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[Xplosiv]

Haven't gotten the fabric just yet but was proud of technically my first step in making my soft parts xD



Just wondering if anyone sees any hardware I might be missing? Planning on getting the fabric Tuesday-Wednesday, work schedule permitting. Also, it's been years since I touched one of these things so any tips would be greatly appreciated!

(Ignore the EVA foam. Not for my kit, it's for a different project I'm trying out)

[Two_Bears_HF]

I used the same pattern for my jumpsuit, using a nice mid-weight grey denim. It's turned out really well. Looking forward to seeing how you take it.

[Xplosiv]

Yeah, I saw it on a website of one of the other Mandos here and am thinking about Frankenstein-ing bits from all 3 patterns to give it kind of a reinforced waist area, turning the pockets into reinforced joints, and cutting the thing in half to make it a 2 piece.

I was wondering though, I know basically nothing about different fabrics and was currently planning to go with a grey cotton one I found wandering around JoAnns before grabbing the machine. I figured it'd breath a bit better so I'd be less likely to roast and, if I'm wearing it in a colder environment, I could just throw on some of my old army waffles underneath to warm up. One concern I have though is that, although sintra seems light enough, do you think the cotton would be heavy enough for it without the leg armor I have planned sagging weirdly on it?

Also, how is the denim for yours? I was thinking about that instead but was worried about cooking myself xD

[Two_Bears_HF]

Yeah, I saw it on a website of one of the other Mandos here and am thinking about Frankenstein-ing bits from all 3 patterns to give it kind of a reinforced waist area, turning the pockets into reinforced joints, and cutting the thing in half to make it a 2 piece.

I went with just the X-wing pilot ripoff costume mostly, though modified it to have a double-piece zipper closure in the front instead of the velcro. I wanted a single-piece, but with male-oriented anatomy, still wanted easy washroom breaks. 

I did also reposition the patch pockets to be higher and more front-facing on the thighs, to be more similar to Boba's OG flight suit.

I was wondering though, I know basically nothing about different fabrics and was currently planning to go with a grey cotton one I found wandering around JoAnns before grabbing the machine. I figured it'd breath a bit better so I'd be less likely to roast and, if I'm wearing it in a colder environment, I could just throw on some of my old army waffles underneath to warm up. One concern I have though is that, although sintra seems light enough, do you think the cotton would be heavy enough for it without the leg armor I have planned sagging weirdly on it?

I haven't thought too much about mounting armour directly on it yet, but for my kit, that'll only be the knees, really. I've got the plates cut for my chest already, in 3mm Sintra, and they seem light enough that they should make any decent material sag too much with proper mounting.

Also, how is the denim for yours? I was thinking about that instead but was worried about cooking myself xD

I like the denim, but I'm also in Nova Scotia, Canada, and our big convention (Hal-Con) happens in October/November and there is often snow on the ground already, or if not, incoming cold North Atlantic winds, so I like the extra weight/durability of the fabric. So fabric-wise, I'd suggest not making it too thin, but definitely base your fabric choice be dictated by your local climate.

Here's a link to my concepting thread that has some shots of the almost (pre-leg hem) completed jumpsuit: https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=204291.msg2235359#msg2235359

[Xplosiv]

I went with just the X-wing pilot ripoff costume mostly, though modified it to have a double-piece zipper closure in the front instead of the velcro. I wanted a single-piece, but with male-oriented anatomy, still wanted easy washroom breaks. 

I did also reposition the patch pockets to be higher and more front-facing on the thighs, to be more similar to Boba's OG flight

Yeah, I was thinking about zippers but figured velcro would just be easier in and out xD and I'd probably be fine with the one piece, I'm just worried about the day that would likely eventually come when I really need to feed the sarlacc and don't wanna have to be flinging armor all over the place to, uhhh, make it in time xD

I haven't thought too much about mounting armour directly on it yet, but for my kit, that'll only be the knees, really. I've got the plates cut for my chest already, in 3mm Sintra, and they seem light enough that they should make any decent material sag too much with proper mounting.

