Star Trek Movie Jacket TWOK (The Wrath of Kahn) Costume

When I was asked to sew a Star Trek jacket for a co-worker I thought “Great! Sewing for fun AND profit!”. Then I was handed the pattern and found only 17 lines of instruction. As a hobby sewer I depend on well written and illustrated patterns to complete my projects, so this was a bad start to a project that only went downhill from there. This Instructable is a collection of all the other information from around the web I used to create this jacket with my step-by-step construction notes.

I have provided an exploded view of all the pieces (the thing I missed most from my commercial patterns), but there is no actual pattern here. This Instructable does not follow the process of either commercial pattern I had access to, it doesn't cover all ranks but is for the man's jacket for the rank of captain and below, and finally it doesn't cover sewing basics (cutting, grain, marking, pressing, basting, etc) so don't presume it will cover all the sewing skills needed if you have never touched needle and thread. So really, this is just my collection of OCD notes, if you find it useful, enjoy.

Aside from a basic pattern, I highly recommend the following websites for costume references:

http://www.st-spike.org/pages/uniforms/2278-2350/uniforms.htm

The second site has migrated behind a pay wall/login, I found it still exists through a google link. It is still active as folks are still posting: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/starfleet1701st/?sid=c73c3199d630e77b6596755648645475

And if you only get one sewing book for this project make it the Easy Guide to Sewing Jackets by Cecelia Podolak from Taunton Press. Of the many references I used researching how to make a jacket, this was the most comprehensive, best illustrated and well laid out.

Step 1: A Costume or a Uniform?

My "client" wanted a uniform. He showed me pictures of wrinkled, ill-fitting orange jackets so I would know what he DID NOT want. A few things will make this jacket more than just a cheap costume: good quality shape-able fabric (wool), authentic details (snaps, chain, armband), good fit, and investing time to do it right. I am not a professional sewer so I spent a lot of time researching how to sew and fit jackets and in the end I got it wrong. Most of the pictures here are of the second jacket I made. I put together three shells in muslin before finding something close to the right fit, then made a jacket in polyester, then went for the masterpiece and... it came out too big and had freakishly long arms. This was a result of mistakes I made trying to adjust the pattern for a better fit after the polyester jacket; I obviously flubbed the fit, so I will be starting on jacket #3 and try to post better photos.

Step 2: Fabric Notes

Fabric - I got hung-up trying to find the perfect fabric in the perfect color and spent many hours on fabric websites. I scoured the web looking for wool "elastique” when I should have just been looking for a wool/synthetic blend (if you really want to delve into why wool is so important, check any book on tailoring). In the end, I called Banksville Fabrics (http://www.banksvilledesignerfabrics.com), explained what I needed, and paid the fee for swatches and let my “client” pick the color he wanted. There is a lot of forum chat about the correct shade and folks get fabric custom dyed, but really Paramount wasn't that picky, so you should pick the color you like that you are comfortable wearing. Look in the mirror and under different lighting, otherwise you might feel like a decorated tomato when all is sewn and done. And don't forget that there are a lot of different shades of white, make sure you get one that goes well with your maroon and isn't too blue/cool. Also, the right side facing (inner lining piece H) color is disputed, I chose to follow the rule that it is white for Command division and tan for all others (not the shell color).

Interfacing and Lining - The two patterns I had, came with a partial lining across the upper back, but my “client” wanted his jacket to look like a real uniform (more structured), so I added interfacing as you would for a standard man's tailored jacket, and that in turn required a full lining. I made a full lining by adjusting the existing pattern pieces and creating a piece (P) to join the front pieces with the back. You could, as an alternative, extend the department color fabric to the side seams (using joined pieces A/B as a template) and cut two. Then you would just top-stitch piece J to the one used for the left side. The drawback to this of course is a heavier warmer front.

Binding - I don't like prepackaged bias binding. It is usually thin cheap cotton or polyester and as such will shine from the iron quite easily and doesn't have the depth of color that wool does (or in this case the depth of black). So I sought alternatives. I found a felt binding for enclosing the piping, but it was too narrow and had too much pile for the front binding, so I used a wool/Lycra blend and cut the bias strips myself for the front. Was it worth making my own binding? I don't really think so, I will go with the packaged binding next time, but you can judge for yourself form the photos if it is worth it. Also, I chose to use one front binding piece per flap and fold at the corner, if you want a more defined point you could use two pieces and finish at the corner (which I will probably do on the next jacket).

