Progress on the coat!
Modifying the neckline and lapels.
The new closure works well, but the result still looked like a (cheap) tailcoat. After a bit of soul searching, I cut off the lapels and reseamed the edges to a smooth line, and trimmed the top of the “waistcoat” down to a square line (at the top of the zipper, aka about sternum level). The result has a lot more of the feeling of the Castor coat.
Illumination! (well, first part of it)
I tried several (non-documented) experiments with the white LED strips on the coat. The LEDs themselves are sealed in a strip of silicone rubber on the tape, but proved to be eye-searingly bright if applied directly to the fabric. Sliding them back into the translucent silicone rubber square tubing proved to be just enough of a diffuser to reduce that problem.
It also turns out that the adhesive on that tubing works great as instant basting for the LEDs, so I can stick them on and they won’t move while I couch them.
The first part of the project was doing the chest/lapel layout. It’s not screen-accurate, but this coat was never going to be that, and it creates the effect I hoped for.