I know for me, only thought I've had so far is just velcro if what it seems like some people do is anything to go by. My "end state" is probably gonna be a heavy armor build, but I'm planning on going in stages to help keep me from being too overwhelmed xD probably first stage "complete" would be similar with the light "Boba" amount of armor and then just adding more as I go. I've seen something about recommended 6mm for the plates with 3mm for trauma and that was my plan for it to give it a bit of a "heavier" look, hence my slight "nervousness"(? I guess) about the weight of them.

I like the denim, but I'm also in Nova Scotia, Canada, and our big convention (Hal-Con) happens in October/November and there is often snow on the ground already, or if not, incoming cold North Atlantic winds, so I like the extra weight/durability of the fabric. So fabric-wise, I'd suggest not making it too thin, but definitely base your fabric choice be dictated by your local climate.

Yeah, I'm from the SW suburbs of Chicago, so our winters get decently cold and our summers get decently hot so I'd imagine it'd be hard to make a "one season fits all" kit xD I did settle on a grey denim as well in the end since, as the missus and I were wandering around JoAnn, we found some and just felt better about the thickness than the cotton without it feeling crazy thick. Helps too that it was on sale from like $21 a yard to $10 xD

I also don't really have a con that I go to due to not really being able to afford to until relatively recently. I did finally go to Gen Con last year after years of my friends pestering me and loved it. Now, I want to build a Mando kit and discover new cons so I can look cool and get pestered for pictures and stuff xD

Here's a link to my concepting thread that has some shots of the almost (pre-leg hem) completed jumpsuit: https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=204291.msg2235359#msg2235359

Checked it out, for what it's worth I'm loving how it's coming along so far! Kinda freaked me out, though, cuz for the first part of the introduction, I thought it was something I typed out xD On my end I'm gonna try handling most of the construction and the wider painting but, because of a bit of shaky hands on my end, the wife is gonna be handling my detail painting as well xD (We have a similar arrangement with my 40k stuff, I build and prime, she paints, lol). If you feel like wading through it, here's my concept:
https://mandalorianmercs.org/forum/index.php?topic=217368.0

I feel like I might've gone a bit too in-depth to realistically expect anyone to read the whole thing for notes but figured, if nothing else, it'd be good to have all my ideas written out somewhere to refer back to and, if someone does feel like reading it, all the better!

[Two_Bears_HF]

Nice! Your concept looks great!

I need to put together an update to that with what I've accomplished more recently: I've got the armour and helmet primed and painted a base silver metallic, and I'm currently working on mounting the chest plates to the flak vest (which is also complete). I've got a good friend 3d printing the bracers and knees. Holding off on the shin and back plates for now.

[Xplosiv]

Yeah, vest I've got a pretty good idea of what I want, I just gotta figure out how to make it a reality xD found a few templates but I gotta do a bit more research on how to modify it exactly to get the blue underarm sides.

Plates I'm dying to get started on but I'm trying to force myself to get the soft parts done before I start on (what in my mind will be) the more fun part xD

Question though, most tutorials that I've seen show people shaping the Sintra to their bodies with pretty much just a normal shirt on or something. Do you think that's better to get, I guess, a more human shape to some of the parts? Or would it be better to finish the flightsuit and vest and shape it while wearing that? Or does it not really matter in the end? XD

[Second Son]

Vod - The prevailng wisdom is to fit your soft kit to you, and then to fit the plates to the soft kit. You can certainly get plates cut and rough shaped before your vest is complete, but you definitely want to have your plates final shaped, and your mounting figured out before you paint your plates.

Regarding separate colored sides - check my soft parts WIP. I put side panels in that are a different color (natural linen color, not blue, but same difference).
Close-ups:




The side panels are part of the closure; they have 2" wide velcro on the inside to align the front and back, and I added external straps/buckles for extra security and The Look.

[Xplosiv]

Vod - The prevailng wisdom is to fit your soft kit to you, and then to fit the plates to the soft kit. You can certainly get plates cut and rough shaped before your vest is complete, but you definitely want to have your plates final shaped, and your mounting figured out before you paint your plates.

Okay, cool cool. I had a strong hunch that was the case but just wanted to make sure. If anything, it helps me stay on track of "focus on one thing at a time" xD

Vod - The prevailng wisdom is to fit your soft kit to you, and then to fit the plates to the soft kit. You can certainly get plates cut and rough shaped before your vest is complete, but you definitely want to have your plates final shaped, and your mounting figured out before you paint your plates.

