Quite a while back my friend Doug asked me if I could modify his WWII bomber jacket. It had an elastic panel at the bottom which wrapped all the way around and cinched in at his waist, which he didn't like. It seemed like a pretty straightforward project, so I agreed to take it on. Between the time that I said yes and the time the project actually got underway, I acquired a Juki industrial sewing machine. It mostly sat neglected as I was working on hand sewing projects, but with this project it seemed like the perfect time to have a crash course with the Juki. Using a seam ripper, I removed the elastic from the jacket, and then hand-sewed the panel of leather that was to be installed. After getting more acquainted with the sewing machine, it was then used to attach the panel to the jacket:
The finished result. Finding leather that matched the jacket proved to be quite a chore, but luckily there were some scraps in my leather pile that were pretty close:
At the same time, this gun holster belt was in process. It essentially duplicates an existing belt, but adds a few inches to the overall length to account for an expanded waistline:
Up next - the mad scramble to start and finish all the commissions that are intended to be Xmas gifts. I won't be discussing any of the details until after the holidays, just in case any of the recipients stumble across this site.