Step 3: Notion Notes

Soutache braid and Gold Lamé - Decisions decisions! There are a lot of different braids to pick from and I tried three different ways to make the shoulder strap and two for the arm band. To complicate matters the width of the shoulder strap varies from pattern to pattern (from 1 3/8” to 1 3/4”). One pattern I had called for stitch witchery to complete the straps, but I find I am rarely happy with fusibles (they never stay stuck), so I created instructions that didn't require any. The instructions here use gold bias tape for the sleeve, and soutache braid for the shoulder strap. But my “client” wanted the gold to match on the two pieces, so I found a nice sturdy gold braid woven to black tape that took abuse without shredding (which was a problem with the prepackage soutache when applying by machine). This worked great on the sleeve, but required quite a bit more work on the shoulder strap and I wasn't able to completely hide the black tape. I will let the photos speak for themselves, but I wouldn't go this route again.

Snaps - The original jackets used silk-covered snaps. I was lucky enough to find some that happily measure 7/16” in diameter which is the final width of the binding. If using the sew-on snaps I recommend ensuring your stitching does not run along the outer edge of the binding to make trimming the seam allowance easier later. If fabric covered snaps are not a concern, for the sake of speed, I would recommend using black 4-part no-sew/crimp-type ring snaps (size-16 = 7/16”diameter). I haven't tried these yet, but while they would add a bit of bulk because of the backing, the act of crimping them would probably counter this. I think the biggest concern would be if your jacket gets a lot of wear and tear or a lot of dry cleaning, as the ring backs could shine through the front binding over time.

Chain - The original chain is no longer available, but I did find something that was reminiscent of the style. The original was a large/small link design with the large links almost rectangles. I found a chain at Michael's that was similar in size once the small links were trimmed. The small links are figure 8's but the metal is soft enough I was able to trim half the eight and it came out the same size as the original. The Manufacturer is Plaid Enterprises, Loop Chain Figure Eight Shiny Silver (1M) #10989. UPDATE 2022: There is a new chain that is nearly identical available (but the cost is currently more than I am willing to pay). You can find it by searching for "Star Trek Naval Lapel Chain" on ebay.com or https://sellgeek.com/ . Thanks to Instructable member afwilson42 for finding it.

Step 4: Pattern Notes

I worked with two different patterns and two different construction guides but found little consistency. I highly recommend drafting up the pattern in a muslin before starting, as the pattern sizing does not correlate to any known size chart I could find on the internet, and you don't want to make mistakes with your nice wool fabric.

Front A/B and Front Facings H & I: The facing pieces have a notch at center front (where A & B join on the front). This is because the collar is stitched right sides together and turned, but the overlap flap (B) is stitched with the wrong sides together with the seam allowances enclosed in the binding applied later. I had trouble aligning the fabric pieces on both jackets at this point, and ended up taking pattern pieces A, B, J, and K (without seam allowances) and tracing new H, I and P pieces.

Sleeve placement: The sleeves turned out to be the most difficult part of the jacket. The designer's notes show the back sleeve seam joining the torso below the piping seam, while some authentic uniforms have the underarm sleeve seam match the torso side seam (A/D junction). I could not get the sleeves from either of my patterns to align in a way that would match either of those placements and still fit the armscye correctly. So I scoured books looking for a rule for placement, but found that the amount of sleeve cap ease and the placement of that ease varies widely by design. It is common to ease only the top of the sleeve and sew the lower portion at a 1:1 ratio with the longer vertical seam running down the back of the arm. The sleeve cap on my patterns was 16% larger than the armscye, which would require a good deal of easing. On my test jacket I tried easing across the top of sleeve piece E from side seam to side seam, but still was left with gathering wrinkles. The pattern that did have notches placed them quite low, so a full 75% of the cap would be eased if they were used as landmarks. In the end I decided to stitch a bias strip along the entire sleeve seam, then aligned the top and bottom of the sleeve and armscye, and this resulted in the piping aligning with the back arm seam.