Regarding separate colored sides - check my soft parts WIP. I put side panels in that are a different color (natural linen color, not blue, but same difference).

The side panels are part of the closure; they have 2" wide velcro on the inside to align the front and back, and I added external straps/buckles for extra security and The Look.

Oooo, I really like that, thanks for sharing. Admittedly I didn't scour all the WIPs for ideas on the vest, but the ones I did manage to find that were doing that sort of thing all seemed to have a more open design rather than closed. Hoping to get more of a heavier IBA look than the lighter Plate Carrier look, so I might be stealing taking some inspiration from this design xD

------------------------------------------------------

For an actual update on my progress:
Hasn't been too much cuz work and other pesky real-life things keep taking up my kit time xD I have been able to get most of the pieces cut out for a prototype from some thrift store curtains so that I can make sure I got the base sizing right, so I can test out some ideas I have for a few of the details, and to make sure I still remember how to sew after all these years xD here's the pieces so far:


If I did it right, I've got the front pieces, back pieces, yoke, sleeve, and lower "pockets" done. Gonna try to use the pocket templates for knee and elbow reinforcements and, for those, I'm thinking of maybe trimming them down, giving them 45° angles on the corners, and putting some horizontal stitching on them to give them a "stronger" look. Still gotta cut out the sleeves and the "normal" front pocket template that I'm planning to sew completely on to give it a sort of thigh reinforcement. Also thinking about trying the horizontal stitching on that as well.

Only have 1/2 the collar cut out so far as I've hit my first speed bump with this. The pattern calls for 2 of them to be cut out and for it to be cut on the fold. I had gotten these so I could mark everything out on the first cut piece before removing the template and cutting the second:


However, I think I've gotten the wrong things xP They're Dritz fabric marking pencils but, when I tried using them, I only got the faintest line after several passes. Tried light and heavy pressure but never got more than the faintest ghost of a line. Just wondering if these are the wrong pencil for what I'm using, if I just got a lemon, or if there's just something arguably better to use? For reference, the curtains are a heavy-ish cotton.

[Second Son]

So one thing to do with cutting mutliples on the fold is to double up your cloth - fold a piece of cloth in half twice and put the pattern 'fold' line on the common fold in the cloth and cut it out from there. It works best if you're using a super sharp rotary cutter. You could also double up some paper and transfer the pattern to that, cut/unfold it and lay it out on top of two layers of fabric and cut the whole stack - also best with a rotary cutter.
I'd recommend getting actual tailors chalk and/or a chalk wheel for marking fabrics. I've not had success with anything but that or sharpie pens (for making muslin pattern pieces). Bonus action on the chalk wheel if you don't have a pounce wheel - the little teeth in the chalk wheel will actually punch through paper a little and transfer any lines you trace along into a series of tiny holes so you can duplicate patterns onto more durable paper. You can also use this to trace lines through a sheet of paper folded in half so the pattern lines are copied and mirrored at the same time. Follow back along the perforations with pen or pencil for solid lines.

Oooo, I really like that, thanks for sharing. Admittedly I didn't scour all the WIPs for ideas on the vest, but the ones I did manage to find that were doing that sort of thing all seemed to have a more open design rather than closed. Hoping to get more of a heavier IBA look than the lighter Plate Carrier look, so I might be stealing taking some inspiration from this design xD

steal take as much inspiration as you like vod - I think my solution works well and if it helps others to get out there doing Mando stuff I'm all for it.

[Xplosiv]

Gotcha, I'll give that a go. Another reason I decided to make a cheap prototype before tackling the real thing, learning how to make the final process smoother xD

And yeah, I remember chalk being the tried and true method. Saw the pencils and pens and wanted to give that a shot to get a more "permenant" line that can still wash off. If it ain't broke... xD

And yeah, it's always been a "problem" of mine that I sometimes have problems with creating a solution to something I want to make from the ground up. Give me a foundation, though, and I can modify it to the point of being pretty unique. See "I can't sculpt things in Green Stuff to save my life. But give me a Dremel and a bunch of mini bits and I can make a pretty cool looking custom model" xD

[Xplosiv]

Bit of an update on progress so far! Managed to get everything cut out, marked, and ready to start sewing.



