New in January 2019!
Below are some ideas for kits we can send. Let us know what interests you or your group! We would love for people to be able to make and distribute these vests wherever they are needed.
1. Complete vest kit - all of the components for one vest, already cut out, plus some scrap materials to practice on.
Make one vest from start to finish. This is a good test run for those who have not sewn on foam. It will give them a good idea as to whether they want to tackle the whole project or just complete parts of it. It is also a way for us to do some quality checking.
Cost will be about $30 plus shipping. Size can be requested. Color will be black for the first vest because black is the most forgiving; other colors will be available for subsequent orders.
2. Component kit - we will send multiples of one vest component to be sewn and returned to us. Groups and individuals can choose which components they would like to do. These are listed basically in order of construction and are generally easiest at the beginning and hardest at the end, with a few exceptions. Some components go easily together, like cutting and marking, or collar and hood pieces.
Easy - cutting out vest components (fabric, foam, zippers, drawcord, beltloops, belts, elastic)
Easy - marking label, envelope, pocket, and beltloop placement
Basic Sewing - sewing buckles to belts
Basic Sewing - sewing mesh to nylon for hip pockets
Basic Sewing - binding and hemming chest pockets
Basic Sewing - sewing chest pockets and beltloops to nylon vest shell
Basic Sewing - sewing labels to mesh lining
Basic Sewing - sewing envelopes to be used like a "quillow"
Basic Sewing - attaching envelopes to mesh lining
Easy/Basic Sewing - preparing zipper chain for collars (trim to length, attach zipper pull, trim ends with gros grain ribbon)
Beginning Sewing- serging long edges of nylon collar pieces
Basic Sewing - sewing zipper to nylon collar facing
Basic Sewing - sewing hoods (simple seams, mesh and nylon)
Basic Sewing - completing hoods (drawcord casing, button holes, thread drawcord and tack in place, serge bottom edge)
Advanced Sewing - serging mesh to enclose collar foam
Basic Sewing - attaching nylon/zipper to collar foam
Basic Sewing - attaching hood to collar
Advanced Sewing - serging and binding top edges of foam hip pockets
Easy with instruction - pinning vest pieces to foam
Advanced Sewing - sewing vest pieces to foam, trim and turn
Advanced Sewing - topstitching vest
Advanced Sewing - shoulder seams and binding
Advanced Sewing - attaching collar to vest
Advanced Sewing - front zippers
Advanced Sewing - sew hip pockets to vests
Easy - thread belts into loops, remove any remaining tailor's chalk, and final quality check
Cost will be shipping, both outgoing and return postage.
3. Complete cutting and construction kit - will include patterns, templates, and all components for a set number of vests which we will determine with the interested party.
Groups or individuals can do the entire process, including cutting, marking, sewing, and completing.
Cost will be determined by quantity and shipping charges; about $30 per vest, plus a minimal one time charge for patterns and templates. (So far we have had donations of items that fill these needs.) Colors can be requested in sets of 20 vests.
*Patterns and templates can be borrowed and returned if there is interest in doing a one time service project rather than ongoing vest production if there is a group that wants to do the entire process rather than the components.