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Member since 6/11/10
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Posted on: 12/19/14 9:04 PM ET
I have never done this before, and don't know if I can or if I ought to even attempt it, rather than just having it professionally altered.

I have a really lovely, warm, red-and-black plaid Eddie Bauer double breasted coat with full lining that was given to me. It is a thick, heavy wool. Putting it on is just like a hug and blocks the cold. But it's a medium, a very large medium, and I'm small, with narrow shoulders. So it has a drop-shouldered boxy look on me -- not good on a pear.

I'm wondering if there are any tutorials out there, whether on a blog or on Youtube, that visibly demonstrate quite literally how to take in a coat that's a full size too big? I know I'm going to have to unpick the lining so I can work with the coating itself.... I'm hoping I can just alter at the center back and the shoulders and not have to fuss with the double breasted set of buttons.... (wishful thinking?).

Thanks so much, if you happen to know of such a tutorial.

ETA: I found "my coat" to show you.

One more edited comment: In the Ebay ad, she mentions it's a tall. Mine is a regular and isn't too tall. I don't need to alter for length at all.
-- Edited on 12/19/14 at 9:07 PM --
-- Edited on 12/19/14 at 9:10 PM --
  
Member since 1/13/13
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Posted on: 12/19/14 9:47 PM ET
Angela Wolf has a craftsy class on altering jackets. I have it but haven't watched it yet. Maybe that would be helpful?
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Michelle
  
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Posted on: 12/19/14 10:29 PM ET
Oh, I found the Craftsy class about jacket alterations. Reading the descriptions of the segments, I noticed that she discusses how to work with the inside without needing to remove the lining! Wow, I didn't imagine that was even possible.

Thanks for mentioning her class.
  
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Posted on: 12/20/14 9:41 AM ET
Glad you found it! I'll be interested to see if anyone else has any ideas on this, cause I've got an old coat that I love that is simply too big for me (which is why I purchased that alterations class ). Too much to do, too little time!
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Michelle
  
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Posted on: 12/20/14 12:44 PM ET
I went searching for something free!

Here's an actual winter coat winter coat resized -- too big, to a smaller fit.

And, here is a tailor showing how to narrow the shoulder of a jacket -- which I also need to do, and the above video tutorial doesn't show.

Perhaps these can help you, too.
  
Member since 12/25/11
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Posted on: 12/20/14 5:31 PM ET
In reply to ShantiSeamstressing
Thank you for sharing this! I do alterations and learned a LOT from this man's teaching. Even an old dog can learn new tricks! Arf, arf.
  
Member since 5/2/09
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Posted on: 12/20/14 6:38 PM ET
I would move the buttons so it could wrap a bit tighter, (and not care at all, if it brought the side seams forward a tiny bit) and install better, and bigger and thicker over my shoulders kind of shoulder pads in the right place for me, kind of thick pads to give me more shoulders actually (and maybe balance out wider hips) before I would attempt to alter the whole thing or anything else on it. I think I would be happy with it that way for me. Everyone is different though. I really could not ever get the armhole any smaller than it was already cut out in the larger size, so that's sort of why I would choose to do that.
  
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Posted on: 12/20/14 6:55 PM ET
Oh beauturbo,
I want to just do that, believe me I do. It would be less work! Ack! But I am a whole size to two sizes (depending on garment/pattern) smaller up top than on bottom, with narrow, sloping shoulders, and a thin, narrow, long neck, so if I don't substantially re-fashion it, it looks sloppy/silly/linebacker-ish on me. I absolutely must 1.) shape the waist and 2.) narrow the shoulders.

I have a sweet friend who's a professional sewist who would do this for me, but I want to take on this challenge. Otherwise -- when will I ever learn?
  
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Posted on: 12/20/14 6:56 PM ET
In reply to nitsel
You're very welcome! He's wonderful, isn't he!
  
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Posted on: 12/20/14 7:01 PM ET
In reply to beauturbo
Quote: beauturbo
I would move the buttons so it could wrap a bit tighter, (and not care at all, if it brought the side seams forward a tiny bit)

Oh, they move forward "a little." In fact, there's room for another person there.

The sizing for this coat is quite large. This is a medium, but it fits like a large. With this sizing, I would have had to have bought this coat in an extra small. (I find that Eddie Bauer's, LLBean's, and Lands' End's sizing in women's upper garments runs large, so that something I'd buy in RTW in an S, I need in an XS from them.)
  
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