Sooty from Scotland

[Sooty22]

Hello all,

I live in Scotland, in the sticks just outside the Cairngorms National Park, and love hiking, cycling, kayaking, bushcraft, camping, foraging, hunting, fishing, sailing... everything outdoors!

Favourite places are Loch Tay / Loch Earn / Loch Awe, and anywhere in Sutherland and the West Coast. But I also spend a lot of time in warmer climates for sailing!

The reason I joined is because I started making my own family's outdoor clothing recently, and found there seem to be no good patterns ready for stuff like smocks/anoraks, overtrousers and such things; everything I made had to be either patterned from scratch, or copied and modified heavily when some patterns or old kit were available. I've made a few things in Ventile and Loden fabrics, the gang are pretty happy with them, happy to share patterns I've made, and keen to improve them with ideas. Maybe we could create a public domain set of patterns that we can all print and use, no fees involved, just free to download and print.

Also happy to exchange advice on sewing your own stuff!

Anybody else making their own clothing?

 

[crosslandkelly]

Hi, welcome and enjoy.
John Fenna is your man here for self made clothing.

 

[Broch]

Welcome to the forum Sooty
Sounds like a good idea though I have no clothing patterns to offer.

 

[Mesquite]

Hello and welcome to the forum

 

[Great egret]

Welcome from the Netherlands. Looked up Cairngorms National Park and I just realise I'm closer to London then you are

 

[Pattree]

Hi, Welcome.

 

[demented dale]

Hello all,

I live in Scotland, in the sticks just outside the Cairngorms National Park, and love hiking, cycling, kayaking, bushcraft, camping, foraging, hunting, fishing, sailing... everything outdoors!

Favourite places are Loch Tay / Loch Earn / Loch Awe, and anywhere in Sutherland and the West Coast. But I also spend a lot of time in warmer climates for sailing!

The reason I joined is because I started making my own family's outdoor clothing recently, and found there seem to be no good patterns ready for stuff like smocks/anoraks, overtrousers and such things; everything I made had to be either patterned from scratch, or copied and modified heavily when some patterns or old kit were available. I've made a few things in Ventile and Loden fabrics, the gang are pretty happy with them, happy to share patterns I've made, and keen to improve them with ideas. Maybe we could create a public domain set of patterns that we can all print and use, no fees involved, just free to download and print.

Also happy to exchange advice on sewing your own stuff!

Anybody else making their own clothing?

welcome and good luck with that. x

 

[John Fenna]

Hello and welcome!
I make a lot of my own clothing and gear - have a look at the threads I have started

 

[huntersforge]

Hello and welcome sooty
HF

 

[Tengu]

Hi, I work in the Iron Age now, in the Scottish Crannog Centre; probably met you and not known it.

I make a lot of my own clothing too...No boutiques in the Iron Age

 

[Sooty22]

Hello and welcome!
I make a lot of my own clothing and gear - have a look at the threads I have started

Thanks to all for the welcome, and thanks John! I saw your books for sale, some interesting stuff there, I will be in touch about getting some!

My latest project was making a copy of the '1942 reversible ski parka, fur trimmed'. I made it in double ventile, one side green, the other white of course Used real coyote fur for the trim, and made the trim removable so you can wash the parka (smock actually) without ruining the fur.

I field tested it on hikes in the Czech Rep where we had -15 recently, a lot less with windchill, a bit too warm when on the move, so I will be sticking to single-layer only in future!

The other two pics are work in progress, reversible parka in two-layer ventile, one side green and the other a more town-appropriate dark blue with no tactical features and a tighter fit, to blend in better when stopping to forage in Tesco

Cool smock you are wearing. I want to make one in wool, and have ordered a length of merino Loden!

 

[Sooty22]

I've paddled past many times, but never visited! I have two little ones now, so I am sure there will be a lot of interest from them next time we are over!

Hi, I work in the Iron Age now, in the Scottish Crannog Centre; probably met you and not known it.

I make a lot of my own clothing too...No boutiques in the Iron Age

 

[Tengu]

Yes, do come, we have worked hard to make it fun for the kids.

And we just forked out £20 thousand for a play area so someone should use it.

 

[Harold Godwinson]

Hello all,

I live in Scotland, in the sticks just outside the Cairngorms National Park, and love hiking, cycling, kayaking, bushcraft, camping, foraging, hunting, fishing, sailing... everything outdoors!

Favourite places are Loch Tay / Loch Earn / Loch Awe, and anywhere in Sutherland and the West Coast. But I also spend a lot of time in warmer climates for sailing!

Also happy to exchange advice on sewing your own stuff!

Anybody else making their own clothing?

Hi Sooty,

I've only recently discovered the magic of the sewing machine and to date all I've managed to make is a oil skin poncho, a tailored barbour Beaufort and several haversack, but I would love to make my own ventile gear, as I, like you, spend a lot of time in the mountains climbing and hiking etc... Sadly sold my old chieftain years ago so my sailing days are over.

 

[Sooty22]

Hi Sooty,

I've only recently discovered the magic of the sewing machine and to date all I've managed to make is a oil skin poncho, a tailored barbour Beaufort and several haversack, but I would love to make my own ventile gear, as I, like you, spend a lot of time in the mountains climbing and hiking etc... Sadly sold my old chieftain years ago so my sailing days are over.

Perfect, you'll manage ventile no bother at all! My advice is to copy something you like, or make a 'dry run' garment in ca. 200-250gsm cotton canvas and tweak your pattern as ventile is too pricey for scrapping. Otherwise it is pretty easy to work with, and the weave is so tight that you don't need to worry about cutting your patterns on the fabric in any particular direction.
Also, don't be tempted to make a two-layer garment, waste of time and effort, it will be too hot and limit your layering options. Instead, make two identical ones (as in two smocks instead of a two layer one), which you can then layer as required, and make them in two different shades, which you can then pick between to put on the top based on the terrain.
For waterproofing, and for strength, learn to do a double lapped felled seam (I think that's what it's called). A bit tricky, but you sew through 4 layers and it is immensely strong and the most waterproof seam. Once you practice it, it's easy! Not all seams need to be like that, but I would do at least the shoulder ones, the hood ones and the sleeve attachment ones, as those will get wet.
What do you want to make? Ventile gets pretty stiff once it gets proper wet (and it will, eventually, but it then stops any further water passing), so go for an outermost layer that you'll use in heavy wind or in rain. I layer wool below it, they work great together.
See pic for the seams; your jeans have that kind of seam usually, the inseam, between the legs.

 

[John Fenna]

Good advice there I find "test piece" fabric in Charity shops (and have even found Merino wool blankets there) and most Charity shops accept bags of rags (and failed garments!)so the pattern test not only saves waste but benefits charity too!