Back pattern piece: Depending on the pattern, the center back piece might be cut on the fold or have a center seam. Movie stills seem to show a seam down the center back.

Front overlap corner: one pattern had this curved but again after viewing movie still and reading construction guides I changed this to a point.

Step 5: Master Layout and Cutting

SUPPLIES & THEIR PURPOSE:
Maroon wool - Shell (A, B, C, D, E, F, J), back belt loop (L), rank pad (N)
Black wool - Belt loops
White Wool (or tan if not Command division) - Facings (H, I, K)
Division/Department color wool or other suitable fabric - Arm band, shoulder strap (M) (here white wool for Command)
Black rayon - Lining (C, D, E, F, P)
Black bias tape (extra wide double fold) - Arm band, front binding, back piping
Gold bias tape (extra wide double fold) - Arm band
Cording/Piping 1/4” diameter - Back piping
Soutache braid 1/8” width - Shoulder strap
Ring snaps (see step 3 notes) - Front closure
Chain - Front closure
Heavy batting - Arm band, shoulder strap (M)
Medium batting - Back belt loop (L), rank pad (N)
Hair Canvas or similar - Interfacing
Hook and eye - Attach right flap to inside of left flap
Small Snap - Close left flap at bottom of jacket

I chose to baste the seamlines on fashion fabric and cut with at least 5/8” seam allowance. Most patterns include seam allowances but I still decided to do this as it made construction a lot easier.

FASHION/SHELL FABRIC
a. Pieces A-F and J are cut from fashion fabric
b. H, I, and K are cut from white (Command Department) or tan (all other departments)

DEPARTMENT BANDS – See specific sections for sleeve and shoulder bands

FULL LINING - in black rayon
c. Cut sleeve lining pieces from E and F, raise armhole ½”, lower cap by shoulder pad thickness if used
d. Cut back lining pieces from D, and cut C with 1” excess at center back and drop any amount required for shoulder pad if used
e. Create lining piece “P” for front side. Lay pattern piece H over combined A/B to create “P” so that it will align with H and I/J for full lining joined to D. Cut two.

INTERFACING (optional)
f. See step 8, cut after C/D and H/L are joined

Step 6: CONSTRUCTION of Front and Back Shell

FRONT
a. Pin A to B right sides together for both left and right front
b. Sew seam for both left and right front
c. Press seam allowances open
Optional: Recommend fusing interfacing to top corner of B on left side where buckle will be inserted later for reinforcement.

BACK
d. Insert piping into bias binding and sew or baste in place
e. Stay stitch and clip curves on C & D in seam allowance only
f. Pin baste piping along seam line between C & D right sides together, and stitch in place.
g. Press seam allowances open
h. Top stitch on each side of piping at ¼”
i. Pin center back right sides together
j. Sew center back
k. Press seam allowances open

Optional - I recommend reinforcing the left front overlap with fusible interfacing on the wrong side so it can withstand the insertion of the buckle later.

Step 7: Construction of Lining Front and Back

LINING FRONT
a. Pin I to J right sides together
b. Sew I to J
c. Press seams allowance open
d. Staystich and clip curves in seam allowance only on P for right and left
e. Pin H to P, and I/J to P for respective sides
f. Sew H to P, and I/J to P
g. Press seam allowances toward P

LINING BACK
h. Stay stitch and clip curves in seam allowance of side back D
i. Sew back sides D to back C
j. Press seam allowances toward sides D

JOIN FRONT TO BACK
k. Sew shoulder seams together easing if needed
l. Sew sides seams together
m. Press all lining seams open

Step 8: Interfacing

INTERFACING (optional)
a. Back: Create interfacing pattern by measuring down 2” from underarm seam and 5” from center back. Connect points with smooth curved line
b. Front: Create interfacing pattern by measuring down 2” from underarm seam, curve towards center and down along seam of A/B
c. Pad stitch interfacing to wrong side of fronts and back to set in place
d. Catch stitch interfacing between body of interfacing and just outside seam lines in seam allowance
e. Sew front shell to back at shoulders (easing if needed) and side seams
f. Press all seams open
g. Trim excess interfacing from shoulder and side seam allowances without cutting catch stitching
h. Catch stitch seam allowances to interfacing

