Sewing Cold Weather Gear

[Juliegoddess]

Thanks SO much, ladies! I wore it out this afternoon...no wind got through it at ALL! It really wicked moisture very well, too. I knew that I had to be perspiring, but I did not feel moisture on my skin. After taking off the jacket, I did feel the dampness in the fabric though...super cool!

Now...next up is my winter-tights dillema!

Oh, Irulan...I totally forgot about pit zips! I might see if I can add them. They would be "pretty cool". Topstitching is just good-ole-fashion two rows of stitching, 1/4" apart. My serger did perform pretty well, but I didn't ask it to do much more than just finishing edges!

[Owlie]

That is beautiful! Well done! And even better, it functions like you wanted.

[AnnieBikes]

I am super impressed. Looks like a professional job. Where did you get the fabric, or did I miss a post? It really is beautifully sewn..this coming from a "used to sew my own clothes" person, and now a dedicated quilter!

[goldfinch]

I want one too! Seriously, it is very lovely. I know that I could never sew that well, I'm too impatient and have no design sense.

[Jolt]

Wow...that looks GREAT!! I do some sewing, but I don't think I could pull something like that off and have it look so good. I'm impressed!

[Juliegoddess]

WOW! Thanks so much, you guys! I guess 20-something years of sewing does pay off every so often (well, since it is what I do for a living, it pays off for me more often than not!) Just so you guys know, though...I also have my fair share of "flop" projects. I hoped and PRAYED that this would NOT be one of them! haha!

Fabric came from a FANTASTIC place called Fabricline. They used to be Rose City Textiles, and they specialize in technical fabrics for activewear. Their "new and improved" website is a little wonky, and it really takes time to sift through everything, but they have a fabulous selection. I usually start out by ordering a ton of samples from them. They are ten cents a piece, and you can't beat that. My only gripe with them is that since they've launched their "new" website, their prices went WAAYYY up. Fabrics that I had samples of that were around $12 a yard are now $24! I about DIED! I even wrote to them asking what the heck they did, and have not heard a word back from them. Hmmm....however, I won't begrudge them. They are still great.

And Goldfinch...let me tell you, I have VERY little patience! I'm a perfectionist about sewing. When it isn't going well, I've been known to THROW projects across the room! In fact, I almost did with this one. I hated the zippered pockets. I was yelling at my daughter until she cried. 'Twas bad! So I ditched the whole notion of pockets, cut out new fronts, and was glad I did. I still might add one at the center back, though.

Sewing is one of those things that the more you do it, the better you get. Nowadays, clothes are so cheap, it doesn't REALLY save money to sew, so you have to do it for other reasons. However, in this case, I did save some hefty bucks!

[goldfinch]

I'm glad to hear that I am not the only one who yells and throws things in frustration!

[Irulan]

My mom sewed. And she always said that clothing on sale was less expensive than making it. I learned when I was a child, but not that well.

I have a nice sewing machine, a detailed Simplicity 'how to sew' book, and this set that comes with a DVD and very slowly (boring) goes through about 2 hours of basic stitches.

The book is too complicated, and the DVD coma-inducing.

Any suggestion for a project I can do that comes with basic instructions, a pattern, and can remind me how to get started? I can see using the more detailed stuff once I get started, but it's just too much to pick up.

Thanks for the link. I want to try using technical fabric.

My dogs love clothing. The jackets they are wearing in the pictures run about 75 each. On sale for 50. Fleece inside, windstopper on the tops. I can see making them some fleece jackets in exactly the same style. Wouldn't cost much, and you can get good fleece from Walmart.

Ditch the Simplicity book, it's crap. Check your local library for the Singer Sewing Series. Many fabric stores, Adult Ed etc offer beginning sewing classes.

AS for saving money, it's relative. :-)

[Melalvai]

The nice thing about sewing your own clothes is you can wear things that weren't made in a sweatshop in a 3rd world country. Trying to get US-made clothes is expensive and difficult. Even if it says Made in the USA there are tricks to get around that & still legally be able to say it. I don't care so much what country it is made in but I want to know that it is fair trade and not made in a sweatshop. I'm willing to pay a little more, but it's usually a LOT more and I can't afford it.

Not that I sew my own clothes. I can sew a little but not that much, and there's only so much time. This weekend I chose to build my own bicycle wheel and regretted it. It was fun, and rewarding and all that, but it made for a busy weekend and I didn't get it finished so I'm without a bike at the moment. (I walked.) Long before the weekend was over I wished I'd paid to have it done.

[Tri Girl]

WOW!!! I'm SO incredibly impressed with your jacket! It is quite simply breathtaking- and that pink reflective piping is so subtle and so striking. Seriously-I would pay $250 for a jacket that nice (because if I spent that much on one from a store it wouldn't be that nice). You should quit your job and just become the TE forum members seamstress and clothing designer.

Congrats on finishing your project! Wear that jacket with pride.


Do you have any words of wisdom for making mittens? I want to make my own felted wool/fleece lined mittens because I'm tired of buying cycling specific store bought gloves that don't keep my fingers warm in this cold weather. I made a crudely constructed pair of felted mittens last week and wore a pair of glove liners underneath and they were MUCH warmer than my fancy schmancy cycling lobster gloves.

[azfiddle]

That's amazing- that just looks gorgeous and it sounds like you got all of the technical bits just right! I just don't do well with anything besides a straight seam- so I am impressed with what you've accomplished.

[shootingstar]

Looks like a beautiful jacket you sewed there, Julie. Congrats.!

You are a careful tailor/seamstress with the even topstitching. Zippered pockets...I actually intensely dislike such pockets in sticking my hands in and out, much less sew zippered pockets.

Of course there are "buttonhole" pockets, ones that are completed made from the fabric at the lips/edges....real tests of fine tailoring.

I'm sure the jacket will last you a long time.

[goldfinch]

Do you have any words of wisdom for making mittens? I want to make my own felted wool/fleece lined mittens because I'm tired of buying cycling specific store bought gloves that don't keep my fingers warm in this cold weather. I made a crudely constructed pair of felted mittens last week and wore a pair of glove liners underneath and they were MUCH warmer than my fancy schmancy cycling lobster gloves.

This is a great tutorial on how to make fleece and felted wool mittens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXN4sDGOfSo

[Tri Girl]

This is a great tutorial on how to make fleece and felted wool mittens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXN4sDGOfSo

thank you!! Duh- I feel so dumb. I never think to look at youtube. I searched google but had so many results I didn't find one I liked. This is just perfect. Thanks again.