I ended up going back to JoAnn's and grabbed one of (almost) all the different fabric markers. The one that looked just like a colored pencil ended up working as well as I thought it would (it didn't xP), the chalk worked as well as I remembered but wasn't the biggest fan of the shape of it (wasn't comfortable for me to hold/use personally), and found my favorite to be this marker:


Honestly, it kinda feels like one of those cheap markers I used to have back when I was a kid (always feels like it's going to run out of ink at any moment), but it leaves a nice mark, washes off very easily from what I tested, and actually bleeds through the fabric a bit, letting me do my markings on the wrong side of the fabric (in case anything doesn't wash out) while leaving me with guiding marks on the right side to use while I'm sewing. However, so far I've only used it for my prototype flight suit made from Goodwill curtains I picked up and I'll probably recheck it on the denim my actual suit will be made from.

I also finally got to put thread to fabric as well, attaching both the normal pockets and one of the knee pockets before I decided I was done for the day xD


I added some straight lines across the pockets at 1" intervals and sewed the pocket holes shut to convert them into knee and thigh reinforcements. I might have to work on the spacing of the lines, however, as it leaves the bottom space slightly larger than the rest (1 1/2") and haven't decided yet how noticeable it is/how much it bothers me xD After the other knee will be the yoke up by the neck. Thinking about doing the same horizontal lines on that as well.

As always, any tips/suggestions are very welcome!

[Second Son]

 The reinforcement patches with the horizontal stitching feels very in-universe to me.
For the yoke consider running the stitching vertically for a visually distinct but simliar design element.
Are you planning to do the patches in the same fabric or a contrast fabric on the official flight suit?

[Xplosiv]

Ooo, I like the idea of vertical lines more! Not that much of all this detail is gonna matter, since most of it is planned to get covered by armor anyway xD I feel better knowing it's there, even if it's not obvious xD

And I've been flipping back and forth on alternate colors for the reinforcements, usually I'm leaning more towards doing them the same color as the rest of the suit so that it's not just "busy for the sake of being busy".

To give the flight suit a bit more pop/something more going on with it, I was thinking of using a contrasting thread with it. Originally was thinking of using the white thread for that, but over the last few days I've been realizing that might just blend in more with the grey denim I've got (it's a bit lighter than what I originally had in mind). The other main colors is navy blue and black, and I think I'm leaning towards using black thread for the flight suit as I was planning on using navy blue thread for the flak vest.

Also, looking for advice on this. Was just thinking about how I did the lines on the reinforcement parts before I sewed them on but was wondering if it might be a better idea to sew the patches on first and then go back and do the lines from I guess a structural point of view? Or if it doesn't really matter and I'm overthinking it? XD

[Second Son]

Also, looking for advice on this. Was just thinking about how I did the lines on the reinforcement parts before I sewed them on but was wondering if it might be a better idea to sew the patches on first and then go back and do the lines from I guess a structural point of view? Or if it doesn't really matter and I'm overthinking it? XD

Depends.  If you are doing a little interfacing for structure or just applying the patches as-is, you could potentially get the patches interfaced(if using) and turn all the edges in with pins, topstitch them down and then do the feature stitches. You could turn under and topstitch around all the edges first as close as you can make it, and then stitch directly on top of that line to attach it to the main panels, before doing the feature stitches.

If it were me, I would probably do lightly quilted panels, and apply them as mostly finished pieces. I would assemble cloth sandwiches (backing, batt, face fabric), hand baste the quilting lines, turn/finish the edges of the panels and then edge stitch the patches down (two parallel rows close to the edge and close together), snip the basting threads out and do final quilting as part of the decorative topstitch stage. There'd be 4 layers: main suit fabric, panel backing(could do this in a complimentary/contrast color - subtle edges showing), batt, and another layer of face fabric. Then take the pieces and continue assembling the garment.
If you do use any batting, I highly recommend a natural fiber like lightweight wool. Definitely not a poly batt.

[Xplosiv]

I was originally thinking of using batting for these, but ultimately decided against it since I wanted the flight suit to just be more of an undersuit/uniform rather than part of the actual armor if that makes sense.