Step 9: 1st FITTING

Check for: sleeve size, shoulder width, armscye placement and size

Step 10: Join Fabric and Lining

JOIN FABRIC TO LINING
a. Place lining and shell collars right sides together. Fold excess out of center back lining, and sew from ½” past notch on right front where A /B join to left front notch where A/B join (this helps with turning seam allowances under binding later). Note: I sewed ½” past the notch to ensure a clean finish.

b. Press seam allowance toward lining and stitch just inside seam (this anchors the seam allowance to the lining fabric), changing thread color to match lining and department fabric
c. Grade allowance and clip curves
d. Clip at end of stitching half way into seam allowance to allow proper turning in next step
e. Turn stitched collar portion right sides out and press

Step 11: LEFT FRONT

LEFT FRONT
a. On left front align seams of I & B wrong sides together and staystitch inside seam allowance to anchor
b. Lay binding on inside of left front, right sides together. Leave a 1” tail of binding free, then pin binding in place starting at ½” to the outside of center front (seam of A/B). Align binding stitching line with fabric seamline of B (or 7/16” down from seamline on A, which is now turned and pressed), pin in place to corner.
c. Begin stitching binding to fabric at 90° to seam to anchor it at ½” from center front (seamline A/B), continue to stitch binding in place along top seamline.
d. Fold 1" tail in, then press binding out.
e. Mark placement of snap at outer corner, but do not secure yet
f. Add next snap at 1½” from post to post. If using sew-on snaps, ensure your stitching does not run along the outer edge of the binding. Continue to add snaps across top, measuring after each snap (this ensures edges will not pucker later when jacket is closed) until last snap falls at end of binding.
g. Center chain segments between snaps and sew through all layers
h. Trim seam allowance of all stitched layers to 7/16”
i. Turn binding to front, fold seam allowance under, and blind catch-stitch in place (or topstitch)

j. Leaving a 1" tail at top, lay binding on vertical inside of left front, right sides together. Ensure to align binding stitching line with fabric seamline.
k. Stitch binding to fabric until 2” short of bottom front (allowing for turning of hem later)
l. Fold 1" flap under at top, press binding out to edge
m. Place snap at point and sew through all layers
n. Add next snap at 1½” from post to post. If using sew-on snaps, ensure your stitching does not run along the outer edge of the binding. Continue to add snaps down edge to waist, measuring after each snap (this ensures edges will not pucker later when jacket is closed).
o. Center chain segments between snaps and sew through all layers
p. Trim seam allowance to 7/16”
q. Turn binding to front, fold seam allowance under, and blind catch-stitch in place (or topstitch)

OPTIONAL - Use one continuous piece of binding and miter at the corner
a -b. Follow steps a&b from above
c. Remove pins at corner and staystitch in seam allowance ½” on either side of corner on binding only (to reinforce corner for mitering). Clip seam allowance to staystitching at corner mark and repin binding
d. Begin stitching binding to fabric at 90° to seam to anchor it at ½” from center front (seamline A/B), continue to stitch binding in place along seamline, pivoting at corner and folding excess fabric out of the way
e. Continue stitching until 2” short of bottom front (allowing for turning of hem later)
f. Press binding out to edge
g. Place snap at point and sew through all layers
h. Add next snap at 1½” from post to post. If using sew-on snaps, ensure your stitching does not run along the outer edge of the binding. Continue to add snaps across top and down edge to waist, measuring after each snap (this ensures edges will not pucker later when jacket is closed).
i. Center chain segments between snaps and sew through all layers
j. Trim seam allowance to 7/16”
k. Turn binding to front, fold seam allowance under, and blind catch-stitch in place (or topstitch)

