Sewing Info

This is for any of you that are considering finding some sort of project to sew... OK maybe only for a select few...OK, maybe mostly for Marco Polo...

If you are looking for stuff, I have rated the following in accordance to goodness for outdoor gear & clothing:

The best:

1. Shelby (Finland) - http://www.shelby.fi/catalog/default.php, are prompt with orders and have the best selection for supplies out of any online place (or any sewing place in Vancouver)
2. Thru Hiker (US) - http://thru-hiker.com/projects/index.php, have a lot of free stuff and not just for sewing
3. Seattle Fabrics - http://www.seattlefabrics.com/, they are OK, good enough to make the top list

Mediocre:

1. "Make Your Own Gear" - http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html, can't buy stuff but they have a lot of plans for making all sort of things for the outdoors
2. Quest Outfitters  (FL) - http://www.questoutfitters.com/, have a lot of stuff, but not much good in terms of patterns (you can find the patterns anywhere) 

I'm working on trying to get special fabrics through dealers...wonder if that will work...

Sewing Project (Part Final)

Finished!!

It took me a while to design my cuffs, more specifically how I was going to insert the straps along with adding cuffs that added to the length.

I drew up a pattern after some experimentation:

Unfortunately the cuffs were to narrow to fit an easily sewable strap so I inserted a strap between the sleeve seam and the cuff seam:

There was enough room to fit the other velcro piece on the cuff though:

This was actually one of the more satisfying things because I made it from scratch as opposed to just following the pattern.  The pattern was good, that's why my final product is good!!  The cuff adjustment I am pretty happy with.

Then the very last sewing bit was securing the hood adjustment cord so that the brim would sit flat no matter how tight you tightened the hood:

You can see the black dots.

I never showed the hem adjustment system, which is pretty interesting:

The black fabric is the pocket and the cord comes from the hem, up a tube and then to the pocket - that's where you adjust your waist.  Keeps the cord out of the way.

Here's a bit of a close up:

All that is left now is aesthetic stuff, and that's just for the inside so I probably won't be too worried about it...

Next project will be a down jacket I think.  The one I have is old and a little bit too big for me and could compress down a lot smaller.  I'm going to order a kit:

http://thru-hiker.com/kits/whitney_kit.php

$115US for 800+ fill down and ultralite fabric - for my size it should weigh about 292 grams (~1/3 kg) or .65 lbs and keep me nice and toasty warm at -30C.  For perspective, a loaf of raisin bread is 570g and a package of 12 hot dog buns is 500g...  I'll probably attach a hood to it as well.

It's for those times when it bottoms out to -11C here...those are cold nights...

Sewing Project (Part VII) - ALMOST done!!

I've been busy lately and the next steps for completing the jacket were a little finicky so I put it off a little bit.  The jacket looks good, but if you look close enough you'll see some oddities, on the inside for sure! I didn't really care about the inside though, I just wanted it complete.  For you video game players - do you know how it feels when you are trying to complete one particular part of a level and it takes you try after try?  Each time there is some finicky part that if you don't do it just right you plummet to your death and have to start all over again, and then once you pass THAT finicky part there is yet another!  That's what some parts of the jacket were like, so when I got through a "level" and it wasn't quite perfect, but still good, I stuck with it!

(ASIDE:  I have to admit, there are a lot of benefits for playing video games.  Tetris for geometric visualization (and challenging it by going faster), all sorts of other games for perseverance and basically practicing until you are  good enough, etc.  Keep that in mind parents...)

Here are a couple of pictures.  The only thing that I have left are the cuffs, speaking of finicky.  Making straps with the fabric that I am using is stretchy.  This made sewing the non-stretch zippers with the stretch fabric difficult and the smaller details, such as the straps, harder to keep precise (see the top-stitching around the zippers for an example of both).  You can also see a mismatch on the hem because of the inner zipper flap being on a little crooked (another zipper-fabric instance) and therefore the mismatch.  I may do it over, it's not that hard to do so, but, it works and people won't notice it unless they are closely inspecting it.