Interfacing I've got to look into/learn more about, but it sounds like it wouldn't be a terrible idea to start experimenting with. Been mostly getting more stuff for this as I go to make sure I'm actually getting the hang of this rather then buy everything just to find out there's no chance of me pulling it off xD

[Xplosiv]

Bit of an update from this weekend. After forcing myself to actually try to get something done on this (was just not feeling it this weekend xD) and several mental slips like forgetting to switch stitch length back to the correct one, sewing the wrong facing, etc we now have this:





Managed to get the other knee reinforcement sewn on along with the shoulder yokes. Tried sewing the lines after sewing the pieces together and, despite being a bit more annoying to do, I'm liking how much more stable they at least seem irt any potential future plates not sagging as much.

I also sewed the hook side of the velcro on along with a bit towards the crotch that officially has the front two pieces connected. However, guessing between a mix of things, I wasn't quite fully "with it" and I was having a hard time following the instructions on these latest parts, which were as follows:


I got up to 19, tried it, seemed wrong, and pulled the stitching back out to try again another day. Also think I've got to pull the velcro back out as it looks like I was supposed to sew it onto the outside/right side of the fabric and I sewed it onto the inside/wrong side cuz my brain looked at the instructions and the picture on the front and thought "No, that's wrong. That piece should face in" not realizing that it looks like that bit will be getting folded and sewed inwards xP I also really need to start pressing as I sew and not be lazy ("but I'll just iron/press the whole thing all at once when I finish putting it together" ~My Brain, 2022)

All in all, not my favorite session so far of working on this but it definitely reinforced my opinion that making a cheap prototype first was a very good move xD Got a few free lessons too on the subtle art of paying attention, lol

[Xplosiv]

Update time!

Redid the hook side of the velcro and managed to get the main body put together. Despite my machine messing up on me a few times, it's coming together!








Still got a ways to go but it was nice to finally get a sort of proto-test fit. Seems to look alright enough but feels a bit tight in places, dunno if that's normal for the flight suits or not xD I've also gotta get my brain to calm down on how flat the back looks since it's just gonna be covered by a vest anyway, lol. Also, if I'm careful, I can sit down in it xD

All in all, so far, I think I might go for the medium sizing for the final product. I also noticed the "knees" sit a bit high due to their original purpose as pockets (the center of my kneecaps sit at about the second to the bottom of the decorative horizontal lines). For the next version I'm gonna drop those down an inch or two. I'm also probably gonna drop the yokes since

A.) They're likely gonna be completely covered by the vest and neck seal and

B.) Even if they were visible, they're looking a bit daintier than I'd like and I would have to modify the template to get them to reach up to the shoulder seam and possibly make an extra set to go down the back to get them where I'd like. Which, I wouldn't mind trying out, except for reason A xD

Overall, happy with the progress so far, glad to see I at least seem to still have a knack for this, and I've definitely got a much healthier respect for why some tailors' prices seem so high xD Just got the collar, the rest of the velcro/facing, sleeves and elbows, and a bit of hemming and we can put a pin in this I think! 

Update to the update:
I've apparently been working with the wrong pattern and am gonna have to redo the whole thing xP On the plus side, the cat enjoys the new bed I accidentally made xD

[Xplosiv]

Been particularly motivated lately (pretty sure it's because I can see the finish line on this and now I'm sprinting for the end of this project xD) and so I have another update!

I was hoping to get this completed but the instructions for the collar had me running in circles for longer than I expected xP So what we have for today is the collar and the velcro/closure finished:





With the velcro finished and properly closed, the fit definitely feels a bit better, there's not nearly as much tightness is spots that I felt the other day. I was wondering, though, if it's normal for the flight suits to start feeling a bit tight when bending over and sitting down? I'm on the fence if I want to bump it up a size for the final product, it seems to look fine the way it is now, and I don't wanna risk it becoming too baggy for the sake of comfort, causing me to just have to modify back to the smaller size.

I'm hoping to get this thing finished by this weekend so I can not what modifications and adjustments I need to make so I can start working on the real flight suit. All I have left is to prep the arm pockets into patches, do the sleeves, work out how to get the second short sleeves, hem it up and it'll be done!

On another note, I was at JoAnn's the other day and noticed their patterns were on sale for like 2 bucks again so I found some patterns that I might use for future parts of my kit.



This one I'm thinking would be a great base for the flak vest. My initial thought is I'm gonna omit the collar, built in long sleeves, and skirt. I'm also gonna try to close the front and make it a side closure.