Step 12: Right Front

RIGHT FRONT
Note: you can use 1 1/2" binding instead of 2" on right sides of K
a. Fold K vertically, right sides together, matching seam lines and mark center/fold
b. Turn under bottom seam allowance of K to wrong side and press (clip into seam allowance as needed to make allowance lie flat at point)
c. Push lining H/P aside so it will not be caught in the next steps
d. Place top point of K's seamline 7/16” down from top of turned edge of collar at junction of A/B. Align wrong side fold of K with A/B seam on right front. Pin or stitch baste K in place on top of A/B
e. On top right side of K, align binding seamline with K seamline leaving 1" tail on each end
f. Stitch from center top point of K to end of seam
g. Press binding towards shoulder
h. Align left front with right and mark placements for snaps at shoulder/outer point and next snap in. Do not attach outer snap at this time, instead start on next one, sew through binding and K layers only
i. Continue to add snaps moving towards center of K, measuring 1 1/2" post to post and verifying placement by aligning with right front
j. Add chain segments between snaps
l. Trim seam allowance close to snaps and excess binding seam allowance if required to fully turn under K
m. Turn under K and blind stitch binding in place

n. On right side of K, align binding seamline with K seamline leaving 1" tail on each end. Recommend fitting jacket with right front over left, to ensure proper placement of binding below K
o. Stitch from top, across previous binding, to bottom
p. Fold tails under and press binding out
q. Align left front with right and mark placements for snaps at shoulder/outer point and next snap down. Do not attach outer snap at this time, instead start on next one, sew through binding and K layers only
r. Continue to add snaps moving down to bottom of K, measuring 1 1/2" post to post and verifying placement by aligning with right front
s. Add chain segments between snaps
t. Trim seam allowance close to snaps and excess binding seam allowance if required to fully turn under K
u. Turn binding under K, blind stitch in place, closing fold at top

v. On left side of K, align binding seamline with K seamline leaving 1" tail on each end
x. Stitch from top of to bottom
y. Press binding out
z. Trim seam allowance to 7/16", turn binding under K and blind stitch in place, stopping 2" from hem line

aa. On top left side of K, align binding seamline with K seamline leaving 1" tail on each end.
ab. Stitch from outer edge, across previous binding, to intersecting seamline at center peak of K
ac. Fold tails under, press binding out
ad. Trim seam allowance to 7/16" , fold 1" tail under, then turn binding under K and blind stitch in place, closing fold at top at both ends
ae. Add final snap at shoulder/far right point through all layers except lining

OPTIONAL: Use two lengths of binding, mitering at corner
Follow steps a-d above
e. Lay binding on K right sides together. Leave a 1” tail of binding free, align binding stitching line with K seamline from center front (seam of A/B) to shoulder corner and pin in place
f. Mark corner point on binding, remove pins at corner and on binding only stay-stitch in seam allowance ½” on either side of corner. Clip seam allowance to stay-stitching at corner mark, and repin binding
g. Begin stitching binding vertically at tip of A/B to seamline, turn and continue to stitch binding in place along seamline, pivoting at corner and folding excess fabric out of the way, down to bottom of K. Leave tail for binding to continue to bottom of jacket for later fitting.
h. Trim seam allowances to 7/16”
i. Remove seam allowance from unsewn edge of binding down to end of stitching
j. Press binding out to edge
k. Fold tails to inside and turn binding under
l. Sew binding outer edge in place with blind catch-stitch (or topstitch)
m. Place snap at point and sew through all layers except H/P
n. Add next snap at 1½” from post to post. If using sew-on snaps, ensure your stitching does not run along the outer edge of the binding. Continue to add snaps across top to center front and down edge to waist, measuring after each snap.
o. Center chain segments between snaps and sew through all layers except H/P
p. Topstich across bottom of K.
q. Align seamlines of A/B/K and H and pin/baste in place
r. Lay binding on front right sides together. Leave a 1” tail of binding free, align binding stitching line with K seamline from center front (seam of A/B) to flap corner and pin in place
s. Remove pins at corner on binding only and staystitch in seam allowance ½” on either side of corner mark . Clip seam allowance to staystitching at corner mark
t. Begin stitching binding vertically at tip of A/B to seamline, turn and continue to stitch binding in place along seamline, pivoting at corner and folding excess fabric out of the way, down to 2” from bottom front
u. Trim seam allowances to 7/16”
v. Fold tails under and press binding out to edge
w. Turn binding to wrong side. Hand catch stitch with 7/16” seam on wrong side OR stitch-in-the-ditch from the front, being sure to catch binding underneath

Step 13: 2nd FITTING

Recommend basting sleeves and verifying fit and ESPECIALLY length. Note that torso length is significantly shorter than a typical man's jacket, the designer's notes show it ending around the top sleeve quilting line, but I have seen jacket photos that show it equal to the sleeve length.

