Lancer
Sr Member
Realised my jacket posts were starting to overtake the ~Alien/nostromo costume thread so am extracting my posts into a separate thread of their own.
05/10/09
Sourced myself a size 8 Raf Mk3 Cold Weather Aircrew Jacket
I'm wearing quite a thick jumper there so more than enough room for me and I'm 6'2.5" tall with a 44 going on 45" chest. so as you can see in the photo that's not a bad fit but that really is the top limit for this jacket, so if you're bigger than that fellas, sorry, but it ain't going to fit you or fasten at the front.
The body is of course short, but they were designed that way, I also love the beaver tail. handy for crap weather.
it's not a bright nato green this one. it's a dull green veering into a green OD in tone. but it is used, it's been washed a few times and I have no idea of how much the material fades. the green tape by the buttons is very green but I Think that's fairly standard.
10/10/09
Jacket is dyed. This was done using 3 boxes of RIT dye. I came across a haberdashery store in Barnsley where I work that stocked it. I bought their last 3 boxes of Royal Blue.
Lace panels have been made.
Just need final stitching and attaching to the jacket.
The original g-4B lacing panel from the suit is as follows (thanks to merliner for the pictures and the measurments)
Panel is 2" across. the tape is 3/8" wide. each loop is 3/8" (ie the same material) and 1/4" of loop. (this means each loop is a total of 1.2" long before being folded over.) The gap between each loop is 3/8".
I got 6m (yes 6m) of ribbon from a haberdashery, 1/2m of grey fabric and a bottle of fabric glue and some dark green thread. The laces came from a cobblers but are a bit of a light green. Can't dye them because they're polyester but they'll do until I find something darker.
Size 8 RAF jacket. Measured 1" down from the top of the sleeve, (that's the top of the patch), the patch is 3" high, so I then measured 3" down, that got me my approximate starting point for the laces panel. From there to the velcro at the base of the sleeve is 22.5" (bear in mind this a size 8, so I expect sleeve length to vary)
I cut out a panel of grey material , 25" x 3", allowing 2" clear at the top of the panel and 1" either side of the laces. The idea being to fold over the sides underneath. The top piece will go under the patch to help keep the whole thing intergrated. Examination of the screencaps of the jackets seem to me that they go under the patch on the arm.
Then it was just a matter of creating the loops, (25 per side), gluing them to the tape,then gluing the whole ribbon of tape and loops to the fabric panel. As you can see in my photo I then laced them up to make sure the laces were long enough.
When you consider it is a 1.8m lace, there wasn't much left at the bottom.
This weekend I am stitching the ribbon to the fabric. Ironing it (the instructions on the glue say it bonds better with heat) then stitching the panel to each arm. (pictures to follow once done)
10/10/09
no patches in the mail, me in my everyday gear, got those trainers from ark clothing UK (both a high street and a web retailer. Not an exact match for the trainers used in the movie, but at £12.99 not bad), pants are craghopper. Still sorting shirt and tshirt.
forgive my screwing my face up, I had the sun right in the eyes
a dickies store has opened at the local retail park, but alas, no plain white shirts or pants I can butcher into nostromo copies.
(thanks to SG-RB for links to stuff for pants, shirt and t-shirt)
So when more funds become available then I'll do that next.
10/10/09
collar piping done. I know, I know, it should be pink, but I'm wanting to wear this out and about and pink wouldn't look right.
This is a polyester piping cord, my theory being that when colour leeches out of the fabric (and it will) and if I went with a more matt finish cord (which would be more accurate, but only available in cotton) then in time, it would change colour. being polyester that shouldn't happen.
ironing on the lettering tomorrow. and machining the lace panels, so all that is then left is to sow the panels and the patches on (once they arrive, gee, thanks royal mail)
11/10/09
sorry, the overhead light washed out the lettering colour
well that was an interesting experience, not one I care to repeat anytime soon. the finish is 'okay, not super smooth but it bears up 'okay'
just hope the patches arrive in the mail now so I can get this finished.
