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[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).

[Xplosiv]

Yeah, the "it's inside so my mistakes will be hidden" will probably be a huge motivator to me xD I know if nothing else the wife just mostly hand sewed a skirt together (she refers to what I made "sewing machine magic" xD) so worst case scenario, I can probably ask her to help if when I get frustrated with it xD