These two I'm not 100% sure how much, if at all I'm gonna use. I primarily just wanted a basic template for the holster and bandolier and I'll probably be making modifications to them to fit my design a bit better. These are things that are probably simple enough to do from scratch, but I cannot stress enough how hard of a time I have with that xD I'm hoping the templates and instructions will be enough of a foundation for me to work with so I can expand on them with my own tweaks and alterations.

And finally, while at JoAnn's I discovered this gem:


Concept is cool, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure it doesn't meet the CRLs for The Armorer xD Just wanted to share this neat little find.

As always, any tips, critiques, observations, etc are always welcome! Until next time! 

[Xplosiv]

After a bit of a longer session than I planned, I'm proud to say...

The prototype/test suit is finished!



And yes, I am aware there's only one double sleeve xD I sewed in the first one, measured up from the sleeve to about how far down I wanted it to go, added about an inch and a half, marked the original sleeve template, and made the short sleeve with that. Since it was just a practice suit (and sewing the sleeve was not fun for me xD) I figured it wasn't worth it to pull the whole sleeve out just to add the short sleeve to it.

Also, instructions called for me to press the hem at 1 1/2", press the raw edge in 1/4", and then sew the hem in. That 1/4" didn't want to cooperate with me xD



Admittedly, it was the first hem I'd ever sewn, but I just wasn't happy with how it turned out. It was difficult to work with, didn't really come out even, and I just felt like the distance between the finished edge and the sew was a hair too long. So, I tried a slightly different approach!



For the rest of the sleeves, I instead pressed the raw edge 1/2" in, folded it up again and pressed it another inch, and sewed it in. The 1/2" fought with me less (especially at the seam) than the 1/4", it still gave me the 1 1/2" hem, and my brain saw that slightly shorter distance between the sew line and the edge and it was just *chef's kiss* xD

The pants seams needed a bit more of a hem, about 3", so I modified what I did for the sleeve above and did 1" press followed by 2". Worked well enough-ish, considering the bottom of the pant legs are gonna be tucked into boots. There was a bit of an issue with the fabric folding up on itself and getting sewn in. Couldn't figure out how to prevent due to it just seeming like I kept getting the slightest bit of excess fabric by the end. I'm guessing a better solution would be to actually trim the fabric down a bit, but it should be fine as long as I don't start sewing pants that have the bottom hem showing anytime soon xD

It also (99%) survived a quick wash test!

First off, I wanted to test out a way to cut down on the bulk on the corners of the reinforcement patches, so I tried trimming the raw edges a bit by the corners before I sewed them on. I could still see some raw edges by the seams, so I was pretty sure what was gonna happened...



And I was right xD I'm sure there's ways to pull off what I'm trying to do, but I think I'm just gonna play it safe and deal with the slight bulges on the corners that I'm pretty sure nobody would ever notice them unless i pointed them out that will be the first and only thing anyone will ever see on my kit

I also had this happen:



I know the solid red fabric I used was having an issue with fraying from the moment I cut the pieces out while the slightly striped pieces looked like they'd just been cut out even when they were some of the last pieces sewn in. I'm hoping the denim I'm gonna use for the final product will hold together a bit better but I'm wondering if there's any tips for preventing this in the future? Not so much worried about the mess inside as I can just trim that down if need be. More worried if it could fray down far enough to possibly compromise the seams?

Also, the fabric marker markings seem to be 100% gone after a quick wash with a tide pod so good to see it should be safe to use in the future!

Now all that's left is to do almost every last part of this all over again! XD I think I've decided on just bumping up the whole thing from a small to a medium. Just makes it easier for me rather than figuring out what specific modifications I have to make to a pile of fabric to get it just right xD I figure it should be easy enough to figure out how to alter it once it's done if it needs it (while teaching me a useful enough skill in the process xD)

Theres a couple changes im gonna be making to the suit as well. After the wash, i noticed the collar seemed to have a bit of a fold going through the middle of it i wasn't quite digging. The interfacing I used was Pellon's "Designer Lite", but I've picked up their "Fusible Midweight" interfacing and I'm hoping that holds up a bit better. The elbow and knee patches need to be adjusted a bit on the final suit, both needing to be lowered about an inch or so and the elbows needing to slide a little towards the back as well. Also, on the fence about the yokes. Part of me kinda likes how it "busies" up the chest so that it's not so blank and bare, but the other part of me wonders why on Hoth's frozen surface I would waste time and material on a piece of a kit that ultimately gonna be covered up by a vest and, at best, only the tiniest sliver of it might peek out by the collar and arm sleeves xD Guess we'll see which side wins out when I finally get to it 

All I've got for this one! As always, suggestions, advice, and feedback are always welcome.

