if I shoudn't take a different direction completely.

Now that I have recently acquired these set of decorative ribbons the inspiration for the transformation is in my hands. These are not just any ribbons but my way of reconstructing my ancestral past. I found these ribbons from 32 North on Etsy though they are originally from Czechia which, is where my ancestors are from.

First step was to remove the previous patches. I like them well enough but I feel their destiny lies with some other item of clothing, or maybe decorating a backpack. Using a seam ripper was very much helpful in this task.

Then I pinned the ribbon along the sleeve, making sure that it lay flat and centered on the outside.

For the most part this ended up being a hand sewn task where the denim was doubled up into seams and the middle of the sleeves where the machine couldn't reach.

In total this project took about 4 hours to complete as only a small fraction could be sewn with the machine. That is alright with me as I find hand sewing to be relaxing and helps me get into the mood for future sewing projects.

What do you think of how this turned out? I am quite happy with the result and feel a bit of magic and memories of the past have now been combined into this jacket that has become my favorite once again. Of this ribbon in particular I have about a yard left as well as five other designs that I will certainly be using soon, maybe even in my next NeedleWork post!