Fixing My Brown Fuzzy Monster Coat

Meet my brown fuzzy monster coat:

Not to be confused with my dark brown one, my red one, my gold one or either of my light blue ones. I got this coat from a thrift store and didn’t notice that one of the sleeves had blown out in back until I went to wear it one chilly night and slid my arm right through the lining and everything. Whoops!

It’s understandable. The coat is likely from the 60s or 70s. It’s definitely vintage and has seen a lot of wear. That’s why I like it and most of my others. They’re so worn, they really look like fuzzy monsters or well-loved teddy bears. Kind of matted, but so very comfy and warm.

Anyway, I’ve never sewn fur before (fake or real), so this was a bit of an experiment for me. Rather than be afraid, I just pretended it was like any other fabric and started pinning, starting with the side. Only the seams had busted. The fabric was still intact.

I stitched it back together and then pinned the sleeve:

Sewing it back together was a little tricky, but I made it happen. Plus, it’s fuzzy fur, so it’s quite forgiving as far as showing repairs.

I really wasn’t sure what to do about the lining since it was frayed. There are a few iron-on patches in other spots, but while I do have patches I could use, in a way, I wanted to do this in such a way that when it frays again, I’ll be forced to replace it entirely. There’s a lot of wear on the inside, but the outside still retains its fun.

So, once the lining was stitched up, too, it was time for the moment of truth:

Hooray! Some day I’ll replace the buttons. The plastic is getting cracked and crazed. You can’t tell from far enough away, but up close, those buttons really need to be swapped out. And it’s not like I don’t have a billion buttons waiting for the ‘perfect’ garment to come along when I’ll finally break down and install them.

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