Sewing in Salt Lake
This is a modified Jalie 2679 soft-shell jacket made for my wife. I used the original pattern and added a hood, pocket covers, zipper cover, and a full lining. The 2679 is a very practical pattern that works well for fleece, soft-shell and hard-shell materials. To see the original post about making the unaltered pattern, go Here. Otherwise, continue reading to see the modified version.
After the fabric run in Idaho, my wife picked out a tights pattern, and we made up a pair of Jalie leggings.
Continue reading “Jalie 3887 Tights in Polartec 100 Stretch”
I was up in Boise ID and bought a whole ton of awesome sportswear fabric from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics! I’ve purchased from OWF before, and they provide fabrics from Polartec, Thinsulate, Apex, Gore-Tex, etc. These are the same fabrics that are used in commercial sports clothing, and will never be found in any Joann’s or similar type shop. Shipping is usually expensive for the bulky items (like insulation) so I couldn’t miss an opportunity to get some while I was in town.
After thinking I may have ruined the whole project (See Part 2) by not allowing enough ease into the armholes, I decided I would rather go down trying than give up. Fortunately, I had discovered a good technique for sewing gussets when I drafted a pair of long underwear (HERE), and decided to give it a go in the armpits of the jacket. The gussets completely saved the project and allowed me to finish what will become a long lasting and warm jacket.
In the beginning of this series, I left off with having finished the initial pattern block and the first test muslin (See Part 1). With a working block created, I was free to start drafting the real pattern. To do this, I needed to figure out how to incorporate the synthetic insulation, zippered pockets, and create methods to channel the various draw cords. The project moved along steadily during the drafting period, then hit some major hurdles during construction. It required some on-the-spot alterations, and a lot of seam ripping, but the final product fits and looks professional!
