What a great piece of work F-HCAG! Good pictures and nice write up. I'm sure that all will find it userful.

As a long time sewer I'd like to offer a couple of tips and comments:
1) remove the buttons first
2) chalking your curve onto the garment is perfect, then when you get the curve you like, trace it onto tissue paper to create a pattern to transfer to the other side to get the curves exactly alike.
3) you don't need a french curve, dinner plates, bowls, glasses, etc have great curves to them.
4) don't double up your thread when sewing hems, lining, topstitching that pocket lining thingy. It makes your hand sewing too visible. The machine stitching on the jacket is only one thread. Double thread is only useful if the seam that you're sewing needs extra strength, even then I might just sew a seam twice with single thread, depends....
5) I loved how you put the epaulettes in! (btw, i always go to m-w.com to check my spelling ;) )
6) love your buttons! I used those exact ones on my Aboyne vest.

Btw, the cut on the jacket that was covered over by that little piece of lining, was the cut for a welt pocket. The manufacturer probably decided not to put one in, but the cut was already there for one, so it was covered up. Which brings me to:

7) Nice cover up! That little pocket looks like it was intended to be there!

All-in-all, a wonderful addition to you FIL's wardrobe, I salute you!


ps. I have an old Threads magazine article that explains how to shorten the sleeve for a jacket not at the hem, but at the sleeve's armhole. They ripped off the sleeve, traced off the top of the sleeve (to preserve the shape and length of it or else it wouldn't fit back into the armscye), measured down from the top of the sleeve the amount that it needed to be shortened, used the pattern from the top of the sleeve and cut it out, sewed the sleeve back into the armsyce. This method left the sleeve vent, lining, buttons, etc. intact. I've always wanted to try it, but never had the opportunity. Hopefully, this might help the converters.