Step 14: SLEEVE TOPSTITCHING

a. Join sleeve pieces E and F along short seam line. Press seams open.
b. Measure width of sleeve three inches up from hem and add one inch - this is the sleeve band length needed in step 15
c. Cut two strips of batting for line quilting 3 ½ “ by sleeve band length measured in previous step
d. Place batting on the wrong side of sleeve flush with hemline and pin/baste in place
e. Topstitch ¾ “ up from hem, repeat three more times at ¾” intervals, last stitching line should be 3” from hemline
f. Trim excess batting outside last stitching line
g. Turn hem up and press
h. Repeat for other sleeve

Step 15: SLEEVE BAND

CUT the following to the sleeve band length measured in step 14b
1. one strip heavy batting 2 ½” wide (finished 1 ½”)
2. one strip department color 2 ½” (finished 1 ½”)
3. two strips of gold bias tape extra wide double fold
4. two strips of black bias tape extra wide double fold

SLEEVE BAND CONSTRUCTION
a. Unfold black tape and lay face up, place gold tape on top with center crease to middle of black tape. Align gold 1/8” from outer fold of black tape
b. Sew at ½” from outer fold (down center crease of black tape)
c. Fold black tape together at center crease and press
d. Mark department strip at 3/4” along each long edge
e. With black tape facing right-side of department color, align gold tape edge with marking from previous step
f. Sew at ½” from edge of department color
g. Repeat for other side
h. Fold binding sewing allowances under and press with press cloth
i. Trim black tape seam allowances if it shows through department fabric
j. Place batting on wrong-side of piece and stitch-in-the-ditch between black tape and department color
k. Trim excess batting from seam allowances close to stitching
l. Align finished sleeve band with last row of topstitching on left sleeve, pin/baste in place
m. Test alignment of band when sleeve seam will be closed, adjust if necessary
n. Stitch-in-the-ditch with nylon thread between black and gold tape along both sides

Step 16: SLEEVES

a. Join remaining sleeve seam (long seam line of E and F) right-sides together
b. Tie off top-stitching and department band threads near side seam
c. Trim excess batting and department band from seam allowances and press seams open
d. Repeat for other sleeve

Step 17: SLEEVE LINING

a. Place sleeve lining E and F right sides together and sew seams. Press open.
b. With a basting stitch sew in seam allowance of cap next to seam from notch to notch
c. Sew another basting stitch line 1/8” further into the seam allowance
d. Take left sleeve and left lining and turn wrong-side out
e. Lay pieces together so under-sleeves are matching
f. Baste under-sleeve seam allowances together from bottom to 4” from top of seam
g. Turn sleeve right-side out (lining will be right-side in)
h. Repeat for other sleeve

Step 18: SLEEVE INSERTION

a. Measure sleeve shoulder opening, cut bias strip of hair canvas (or mohair) this length and 1 ½” wide
b. Dampen bias strip with steam iron if necessary so it is pliable
c. Place bias strip on wrong-side of sleeve starting at bottom of sleeve so only ½” of bias strip extends into seam allowance
d. Sew 1/8” from seamline in seam allowance, first anchoring strip, then stretching bias strip as you stitch
e. Stitch all the way around
f. Check for ripples/gathers and test fit to armscye
g. Trim excess bias strip tails if any
h. Press sleeve cap on ham and shape, and steam seam allowance to shrink excess. Cool
i. Turn sleeve right side out and jacket wrong side out (right-sides together), match sleeve top, bottom, and notches and pin in place with pins parallel to seam
j. Evenly distribute sleeve along armscye and pin in place with pins parallel to seam
k. Turn jacket right-side out and check sleeve placement and fit
l. Begining at bottom of armhole, sew sleeve to jacket along seamline
m. Sew a reinforcing seam 1/8” into seam allowance along under-sleeve from notch to notch, and zig-zag stitch over
n. Trim excess seam allowance between lower notches
o. Place sleeve on tailor's ham so seam allowances extend into sleeve cap
p. Insert sleeve header if needed
q. Insert shoulder pad if needed
r. Steam without pressing to shape and let cool on ham
s. Repeat for other sleeve

