Easy Epaulettes

[ChattanCat]

I have found that there is extra material after cutting the bottom of jackets that makes great epaulettes. Once the jaket has been cut and you have alotted the excess material from the bottom of the jacket to cover the side slits, cuffs, etc. you can use the front portion of the cuttaway to make eppaulettes.



The epaulettes will be about 1.5" at the widest and 1 to 1.25 at the end that you tuck into the jacket sleeve. I uses a 1/2" seam allowance for hand sewing, you may use smaller but it is totally dependant on the material as Harris tweed is very loose.

I then fold over one side 1/2" and baste.



I then fold over the other side and baste it through both sides:



All that is required is to edge stitch the two sides together, add a button hole, open the shoulder seam, position the epaulette along the top seam of the jacket, baste it on, sew the shoulder seam back down and attach the button.

Easy eppaulettes.

[tyger]

Very interesting. You know, with all I manage to tackle, cutting a perfectly good jacket sure is intimidating. It is well that somebody has the courage to do it!

[Bugbear]

Interesting, thanks for posting this.

So the epaulettes are wider on the button end than the end that goes in the jacket?

[Spartan]

That Harris Tweed look familiar!

[kscaddo]

My good wife has done this with two jackets she has modified for me. Turns out very well.
Regards,
Ken

[Mipi]

I assume the left shoulder epaulette is a mirror image of the right shoulder epaulette, right?

[ChattanCat]

So the epaulettes are wider on the button end than the end that goes in the jacket?

The epaulettes are tapered from the button hole end to the entry into the shoulder sleeve. The entry into the shoulder seam is about 1 3/4" and tapers down to 1 1/2" just before the button hole radius cut.

[ChattanCat]

I assume the left shoulder epaulette is a mirror image of the right shoulder epaulette, right?

Yes, they are mirror images when put on the jacket. The area where I cut from the jacket has facing on one side that makes one side stiffer than the other side of the epaulette. I usually put the "stiff" side up on the jacket. So they are mirror images.

Cheers,

[Bugbear]

Oh, ok, they're wider on the sleeve end than the buttonhole end. Thanks.

[puffer]

Thank you for posting this. I just had a friend in the ML?BP community, ask me about doing this & I forwarded this to her.

Puffer