AI6YR BenHmm, softshell fabric not cheap... about $28.00 per yard. (if I were theoretically going to sew myself a new softshell jacket). #sewing
So, the problem with something like black or blue or green, is then it's not terribly obvious you've sewn yourself a jacket (because all the softshells out there are black or blue or green)., But purple or "tomato" are way off the usual scale of colors. Which means you've got to be willing to show off a bit, lol. (I have no problem with it--ie random strangers chatting with you because you have an outrageously loud outfit--but the family prefers to blend in and hide....)
Looks like most jacket patterns are between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2 yards for my size. Given my sewing skill level, that means I really should by 3 yards, in case of a snafu. #sewing
Okay, decided to go for it... going to attempt at some point to sew myself a soft shell jacket. Starry Skies, lol. Space themed? Something like that. Bought way more than I need, 4 1/2 yards because it's a 9 inch repeating pattern and I don't know what the heck I am doing most of the time. Now I have to go buy zippers. (this of course will cost many times what buying a used one would cost). My goal is approximately the same as this North Face current model, which is the evolved version of the jacket I have here that I will attempt to clone. (minus the cell phone thingie on the shoulder). Full zip, two pockets with zippers. #sewing
Kinene⭐🐻@ai6yr The pattern is abstract enough that you shouldn't need to worry about matching it.
for zippers: https://www.wawak.com/
They carry all sorts of professional sewing goodies. Just don't get carried away. 😁
piebob ✨@c_merriweather @ai6yr i think this fabric print rules, and i agree that you shouldn't worry about the pattern matching up. i'm excited to see how this comes out!
@piebob @c_merriweather Hopefully will turn out, lol. It's always a gamble for me. 😂 I wear my spur of the moment bee fleece out hiking a lot, enough my son has gotten over his mortification over the brightness of it. (we never run into other people on the trail, lol).
@c_merriweather Yeah, I have ordered from Wawak before since Joann's isn't around anymore. I have the catalog open to the zippers!
Jer 🚲@jerzone I am going to attempt to trace this off the intact jacket, and add a seam allowance, without taking the old one apart. Or, I could cut the other one apart (it's falling apart for sure!!).
Ash-Miw-Re
Shirley Eugest@ai6yr
That sounds about right for a man's jacket. Any excess can become pockets or bag, hat. Better too much than not enough fabric.
That sounds about right for a man's jacket. Any excess can become pockets or bag, hat. Better too much than not enough fabric.
Sarah E Bourne@EugestShirley @ai6yr I would add an inside pocket or two - great for stashing gloves so they stay warm/dry.
W6KME@sbourne @EugestShirley @ai6yr Plus an external breast pocket sized for an HT, with a flap and a place for the antenna to extend. Plus at least a couple of MOLLE tabs on the shoulder for a hand mic.
@W6KME @sbourne @EugestShirley LOL now we're talking "tactical" ham radio jacket. I actually have a "photographer's shirt" which would easily be modified to look like that. The only problem, is if you wear it, you look like Tom Hanks in "Joe vs. the Volcano"... or John Candy in "The Great Outdoors"
@ai6yr @sbourne @EugestShirley It's vital that there only be one radio-capable pocket, and it cannot be beige or black. Camo of any type is right out.
bjb 
Get extra for patterned prints, based on the length of a complete repeat, and the way the pattern pieces are laid out on the fabric.
Nobody ناچیز नास्ति (he/him)@ai6yr I had forgotten what the sn stood for in snafu...
Sensible Crone@ai6yr Oh yes, Always buy too much fabric for the project. These fractions hearken back to women buying fabric to make clothes for the family, and they would buy the absolute minimum amount, cause women making clothes instead of buying them are frugal. Also, you might want to make a hat and scarf to go with this fantastic new Jacket!
@ai6yr Also, if you are anywhere near Minneapolis, there is a fantastic warehouse of fabric with tons of stretch sport stuff. SR Harris
https://srharrisfabric.com/
https://srharrisfabric.com/
your auntifa liza 🇵🇷 🦛 🦦@ai6yr yup. that’s now my minimum when buying fabrics: 3 yards for 55-60". if it’s 45" or less, +1 yard for regular cloth, +2 if it has a print or it’s 100% cotton, linen, wool. the shrinkage struggle is real.
@blogdiva @ai6yr For real! And wash that fabric before cutting it so the shrinkage and the going back to its natural fabric flow occurs before you make anything. The process of putting fabrics on bolts repeatedly is crazy toxic and deforms the fabric. Plus the grossness of shipping and warehouses. Wash it!
wash AND HANG. i feel like a lot of the outcomes of sewing literally depend on how you hang the fabric before cutting, after cutting and then after making the garment. it makes me realize a lot of mass market clothes were never hanged until they reach a store and that's why they feel weird when i try them on.
@susiemagoo @blogdiva Ooh, so if I am getting the patterned fabric I need 2 extra yards on top? i.e. instead of 2 1/4 probably 4 1/4?
Depends on the length of the pattern repeat, and on how the pieces are laid out.
Eg, if the front right and left are placed vertically and the pattern is large, you may need to move the second piece a little further down so that the pattern on right and left will look good when the pieces are placed side by side.
If the printed design is small scale (teensy flowers or other object) it may not matter too much. But for bold, large prints, it matters a lot more.
@bjb @susiemagoo @blogdiva The "Starry Skies" pattern there would be tempting, not sure how much repeat there is. I guess if I have extra fabric I can make gloves, hat, matching jackets for all the rabbits and dog 🤪
Katherine W(that's the one I hoped you would pick, not purple or tomato, but you will still stand out a little bit)
@FiddleSix Yeah, subtle but noticeable is a good goal. Now, to calculate how much yardage I need, I forgot patterned fabrics are not as simple as solids.