Until next time!

[Second Son]

Looking pretty good, and you're solving problems as they come. The final product is going to be great.
To deal with the raw edges on seams, you have a few options. If you have a serger, you can finish the edges that way (I've never used one, but I know it works).
You can use a French seam (requires planning ahead) and you can fell the seam, either to both sides or to one side. All are perfectly fine, and finishing your raw edges to prevent fraying will definitely increase the life and durability of your sewn items.

[Xplosiv]

Thank you!

I do not have a serger but, thanks to you, I now know what makes the nice stitches on the inside of the seams I see on pretty much all of my shirts xD I might have to look into if I can replicate it with just my normal machine

After a quick Google search, I might try to incorporate a French seam or felling the seams into it. Currently thinking I might try to do French seams on the inside just cuz it seems like it might be the easiest to do. If I'm understanding it right, I might be able to do it after stitching it together by just folding the seams into themselves and sewing it shut. I'm thinking it might let me close off the raw edges while still putting the suit together more or less as written?

[Second Son]

So the French seam is odd, because you assemble pieces right side out (wrong faces together) instead of inside out (right faces together, the usual way) and then stitch, then turn the whole thing inside out and re-run every seam to capture the raw edges. It helps to double your seam allowance on your pieces, and clip the raw edges to half the SA before turning to assure that you capture them. That's why I said it requires careful planning - anywhere you use it you need to make sure you add the correct amount of extra seam allowance, and plan the construction order correctly, and remember to put it together correctly. It's a lot of upfront work and planning but the interior finish is so nice and the seams are very sturdy.

Of my suggestions the simplest is to fell the seams to one side. This is what you're talking about - assemble normally, fold the raw edges both over so the cut edges are encapsulated and whipstitch it down by hand. It's laborious but it's sturdy and beautiful.  You could do some of it with a machine but there's parts that you just can't, so you may as well do it all by hand.
Open felling does not reinforce the seam, but it makes a much flatter finish which can be useful for comfort reasons.  You can combine the one side and open fell to make things lie flat where needed and double over where strength maters. I've found that the shoulder seam is best felled to one side(to the shoulder side of the seam), and it can be transitioned to open fell at the underarm into a side seam where excess bulk is not wanted.

[Xplosiv]

So I didn't come back and check for any responses until after I just cut everything out xD

So, while I'd like to try out felling the seams, I don't wanna mess with it for now. Mainly because I just want to (mostly) stick with what I know/learned so far to get a suit finished and because I can't hand sew to save my life atm and don't want to mess with that just yet. If I'm looking up the right thing though, I do absolutely love how that looks and will definitely want to try that out for potential future suits.

I don't think we're quite thinking the same thing of what I was planning, here's kinda my idea:


More so I guess an afterthought/lazy-ish French stitch that let's me not have to try to figure out the extra SA while still trying to close off the raw edges xD I figure it'll probably be a bit bulkier in some places but my current plan (other than just cross that bride when I get to it xD) is maybe messing around with bias tape to try to seal off some more troublesome sections if need be? It'll be a fun experiment and, worst case scenario, if I mess it up or it doesn't work it'll be on the inside where nobody will see xD

Also, not much but here's the official first steps done for the official suit. Officially.


(Sorry they're not spread out this time, I had already cleaned everything up before grabbing the picture. Couldnt be asked to display everythibg again cuz I wanted to get a few rounds of BF 2 in with the missus before bed xD)

[Second Son]

Doing what your sketch shows should work; getting the edges to stay tucked while you run it may be a challenge but it's doable. It'll show a simliar finish and should be pretty sturdy too. If there's parts you can't run on your machine you can use it as practice for hand stitching, it won't show through the outside. Mastering the right touch to get a mostly invisible stitch when you're felling a seam takes a lot fo practice (and I've still not fully mastered it).