Alright, so I finally got around to making that camo hunting shirt I’ve been talking about for ages. Let me walk you through how it went down.
First things first, scouting for fabric. I hit up my local fabric store, looking for something durable but not too heavy. Ended up grabbing some ripstop nylon in a decent woodland camo pattern. Figured that would hold up to some serious bushwhacking.
Next, the pattern. I didn’t want anything too fancy, just a basic long-sleeved shirt with a button-down front. I had an old shirt that fit me well, so I carefully took it apart and used those pieces as my pattern. It’s a bit crude, but hey, it works.
Time to cut the fabric. I laid out all the pattern pieces on the camo nylon, making sure to maximize the fabric and minimize waste. Cutting it all out was a bit of a pain, especially with the nylon being so slippery, but I got it done.
Then came the sewing – the part I was both excited and dreading. I started with the shoulder seams, then moved onto the sleeves. I used a basic straight stitch for most of it, reinforcing the stress points with a zigzag stitch. My sewing machine is old but reliable. It’s definitely seen better days!
Buttonholes were next. Those are always tricky! I ended up doing a few practice runs on scrap fabric before tackling the real thing. They came out…okay. Not perfect, but good enough for a hunting shirt.
Buttons! Found some nice dark brown buttons at the store. Sewed those on by hand. It’s slow but it’s better than using my machine which often breaks buttons or makes the hole too big.
Added some pockets on the chest, because what’s a hunting shirt without pockets? Simple patch pockets, big enough for a small notepad or a granola bar.
Finally, the hemming. Rolled the edges and stitched them down. Nothing fancy, just a clean finish.
The Result? It’s not the prettiest shirt I’ve ever made, but it’s functional and it’s definitely camo. I’ve already taken it out on a few scouting trips, and it’s held up great so far. Snagged it on some branches, got it muddy, but no rips or tears yet.
- Learned: Ripstop nylon is tough but slippery to sew.
- Next time: Maybe try a different camo pattern. This one’s a little too dark for my usual hunting spots.
Overall, a fun project. Nothing beats making something with your own two hands. Plus, now I have a custom hunting shirt that fits me perfectly, and it didn’t cost me a fortune.