@ai6yr @bjb @susiemagoo @blogdiva
How much extra depends on how large the print is, and how much you care about matching.
If your fabric is a tiny print or a camouflage print, matching doesn't matter. For a scenic print, matching matters. These large prints are designed to fit the manufacturer's intended garment.
Left:
On this scenic 1/4 zip top, the scenic print is large, at least 22 inches from the dark header to the white bottom. It would look stupid if the sleeves were cut in the opposite direction from the front and back. This only takes a little extra fabric, because the front is cut from a single piece with the zipper set into a slash.
Some extra length is needed to make sure the horizontal matches from front to back and to both sleeves.
Right
On this scenic puffer jacket, there is a front placket. It was cut so the horse print appears to flow across the cut and folded edges. This probably took an extra yard vertically to match the scene. The sleeves are cut to present a continuation of the horizon line. Usually two sleeves can be cut from a single width of 45" - 60" wide fabrics.
welakchualee, those are called border fabrics. basically the border has all the details. the design repeats X inches and the upper part of the fabric is usually left empty to make garment construction easier. i say usually because there’s this example that doesn't.
Cotton Voile - Navy Floral Border - Blooming Upwards Print - Mood Excl - https://www.moodfabrics.com/products/mood-exclusive-blooming-upwards-navy-cotton-voile-md0474
so when looking for a border make sure it’s only on one end.
@ai6yr @susiemagoo it depends on the fabric but YES. that's a standard disclaimer in old USA patterns.
tbh am learning that +60" is best for jackets, coats, pants and gowns.
45" kinda explains why princess (panel) seams exists. historically, linen, silk and wool fabrics came in those widths and even narrower.
for graphic pattern matching, always check the longer description. the best stores will include the width of the graphics & after how many inches it gets repeated.
@blogdiva @ai6yr @susiemagoo
Yes. Old looms were 36 inches. As wide as a human could reach. to throw the shuttle.
Yes. Old looms were 36 inches. As wide as a human could reach. to throw the shuttle.
@ai6yr @susiemagoo @blogdiva It depends on the size of the pattern. If it is a "random" repeat ("generic field of flowers"), the print does not need to be matched. If, however, the pattern is a large version of the Black Watch tartan, expect to need several extra yards to make the pattern match.
General rule: The larger or more geometric/regular the fabric print is, the more yardage will be needed to match the design. To match, all the pattern pieces must be cut out going the same direction, especially if the design is not symmetrical.
... unless one goes for intentionally mismatched/diagonal (bias) parts, or the crazy-quilt effect.
@c_merriweather @susiemagoo @blogdiva Looks like this pattern repeats every 9 inches, so that's a pretty big block.
cR0w 
Janice in GA@ai6yr Starry skies or starry forest!
@Archergal Yeah, that might work
Aleksandra FedorovaJust be wary that patterns may require more fabric and are not as forgiving when sewing.
You have to keep in mind where the pattern lands on a finished piece.
You don't have to do full pattern matching of course, but having one half of the jacket upside down may lead to even more questions :)
@ai6yr here's another decent vendor, for some more color options--although the pricing is about the same https://discoveryfabrics.com/collections/softshells
@piebob @ai6yr Soft shell / Softshell Plain Fabric Water Repellent & Wind Blocker – G.k Fashion Fabrics https://share.google/LAel9a9CZ5G7j3v7R This one is priced per 1/2 yard, which is annoying, but two 1/2 yards is still significantly less than what you're showing up there. However you might have to ask about the shipping cost.
NilaJones
Sam Levine@ai6yr You can always put some sort of custom logo on it (AI6YR Sewing?) that gets people to ask if you really want. Or just do the sides in a contrast color (usually with softshells the underarm part is a separate panel, I remember having columbia jackets as a kid where those were a different color to the main body, but I don't think anyone is doing that anymore so it would be pretty obvious it was a custom thing even if you opted for a black jacket with dark green panels or something.
Iris Young (he/they/she) (PhD)@ai6yr @SRLevine related to the root post: tips on finding good softshell or hardshell fabrics for jackets? I am leaning more and more toward making my own, because I can't find anything that fits my proportions right. My arms and shoulders require men's sizes and my hips require women's sizes, and I've considered taking in something large enough that it fits both, but everything I've tried on that wasn't too tight somewhere was so loose somewhere else that the pockets would be in the wrong places when I finished with it. I'm pretty fed up and want something that actually fits.
@iris @SRLevine Ha, this is exactly where we are here... looking for soft shell fabrics
https://social.linux.pizza/@c_merriweather/116398767420997059
Kinene⭐🐻 (@[email protected])
@[email protected] @[email protected] @[email protected] It depends on the size of the pattern. If it is a "random" repeat ("generic field of flowers"), the print does not need to be matched. If, however, the pattern is a large version of the Black Watch tartan, expect to need several extra yards to make the pattern match. General rule: The larger or more geometric/regular the fabric print is, the more yardage will be needed to match the design. To match, all the pattern pieces must be cut out going the same direction, especially if the design is not symmetrical. ... unless one goes for intentionally mismatched/diagonal (bias) parts, or the crazy-quilt effect.
@ai6yr @SRLevine I'm trying to find a seller within the EU and I think I've found a winner: extrem textil (DE no less), where I can even find the hardware components for a hiking backpack, if I get ambitious. I was looking for components for adding backpack straps to a bag and I have about 325 options here. Fantastic!