A Repaired and Mended Indigo Dyed Cotton Work Coat: Hand Stitched

early twentieth century
shoulder to hem x sleeve tip to sleeve tip: 35" x 49", 89 cm x 124.5 cm

This indigo dyed cotton work coat is hand stitched from re-purposed cloth. It is shown here inside-out in order for the patches and mending to be obvious to the eye.

The base cloth is hand spun, hand woven, indigo dyed cotton and the garment is entirely hand stitched. When shown right-side-out the jacket is neutral in appearance, it looks completely dark blue with little variation. It is only when the coat is turned inside-out that we see the patching that is highlighted in the detail photos here.

The coat is wearable although it might fit with some difficulty: this is especially notable in the narrow cuffs on the sleeves which sometimes cause a problem for comfort or fit.

More than this, however, this is a very nice document that easily shows a typical work coat from a time long gone--and one that is made of beautifully subtle old cottons.