Green Moto

I have recently acquired a bicycle, which I intend to ride for exercise (I'd like to ride it for practicality, but not in this hyper hilly suburb that's near nothing but one of Nashville's major busy roads, and not now,when I can barely go up a slight incline without having to get off and walk the bike.)  Since it is also, in theory, winter, I wanted to make a windbreaker.

I also decided it was time to stop procrastinating and try one of my small pile of motorcycle jacket patterns--have I mentioned those?

I know there's still a Simplicity Mimi G motorcycle jacket pattern I don't have, plus a smattering of them on Burda Style.  This is a good start, especially since it looked like I'd never, y'know, use any of them.

But of course the idea of making a motorcycle jacket to wear while pedaling around and being awkwardly unfit was an idea that amused me.

I chose KwikSew 3764, since it was unlined

and dove into my fabric stash for an appropriate cloth, finding a densely-woven synthetic I've had for a long long time--probably since this color was trendy

The color is made from the combination of black warp fibers and chartreuse wefts, which gives it a nice subtle color shift luster

It is also...kinda noisy. *insert pun about being used to wearing clothes the other kind of loud*

Since this was the first time making this pattern, I went with size large, since that one was large enough for the waistband to close, which I figured would be something I'd want if I do need its windbreakering abilities.

I also decided to use all black zippers and thread, as much because I didn't have anything on hand to match the olive-ish color as it was because, again, since this was the first time making this, I didn't want to use up anything...precious.  Which is why I also knowingly used a zipper 2" too short, which is why I added this thing above the zipper on the top lapel

I call this detail "I watched a Gary Numan video recently."

(The color is truer in just about every other picture but this one.)

The ever-so-vaguely-industrial element also prompted me to make a hook and loop tape closure on the waistband, instead of the snap or button the pattern called for.  Soft loops are on the top, hard hooks are on the bottom, and I hope that means they have a lesser chance of snagging anything.

(and I omitted the epaulets, which also called for snaps or buttons.)

Another reason for choosing to sew this was because it has zippered pockets, so I'll have someplace secure to hold keys and garage opener and phone and ID while I'm out

The pocket zippers are coils, so they don't really match the molded tooth front zipper, but, enh, close enough.

Since it's unlined, I serged every visible seam allowance

And I cheated a bit on the back facing, choosing to tack it down in the center

I don't mind the visible stitching--the back of this jacket is incredibly boring, and, honestly, that's part of why I resisted getting it for so long

I am considering making some enormous, mostly black appliqué to put back there.  It's so boring.

(Oh, yeah, I also omitted the cuff zippers, because they were inserted far away from any seams and they didn't actually make the cuffs any narrower and I just didn't wanna use another two zippers on this project.)

I haven't mentioned the top stitching, but...yeah.  There's a lot of top stitching.

Which was entirely my own choice, as it always is.

  This project probably would have taken less than three days if I hadn't pretty much sewn every seam three times.

But

y'know

this is me.

I'm not not going to top stitch.

The top stitching went well, mostly.  This fabric is slightly unforgiving of needle holes, but just about everything I picked out was sewn over close enough to obscure the evidence of the mistakes.

I did press a lot of this as I went, for once, too!  I was determined that every corner would be nice'n'sharp, and I knew I could only do that, on this somewhat sturdy synthetic, with the aid of the iron...which I already had out to press out the decades-old creases in the cloth...  I used fusible interfacing, so kinda needed the iron for that, too.

And I wore it today!  It makes a decent rain coat.

Hello, Chip!

The dress and leggings are things I also made this year.   I am...honestly surprised that I have enough me-made pieces to do this now...