Coat of many colors... or maybe just two.

 My dear husband, Cameron, is an avid hunter.  Just like the post office, no matter the weather, he makes it to the woods.  Deer season starts this week and for his birthday, he requested a wool camouflage coat.  I have made him several coats over the years using the same pattern.  He really likes it, so the only problem was finding wool in a camo print.  Hunting stores sell very expensive wool camo coats, so I was sure I would be able to find some.  However, I could find NONE.  I tried every search combination I could think of.  I got nothing.  Discouraged, I mentioned it to Cam.  He suggested we just make it from drab green.  We had recently seen some wool army surplus blankets in a catalog for pretty cheap.  I went online to order, only to find them out of stock.  Luckily, a local store in New Albany, SOS Survival I think it's called, had one.  The blanket was the perfect color, size, and weight.  It gave me plenty of fabric to make the coat.  The one problem was that Cam wanted it two-toned.  I searched Hancock and Joann, only to find their wool selection was pathetic.  So, Cam again came to the rescue and decided to dye the fabric for the collar, yoke, and pockets using walnut hulls.  It came out just dark enough for some contrast and we were both really pleased.  Here's the finished product:

Oh, here's the awesome thing!  Wool by the yard costs anywhere from $10-$30.  I would have needed at least 2 yards.  This whole project cost less than $10!!!  Cam made the buttons from a deer antler and all the rest came from the blanket.  Woo hoo!  Here's to upcycling!