#softshelljacket — Public Fediverse posts

Done, for now! No pockets, but this jacket now wearable. Added a wind flap under the zipper. Had to take out extra material at the rear, but no problem. Hemmed arms and bottom edge. #sewing #diy #softshelljacket

That elevator music you hear is my re-oiling my sewing machine! Skipping stitches, sounded like it was struggling. Back to normal now. #sewing #softshelljacket

It's the Invisible Man! 🤪#sewing #softshelljacket

Quick afternoon break and added a zipper. Still needs to be top stitched, and I need to open up the collar and extend the zipper up to the top. Zipper must be shortened. Ended up using the parka zipper I had because the zipper I ordered via ebay (in transit) will be too short anyway. #sewing #softshelljacket

Although the cut of the jacket is a little loose and bulky while wearing a t-shirt, it's actually pretty good for this scenario, having the fleece underneath. I am thinking I will probably cut it so I can wear a fleece under it for winter (ie softshell for wind resistance, the fleece underneath for more warmth). Probably overkill for SoCal, but none of my other rain jackets work well over that red Patagonia jacket. #sewing #softshelljacket

Layering test and trying to determine the correct length. Put my two puffiness fleece jackets on to determine where the bottom needs to go. The second photo you can see the jacket length needs to be longer to fully cover and extend over the red Patagonia sweatshirt (secondhand thrift buy!). #sewing #softshelljacket

Added a collar... however may have to pull the edges apart to put the zipper into place. Channeling a "Dr. Strange" style collar, lol. #sewing #softshelljacket

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." (Yoda)

(Still need a collar, then a zipper, then adjustment of rhe sides. The softshell DWR is stiffer than my prototype material, so this is looking more like a motorcycle jacket. Unless I want to modify the shoulder a bit... tbd.) #sewing #softshelljacket

"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise... It's continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before..." 🤪

(Some fine tuning on fit required. Does my butt look too large 🤪) #sewing #softshelljacket

"My God,it's full of stars!" 🤪#softshelljacket #sewing

Making progress. Pondering pockets. I need at least two for hands, but because of modifications the location really needs to be in the middle of the front panel. I likely will do either a patch pocket on front, or slits in the right place. I think I can do this afterwards. Also need another mid chest pocket (phone sized?) But I know I can definitely do that later. #sewing #softshelljacket

Sewed two panels, but out of time today. Stuck them over the prototype just to get an idea of roughly how this will look. Now I have to memorize saying "klaatu barada nikto" and pretending to be an alien. 🤪#sewing #softshelljacket

Folding over front piece, looking for where to match the other piece. Looks like I am lucky and this pattern matches frequently enough to not waste fabric! (edited to remove feet, lol) #sewing #softshelljacket

Moving on to the softshell fabric, now that I hopefully have adjusted the prototype design properly! Front panels first, hopefully to match the pattern (or not lol) #sewing #softshelljacket

Collar math not adding up. I forgot to add the seam allowance on all sides, lol. Definitely better to make this mistake on the prototype than on the final. #sewing #softshelljacket

Pattern modified, decided all the wiser folks here are correct and a straight zipper line down the front is better. Also made it a little longer and can adjust to fit. I looked and when I was wearing the original jacket this was copied from, I weighed somewhere between 150 and 160. I am now 190 to 200 lol. #dadbod #sewing #softshelljacket

Pattern modified, decided all the wiser folks here are correct and a straight zipper line down the front is better. Also made it a little longer and can adjust to fit. I looked and when I was wearing the original jacket this was copied from, I weighed somewhere between 150 and 160. I am now 190 to 200 lol. #dadbod #sewing #softshelljacket

Pattern modified, decided all the wiser folks here are correct and a straight zipper line down the front is better. Also made it a little longer and can adjust to fit. I looked and when I was wearing the original jacket this was copied from, I weighed somewhere between 150 and 160. I am now 190 to 200 lol. #dadbod #sewing #softshelljacket

Pattern modified, decided all the wiser folks here are correct and a straight zipper line down the front is better. Also made it a little longer and can adjust to fit. I looked and when I was wearing the original jacket this was copied from, I weighed somewhere between 150 and 160. I am now 190 to 200 lol. #dadbod #sewing #softshelljacket

Pattern modified, decided all the wiser folks here are correct and a straight zipper line down the front is better. Also made it a little longer and can adjust to fit. I looked and when I was wearing the original jacket this was copied from, I weighed somewhere between 150 and 160. I am now 190 to 200 lol. #dadbod #sewing #softshelljacket

Okay, slept on the problem. I think adding a triangle amount of material on tbe bottom piece will fix the expanded midsection issue. The only question is if the chest needs a slight bit more give too. Maybe a quarter inch, depending on how much room a zipper adds. #sewing #softshelljacket

Okay, pretty clear I need more space to accomodate my midsection, lol. Even with stretch, I probably do need some more margin on the front panels... probably towards the rear as someone mentioned here, but maybe a bit more on the front edge to allow for folding over a seam width for the zipper. Arms work well, and length is good even with folded seam. #sewing #softshelljacket

Armpit underneath looks like a badly constructed tent, ha ha. On the final article, clear I will need to iron and then top stitch everything. Arm pattern is not quite perfect, but this is an area of traditional adjustment anyway. #sewing #softshelljacket

One arm. Fabric difference though, the scrap there is Spandex and stretches more. Armpit are will need some on tbe fly adjustment, and shoulder alignment will have to be done carefully. #sewing #softshelljacket

Someone's video on shortening a separating zipper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTfh-ZCKv-Y

#softshelljacket #sewing

Discovered rummaging around I had bought a brand new "parka zipper" which would also work on this at a garage sale, though it's 30 inches and I need 24 or 26 inches, I think. It has two zips, so you could theoretically unzip from the bottom (for ventilation?). I'd have to shorten the zipper. #softshelljacket #sewing

Arm pattern. Suddenly, I realize a softshell jacket is just a fancy shirt with a zipper instead of buttons! #softshelljacket #sewing

Cut out, no arms. Do not have enough of this same material... will have to hunt for something else in the pile for the arms. #sewing #softshelljacket

Traced on similarly stretchy scrap material. #sewing #softshelljacket

Getting the collar length is going to be a bit of a challenge.

And I think the bottom of the jacket probably should be a straight line... I think I flipped the wedge part. I will have to watch that.... I guess I can cut the jacket slightly long and adjust the bottom, however, as it needs to fold back over on itself.

#random #sewing #softshelljacket

Schematic view of the jacket design, sans arms. #sewing #softshelljacket

Tracing wheel did not work, but because the seams on the jacket I am looking to clone are raised, and it is a black jacket, just traced over it by feel with a sharpie. I will need to add seam allowance outside the edges. #softshelljacket #sewing

Checked my existing jacket (which I want this one to replace), and it's the SAME stretch both ways! I accidentally bought a bigger zipper though, so now I have to figure out if I want the bulkier zipper or need to order a less bulky one. Does it matter? #sewing #softshelljacket

Oooh, the OTHER direction has 30% stretch (in the direction of the bolt). Now, the question is which way needs to be up/down vs. left right (ie do you need more stretch the wide direction or the tall direction in a jacket?) #softshelljacket #sewing