I know this is preaching heresy, but for my jacket, seeing as I've deviated a bit on the piping, I'm tempted to add white piping to the cuffs as well.
05/10/09
Sourced myself a size 8 Raf Mk3 Cold Weather Aircrew Jacket
I'm wearing quite a thick jumper there so more than enough room for me and I'm 6'2.5" tall with a 44 going on 45" chest. so as you can see in the photo that's not a bad fit but that really is the top limit for this jacket, so if you're bigger than that fellas, sorry, but it ain't going to fit you or fasten at the front.
The body is of course short, but they were designed that way, I also love the beaver tail. handy for crap weather.
it's not a bright nato green this one. it's a dull green veering into a green OD in tone. but it is used, it's been washed a few times and I have no idea of how much the material fades. the green tape by the buttons is very green but I Think that's fairly standard.
10/10/09
Jacket is dyed. This was done using 3 boxes of RIT dye. I came across a haberdashery store in Barnsley where I work that stocked it. I bought their last 3 boxes of Royal Blue.
Lace panels have been made.
Just need final stitching and attaching to the jacket.
The original g-4B lacing panel from the suit is as follows (thanks to merliner for the pictures and the measurments)
Panel is 2" across. the tape is 3/8" wide. each loop is 3/8" (ie the same material) and 1/4" of loop. (this means each loop is a total of 1.2" long before being folded over.) The gap between each loop is 3/8".
I got 6m (yes 6m) of ribbon from a haberdashery, 1/2m of grey fabric and a bottle of fabric glue and some dark green thread. The laces came from a cobblers but are a bit of a light green. Can't dye them because they're polyester but they'll do until I find something darker.
Size 8 RAF jacket. Measured 1" down from the top of the sleeve, (that's the top of the patch), the patch is 3" high, so I then measured 3" down, that got me my approximate starting point for the laces panel. From there to the velcro at the base of the sleeve is 22.5" (bear in mind this a size 8, so I expect sleeve length to vary)
I cut out a panel of grey material , 25" x 3", allowing 2" clear at the top of the panel and 1" either side of the laces. The idea being to fold over the sides underneath. The top piece will go under the patch to help keep the whole thing intergrated. Examination of the screencaps of the jackets seem to me that they go under the patch on the arm.
Then it was just a matter of creating the loops, (25 per side), gluing them to the tape,then gluing the whole ribbon of tape and loops to the fabric panel. As you can see in my photo I then laced them up to make sure the laces were long enough.
When you consider it is a 1.8m lace, there wasn't much left at the bottom.
This weekend I am stitching the ribbon to the fabric. Ironing it (the instructions on the glue say it bonds better with heat) then stitching the panel to each arm. (pictures to follow once done)
10/10/09
no patches in the mail, me in my everyday gear, got those trainers from ark clothing UK (both a high street and a web retailer. Not an exact match for the trainers used in the movie, but at £12.99 not bad), pants are craghopper. Still sorting shirt and tshirt.
forgive my screwing my face up, I had the sun right in the eyes
a dickies store has opened at the local retail park, but alas, no plain white shirts or pants I can butcher into nostromo copies.
(thanks to SG-RB for links to stuff for pants, shirt and t-shirt)
So when more funds become available then I'll do that next.
10/10/09
collar piping done. I know, I know, it should be pink, but I'm wanting to wear this out and about and pink wouldn't look right.
This is a polyester piping cord, my theory being that when colour leeches out of the fabric (and it will) and if I went with a more matt finish cord (which would be more accurate, but only available in cotton) then in time, it would change colour. being polyester that shouldn't happen.
ironing on the lettering tomorrow. and machining the lace panels, so all that is then left is to sow the panels and the patches on (once they arrive, gee, thanks royal mail)
11/10/09
sorry, the overhead light washed out the lettering colour
well that was an interesting experience, not one I care to repeat anytime soon. the finish is 'okay, not super smooth but it bears up 'okay'
just hope the patches arrive in the mail now so I can get this finished.
I know this is preaching heresy, but for my jacket, seeing as I've deviated a bit on the piping, I'm tempted to add white piping to the cuffs as well.
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