When Lindsey Stewart isn’t jet-setting to her Belize estate or making real estate deals, she is challenging herself with projects most students wouldn’t dream of.

This is her first project – she hadn’t sewn for years and wanted to really push her limits.

She bought a vintage pattern from Ebay and we rolled up our sleeves.

The coat is a double-sided cashmere plaid from Fishman’s Fabrics in Chicago (as of this writing, they still have it).

We added a few techniques that the pattern didn’t call for:  hand tailoring the collar and lapels with hair canvas and bridling.

We also cut down the flair a bit to make it a bit less boxy.

Do you see these plaids? Perfectly matched.

She set the bound buttonholes almost entirely by hand: