Making your own fleece jacket, pants, hat, and gloves is definitely just
for those of us who simply get a kick out of making our own gear. The homemade
products are rarely lighter, cheaper, or better in any other way than stuff
you can readily buy in the neighborhood camping store. But it's fun, so
why not?
I used the Green Pepper patterns for my jacket and pants. I made one set
using 12 oz polartec fleece, and another using the 5-6oz micro-chamois stuff.
(The latter feels so soft!) Neither set was wind-resistant, which I would
not recommend to other people. I reasoned that I could just put on goretex
or wind-breakers, but in practice I'm too lazy and just end up suffering.
Fleece is a joy to work with, especially the thicker stuff. The
micro-chamois does tend to distort and gather along the seams, which looks
really ugly. I have yet to hem my micro-chamois pants successfully. It
stretches so much that every time I do it either I stretch it too much
while sewing it giving them stylish bell-bottoms, or I don't stretch it enough
and the stitching breaks the first time I try to fit my feet through them. Oh
well. I just leave it ragged now. I wasn't expecting them to look
fashionable, anyway... (In general: Be careful to orient your fleece correctly
-- most fleece only stretches in one direction. If you are sewing in the
direction of the stretch use zigzag stitches and stretch it a bit as you sew
it. A little elastic at the waist, ankles, cuffs, etc. can help in some
cases.)
Hat, mittens, and gloves are pretty easy. A hat is two thimble shaped pieces
sewn together on the edges. I added a small plus-shaped seam on top to make it
a little more round. (You can sort of see it in the full-sized version of the
picture on the right.) It looks professional. For gloves and mittens, just
trace your hand. Cut two pieces to size, and sew them together along the edges
(leave seam margins!) I spent the effort to make my mittens a little more
fancily: one piece for the hand, another for the thumb, with the thumb placed
asymmetrically so that it attaches more on the palm than the back of the glove.
I had to adjust the design maybe 4-5 times before they felt comfortable. Now
I'm quite happy with them. Too bad I didn't make a pattern so I can make more!
Fleece is a joy to work with, especially the thicker stuff. The
micro-chamois does tend to distort and gather along the seams, which looks
really ugly. I have yet to hem my micro-chamois pants successfully. It
stretches so much that every time I do it either I stretch it too much
while sewing it giving them stylish bell-bottoms, or I don't stretch it enough
and the stitching breaks the first time I try to fit my feet through them. Oh
well. I just leave it ragged now. I wasn't expecting them to look
fashionable, anyway... (In general: Be careful to orient your fleece correctly
-- most fleece only stretches in one direction. If you are sewing in the
direction of the stretch use zigzag stitches and stretch it a bit as you sew
it. A little elastic at the waist, ankles, cuffs, etc. can help in some
cases.)
Hat, mittens, and gloves are pretty easy. A hat is two thimble shaped pieces
sewn together on the edges. I added a small plus-shaped seam on top to make it
a little more round. (You can sort of see it in the full-sized version of the
picture on the right.) It looks professional. For gloves and mittens, just
trace your hand. Cut two pieces to size, and sew them together along the edges
(leave seam margins!) I spent the effort to make my mittens a little more
fancily: one piece for the hand, another for the thumb, with the thumb placed
asymmetrically so that it attaches more on the palm than the back of the glove.
I had to adjust the design maybe 4-5 times before they felt comfortable. Now
I'm quite happy with them. Too bad I didn't make a pattern so I can make more!