Step 19: RANK PIN PAD

a. Using Rank Pin Pad template, cut two pieces of fashion fabric with added ½ “ seam allowance
b. Trace outline of template on wrong-side of one piece
c. Align pieces right-sides together with tracing facing up
d. Stack on top of batting and pin in place
e. Stitch following tracing line
f. Carefully cut a ½” slit in the middle of the top layer only
g. Trim excess batting from seam allowance close to stitching
h. Trim/grade fabric seam allowances and clip curves
i. Turn patch inside out through cut, and press
j. Whip stitch to left arm, centered on E 1 ¼ “ up from department band

Step 20: SLEEVE LINING INSERT

a. Pull sleeve into space between jacket and lining
b. Align sleeve lining with armscye lining starting at back side seam, pin in place easing cap as needed
c. Sew sleeve lining to torso
d. Turn sleeve right side out, test fit, and adjust if necessary
e. Pull sleeve back into space between jacket and lining
f. Align hems of sleeve and sleeve lining right sides together, pin in place and sew
g. Turn sleeve right side out, test fit, and adjust if necessary
h. Press sleeve hem from inside

Step 21: FRONT SHOULDER STRAP BUCKLE

a. Insert buckle in top right corner of left flap through front layers only (not lining/department facing)
b. Slightly bend prongs out to help guide into backing
c. Press backing onto buckle prongs, if using pliers to press, use extra fabric to pad jacket fabric and buckle.

Step 22: SHOULDER STRAP

a. Trace finished outline of strap with disappearing ink on right side fabric (1½” wide with the bulbous end being 2x2½”)
b. Using nylon thread, zig-zag stitch gold braid along inside of marked outline (feed with the grain of the braid so that the presser foot will not snag, use fray-check if needed)
c. Lay heavy batting underneath, pin/baste in place
d. Using zipper foot stitch along outside of braid, as close to braid as possible without stitching trough it
e. Trim excess batting from seam allowance close to stitching
f. Turn edges under and catch stitch to padding, trim excess and clip ripples
g. Turn unfinished straight edge under and secure
h. Insert clasp opening 3/16” from edge
i. Fit jacket and clasp strap at front, laying over shoulder and pin in place
j. Tack-stitch in place from bulbous end to shoulder seam

Step 23: FRONT LEFT BINDING

a. Fit jacket and align left binding with front flap and pin down to left side
b. Slip or top-stitch in place
c. Add snap midway between bottom of K and hem

Step 24: FRONT RIGHT OVERFLAP

Attach hook and eye at far left point of right front flap to support it from left front flap lining
Note - this should be a snap instead of a hook and eye

Step 25: BELT LOOOPS

a. Fit jacket with belt and mark center back and front sides for belt loops (I could not find specifics on front belt loop placement, movie stills seem to show the right-side as 1-2” to the outside of the left flap, so I chose 2” and mirrored the distance from the side seam on the left-side)
b. Cut two pieces of fashion fabric using back belt pattern piece
c. Align pieces right-sides together
d. Stack on top of batting and pin in place
e. Stitch at pattern proscribed seam allowance
f. Carefully cut a ½” slit in the middle of the top layer only
g. Trim excess batting from seam allowance close to stitching
h. Trim/grade fabric seam allowances
i. Turn patch inside-out through cut
j. Top-stitch finished pattern (½” interval), and press
k. Stitch cut closed with hand stitching
l. Sew at belt marking at center back with lining pushed out of the way
m. Cut two pieces of black wool 1½” by 4¼”
n. Fold lengthwise right-sides together, sew at 1/2” seam
o. Trim/grade seam allowances, turn right-side out, and press with seam centered on one side
p. Sew at belt markings at front sides with lining pushed out of the way

Step 26: HEM

a. Fit Jacket
b. Turn up hem and lining and pin in place.
c. At binding corners, make sure seam stitching stops at least 1" from hem line. Turn allowances under to wrong side and finish stitching seam.
d. Trim binding 1" past hem line. Turn up binding under, then fold and finish with blind stitch.
e. Close bottom of binding fold at hem with tiny blind stitches.