I'm just sticking this pic to the top of my original post - I thought I'd put an action shot, since I finally put the costume together!  I still wish I'd taken a before pic of the original coat - you would barely recognize it!


Okay - so the coat lacks the bodacious Browncoat clasps, so it is "a" Browncoat, not necessarily "the" Browncoat (a.k.a. Mal got it on sale and wears it on Firefly.)  I got the suede coat second-hand,  took out the lining, shoulder pads, buttons, button holes, and pockets to make it a plain suede coat, then rehemmed it all the way around and added the leather cuffs and the brass clasps. I had to put the clasps in lemon juice too make them look tarnished - they were shiny, but too shiny!
 
Okay Browncoats, it may not be Mal's, but can I wear it to the next con?


(Don't mind the wrinkles in the shoulders, it's how I pulled it onto my dressform - it's not wrinkled)




clasp not hooked


hooked clasp


Thanks for looking!  Feedback always welcome!

Just 'cuz I could - I added more pictures:
I do have a holster now, but do not seem to be able to get a shot of me where I'm wearing it!

Here, I am "where's waldo browncoat" behind Inara!


Ms. Morena Baccarin - getting her autograph!


I really do have a holster, but they made me not carry a weapon at this con, so I took it off (and then stuck the toy gun in my belt, because that's what Mal would do).

I'm not sure how close you need it - but these may help
McCall's 5444 or 5647 (pretty much the same)
this is 5444


or neue mode 23128


I always do my pattern searches on www.sewingpatterns. com.

Good luck!

I was unpacking a recent package, and found these sweet little foam corners protecting the edges.


They were so thick and hard, and not accepted by our recycling program - I hated to toss them - and here came the kid - "Hey mama, that looks like a couch!"

So I had her pick out a fat quarter she liked,  and I covered it - sprayed glue over the whole thing, and did some stitching and folding on the side edges (no lie, with an upholstery needle) - and here is the happy couch monkey.


I have 7 more of these corner things, so I thought I'd make her a restaurant booth with a table in the middle, (for her monkey and her dolls), and maybe another couch.  Any other ideas?

And why is that spray adhesive stuff so hard to use with fabric?  It's the first time I used it, and it was sticky and made the fabric wet (it dried after awhile) - any less, and the fabric didn't stick at all.  It says it can be used with fabric, but I think it's an evil lie.  Any better gluing fabric to plastic foam material products out there?

Thanks everyone!

Okay - so this is *almost* finished - but between finishing and getting my kids birthday up and going this weekend, I may not get another picture!  This is going to my mom for a late mother's day gift (good thing she was out of town, considering I just found this table!) and she picks it up Saturday.

Picked this table up on trash day off the curb.  I had a box of super sale white bathroom tiles from a big hardware store, broken into irregular squares using handy pliers and nippers, and some leftover broken New Mexico tiles (sooo much cheaper to buy the broken ones, even if the clerk looks at you like you are crazy). 
I bought some adhesive grout, and the table was at my mercy.
I still need to grout it, of course - and the edge of the tiles is higher than the edge of the rim - I got some sanded caulk and thought that after grouting I might try to run a line around the outside to seal the edge - I don't know if it will work.  I'm keeping the green metal rim.

Before



After


Okay - so the mountain-states folks that surround me say I put the sun upside down.  But if you live by water, what do you think?  I was trying to recreate a watery feeling - but maybe reversed would look like a sunrise?

Please share comments - and maybe any experience with grouting a raised edge - will sanded caulk do the trick, maybe?  The entire edge of the tiles is exposed on the outside edge.

It's not too late to turn the sun over, either - I might be able to pry it off the adhesive...  It's a clay tile, so it *might* be too fragile to get it off - I do have an extra sun tile, and guess I could always use the broken pieces for something else  .  I think my mom will get the water reference - what do you guys think?  (I'm smirking picturing people doing what I just did - turning my computer and my head over to look at it upside down!  Looks like a sunrise....)

Okay - this is my first post of a completed project, but the idea isn't completely mine - I got the basic plans for making the reusable shopping bag from Sew Simple May 2008/Vol 9.  But I modified to make the sides and bottom wider, and used the lower front of the jacket to make a carrying pouch with a pocket.  The carrying pouch has a band and a toggle that were already there, and I ribbon-trimmed the band and made the handle from it.

I decided to make this for my less-than environmentally conscious sister - to give her a hand!

Sorry the red was hard to photograph -

Here's the bag holder


Super secret pocket! 


Taking out the shopping bag (I really could make and fit a lot more shopping bags in there! Nylon scrunches up small.)




Here was my inspiration - just made the base/sides wider to fit at least a half gallon of milk.


I should really make her more shopping bags to stick in there - but here's what's left of the jacket!  I maybe could get part of a shopping bag....


So I'll be heading back to the Thrift store next 50% off day.

What do you guys think?  And do you think my un-environmental sister will she use it?