Anyway, enough talk, here are a couple of pics:

Sewing Project (Part VII)

I was going to wait until I was finished everything but it is taking longer than I expected. I have all of the necessary finishing pieces ("notions") but the webbing to attach the cord-locks that I bought is just too thick so I need to go buy some new stuff.  And again, like the zippers, I need to sew these into the hood and most, if not all, the rest of the finishing depends on me having that finished.  Here are some pictures of the assembled jacket though without any finishing.  I still need to finish the main zipper and I only have the hood brim pinned to the hood (that's what needs the cord-locks installed).  I also have the hem of the waist and the cuffs to finish.  I could do that actually...

Sewing Project (Part VI)

I sewed the side seam together and now I have something that actually looks like a jacket.

I now need to sew the hood on, the front zipper and other finishing including the cuff.  I'm not sure which type to do.

The following type seems to be traditionally done on all of the outdoor technical jackets that I have with velcro straps. (I'm going to sew in a velcro tightening strap)

This next cuff is traditionally done on most types of other, seemingly "non-technical" type clothing.  It is an extra strip of fabric sewed on to the end of the sleeve.

My only worry with the first one is that it will shorten the sleeve length too much.  On the other hand, the second one will make it too long and maybe not as robust?  But if the cuff wears out, I can easily replace it then...

Anybody know what I'm talking about and have their own preferences?

Sewing Project (Part V)

The sleeves are on....

1st Pic: Sleeve shoulder seam + dart

2nd Pic: Whole jacket together

3rd Pic: Seams joining at sleeve shoulder seam

Next, the jacket will actually look like a jacket!!

Sewing Project (Part IV)

I have put the sides on the jacket last night.  Next posting will show a jacket without any of the finishing or the hood. Though, I'm hoping that there aren't any parts that are slightly off and therefore requiring me to take some pieces apart!

Sewing Project (Part III)

Like I said, it wouldn't take long after I finished the zippers.  I finished this stuff this evening...

Sewing Project (Part II)

The Zippers arrived yesterday but I had to go for dinner with ST - he took me off my task.  (Then, what do I see when I get there? He's using the force for evil purposes, throwing lightning and picking stuff up without touching it)

Today, it took me ALL DAY to get the pocket zippers so that they looked half decent (one side isn't actually all that great, but the hassle is so great I'm going to leave it).  One pocket turned out pretty good though, the other one merely good.  The good one is shown here : )

After this it should go pretty smoothly until the next zipper and when I have to sew on the hood.  I hope to get it done before I get a job (which I hope is soon!!)

Sewing Project

I bought some Schoeller water-resistant, 4-way stretch soft shell material from a now defunct sewing shop in Calgary (the best one in Canada, used to be) that was on sale and planned on making a soft shell jacket.

That was a few years ago. Problem is not finding material (though I did have to order water resistant zippers from Finland) but in finding patterns that are technical enough. After much searching on the inter-tubes (as ST would say) I did find someone who sold good, outdoor equipment patterns, some for free, check it out: www.shelby.fi . Jenn bought me a sewing machine for Xmas so now I had no excuse to procrastinate, especially since I have some time on my hands right now...

I got the pattern traced out after piecing together the photocopies sent to me (that took a while), pinned them to my (expensive) fabric and then let it sit for a while. I was little hesitant to cut the fabric - you can't go back once the fabric is cut!!

I said what the hell, cut the fabric and I'm off to the races - except that I have to wait for zippers to come from Finland (I guess they fit in envelopes so they should be here fast, but probably too late, I should be working by the time they come).

Alas, I needed the zippers for the very first step, true, later on in the step, but I pretty much need it right away. But, I could assemble my hood and that is what I just finished doing! Here are pictures of my handiwork:

Now I wait. I can a little bit more with step 1 but it won't be much...