Vogue DIY Armée Suisse Modern twist on the classic patched jean jacket. Attach bullion, sequin, vintage, beaded and glitter patches to create a one-of-a-kind piece. What s Needed: Swiss Jean Jacket- swisslink.com Vintage Artillery Patches- popularpatch.com Bullion & Sequin Patches- sequinappliques.com Glitter Red Heart Patch- MJ Trimming Fine Met/Rayon Strip Trim- MJ Trimming Vintage British Gold Buttons- swisslink.com Geometric Stencil and Stencil Brush 8 Non-Stick Scissors- Fiskars Super Fabric Adhesive- Aleene s Fabric Fusion Tape 5/8 - Aleene s Soft Fabric Paint Sunshine Yellow-Tulip Synthetic Paint Brush #10 Bright Sea Sponge, Toothpicks, Needle & Thread Vintage Jacket Our vintage Swiss Jean Jacket was purchased online from Swiss Link Military Surplus for $11.99. The jacket is in excellent condition. The medium size is extremely roomy as this is man s jacket. Swiss Link offers numerous vintage options that are perfect for creating a DIY jacket, coat, sweater or bag. Bullions & Patches Cultivating a collection of bullions and patches can be costly. We paid between $2.95 to $6.95 per piece. To keep our cost down, we used a mix of sequin, beaded, embroidered, glitter and bullion patches purchasing new, on sale and closeout items. We chose to limit the number of patches to start. Our plan for this jean jacket is to continue adding unique bullions and patches as we find them.
How To Make It: Step 1 If replacing the original buttons, cut all buttons off the jacket. Use a scissor or craft knife to cut threads. New buttons will be sewn on after jacket has been painted and trim added. Step 2 To color the jackets cuffs, under collar, shoulder straps and borders place a piece of aluminum foil on a hard work surface. This will become the paint palette. Set a cup of water on top of palette. Place a silver dollar size drop of the fabric paint on the palette. To thin the paint, dip the brush in water. Mix the water into the paint. Thin the paint to the consistency of cream. Add more water or paint as needed. Begin painting the fabric. Follow the seams and stitching as borders. Paint within the border and shoulder straps. The objective is to make the color look like the jacket was dyed. We used two light coats of paint to achieve this tone. Let paint dry between coats. Continue mixing batches of paint with water as needed. Note: Keep in mind, thinner paint will absorb into the fabric so place a freshly loaded brush towards the outer edge of the fabric and work inward. This will create a buffer for the paint to flow. When painting the cuffs, paint both the inner and outer areas. This will give a finished look to the jacket especially when folding the cuffs back. To add color under the collar, paint within the stitching. This will create a perfect pattern and make it look like dye. Do not flood the collar with paint as it will bleed through to the top side. Note: Blotting brush on a piece of paper towel to remove excess water will keep the paint from bleeding through the fabric.
Step 3 Gather the braid, 5/8 Fabric Fusion Tape and non-stick scissors together. Paint must be completely dry before attaching trim. Step 4 To trim the shoulder straps, measure the space. Cut a piece of trim ¼ longer than actual measurement. Run a strip of Fabric Fusion Tape on the back side of the trim. Cut excess off. Remove release paper from the Fusion Tape. Step 5 If a button hole exists on the shoulder strap poke the one end of the tape through the hole. Press with fingers to ensure a good bond between the trim and fabric. Step 6 Run the trim down the center of the strap to the shoulder seam. Press with fingers to ensure good bond. Step 7 Glue down both ends of the trim by placing a tiny drop of Super Fabric Adhesive on a tooth pick. Glide the toothpick along the edge of the trim smoothing out the adhesive. Note: The glue will also keep the trim from fraying.
Step 8 After glue completely dries, sew button in place. Repeat process for the second shoulder strap. Step 9 Measure the circumference of the cuff using the braid. Add ¼ to the length and cut. Attach the Fabric Fusion Tape to the trim. Peel back the release from one side of the tape and place the trim on top. Smooth out trim with hand to ensure a good bond. Repeat. Step 10 Sew replacement buttons in place. Step 11 Adhere the patches to the jacket using the Super Fabric Adhesive and a toothpick. Note: For iron-on patches follow the manufacturer s instruction for heat bonding. Step 12 Cover the back of the patch with adhesive, spreading to the edges of the patch using a toothpick. Place patch (glue side down) on the jacket. Press down on the patch using your hand. Hold for a few seconds to ensure a good bond. Note: Apply adhesive neatly. Thick messy applications will cause the adhesive to ooze under the patch (edges or opening.)
Step 13 Continue attaching the patches to the jacket. Work one complete side (including the sleeves.) Let glue set a few minutes before adding each patch. Step 14 Adhere patches to the remaining jacket side. Patches can also be added to the back of the jacket. Note: For best results, let adhesive set 2 to 6 hours. Check patches to ensure all edges are stuck down. If an edge is not adhered, add additional Fabric Adhesive using a toothpick. Step 15 We decided to add a touch of muted gold color to lower half of our jacket. This was an afterthought as we felt it would fill the blank space To add select a simple geometric stencil pattern. Using the trim color lightly stencil the pattern on the jacket. To keep the color light and appear worn only stencil once with a light hand. Step 16 Jacket is ready to wear. We suggest spot cleaning when at all possible. Each patch added is unique in its makeup. We suggest hand washing your jacket in cold water with a mild soap used for baby clothing. Drip dry. Avoid bleach or harsh detergents as the gold metallic threads, glitter and beaded bullions will not fare well. See More DIY Ideas @ bluarlan.com