home made wool smock.

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Graham_S

Squirrely!
Feb 27, 2005
4,041
65
50
Saudi Arabia
well, after seeing the price of swannis :yikes: , i'm going to take a crack at making my own wool smock/bush shirt.

i have a cunning plan...

i've got an old fleece "over the head" top that i'm going to copy as a pattern (i know it fits and it's free) and i'm going to get wool blankets as the fabric.
i also plan to line it with cotton for comfort.
i also plan to bind the hems at the base and cuffs with leather. wooden toggles (hand carved with a bushknife i think) to close at the throat.
if it works it should be great.
pre-shrink the blankets and treat with TX-10 or similar for weather proofing and away we go.

hope it works
"G"
 

tenbears10

Native
Oct 31, 2003
1,220
0
xxxx
If it works well Graham you could think about selling them :wink:

Seriously show us some pictures of the finished product.

Bill
 

Ed

Admin
Admin
Aug 27, 2003
5,973
37
50
South Wales Valleys
I was thinking of doing something along similar lines. I have a couple of old army blankets that could do with recycling that would do the job well.... they are pretty durable.

:)
Ed
 

JimH

Nomad
Dec 21, 2004
306
1
Stalybridge
Graham_S said:
well, after seeing the price of swannis :yikes: , i'm going to take a crack at making my own wool smock/bush shirt.

Thinking about the same. I've already got a green Mosgiel, but I fancy knocking up a copy in a check or other outline disruptive pattern.

If you're doing an original, should be a doddle as it's just made of squares/rectangles apart from the hood. Very similar to early medieval reenactors tunics, if you want to find patterns.

Beware modelling on a fleece unless the fleece is TOO big. Fleece stretches far more than wool getting over shoulders/head thru neck.

Err, don't ask me how I know :roll:

Good luck,

Jim.
 

Mr Cissey

Member
Nov 2, 2004
18
0
Brighton
Try shops like World of Sewing or C&H Fabrics. Explain to the nice ladies (they usually are ladies) inside what you want and how (in)experienced you are at sewing - they are typically really helpful. You can pick up suitable patterns for £6-8 and you could handstitch a hooded smock in less than a fortnight of evenings even if you've never sewn anything other than a cloth pouch 20 years before.
It's worth getting a book from your local library to explain how to start off and finish so that things don't come unstitched later. You don't need to know loads of fancy stitches - just blanket and backstitch neither of which is overly difficult.
 

hootchi

Settler
Thats one of the things I need to get sorted when I make mine- blanket stich. :roll: I've got some hoodies that are a good shape so I can copy them and they have hoods too. I'm not sure how a swanni is slit(?) up the sides. :?: Anyone?

Cheers
 

JimH

Nomad
Dec 21, 2004
306
1
Stalybridge
hootchi said:
I'm not sure how a swanni is slit(?) up the sides. :?: Anyone?

Cheers

It isn't just slit.

A triangular dart is inserted in each side seam, below waist level. It doesn't get as far as the hem at the bottom, though.

HTH,

Jim.
 

greg2935

Nomad
Oct 27, 2004
257
1
55
Exeter
One word of advise, what ever you use as a pattern must be too big for you because the extra room that a thick shirt will take up will make the cotton shirt pattern too small for you. You could go to a charity shop and get an old cotton shirt, £2-3.

To save you some time, I found these on the internet: blanket stitch can be found here .Back stitch here.
 

JimH

Nomad
Dec 21, 2004
306
1
Stalybridge
hootchi said:
Cheers mate. That helps, and makes much more sense. :super:

Just measured my Mosgiel (XL)

The side seam is slit for 12" up from the bottom hem.

The dart is an equilateral triangle around 4" each side, leaving around 8" free, front and back.

A square/diamond shaped insert is also in the armpit - around 5" per side, to allow free play at the shoulder/arm.

Measurements exclude seam allowances.

Jim.
 

hootchi

Settler
JimH said:
Just measured my Mosgiel (XL)

The side seam is slit for 12" up from the bottom hem.

The dart is an equilateral triangle around 4" each side, leaving around 8" free, front and back.

A square/diamond shaped insert is also in the armpit - around 5" per side, to allow free play at the shoulder/arm.

Measurements exclude seam allowances.

Jim.
Cheers. :You_Rock_
How far does the bottom hem reach down your leg? :biggthump
Thanks
 

JimH

Nomad
Dec 21, 2004
306
1
Stalybridge
hootchi said:
Cheers. :You_Rock_
How far does the bottom hem reach down your leg? :biggthump
Thanks

Mid-thigh/6" or so above the knee.

It's an XL, as I said, and I'm 6'1" (6'2" on a warm day :eek:): ) but with longish legs for my height.

Jim.
 

Furface

Member
Jan 13, 2005
27
0
Gloucester
I think Toddy had some useful information and recommendations on another thread recently. Might be worth a search, or perhaps a polite PM?
 

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