Rick Marchand style wool anorak

Shoki

Shoki

Joined
Apr 10, 2007
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My work was throwing away some wool blankets and I thought I'd try to make a cool anorak from one of them. I checked out Rick's website to get some ideas from his version. After about 2 hours of work, I ended up with what amounted to a wool Snuggie. WTF :grumpy:
It actually fit really well under my ripstop marpat poncho so I stowed the idea for a wool poncho-liner/sleeping bag in my memory for one of the other blankets I took home but that's another project for another time.
After another hour of futzing about with the first try, I had the whole thing re-sized and tried it on and ended up with what amounted to a really ugly and uncomfortable wool sweatshirt. WTF!!!!:mad:
Do any of you more-experienced tailors have any tips for getting the size of an anorak right? I don't want to burn through the other two blankets I have with nothing to show but a pile of ridiculous and un-donatable 'clothing'.
 
I



If you have a measuring tape (the tailors type) measure accross the shoulders, then add 4-6" PER SIDE. Then try it on for size. If you don't want to cut the neck hole till you
are sure of the size. then fold the blankets lengthways to width and pin two blankets together up the sides and accross the top( with space for the head to go through). Make sure to leave at least 14" or so from shoulder area down for the arm holes. You'll have to put it down over your head like a sack but it'll let you see if the girth will work.

Hope this helps.
 
Do you have a long-sleeved t-shirt or a sweatshirt or hoodie that approximates the size you want? Lay that across your wool blanket to get an idea of your personal dimensions.
 
If you have a measuring tape (the tailors type) measure accross the shoulders, then add 4-6" PER SIDE. Then try it on for size. If you don't want to cut the neck hole till you
are sure of the size. then fold the blankets lengthways to width and pin two blankets together up the sides and accross the top( with space for the head to go through). Make sure to leave at least 14" or so from shoulder area down for the arm holes. You'll have to put it down over your head like a sack but it'll let you see if the girth will work.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if I totally follow you but I will give some more attention to measuring and maybe see if I can have my wife measure me rather than try to do it myself.

Esav Benyamin said:
Do you have a long-sleeved t-shirt or a sweatshirt or hoodie that approximates the size you want? Lay that across your wool blanket to get an idea of your personal dimensions.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I don't. I want to end up with something pretty loose-fitting and I don't have anything even coming close to the right size.
 
That's funny, I just read the post to my wife and said that it would likely be the same if I tried making one...she agreed !:D
 
pitdog said:
That's funny, I just read the post to my wife and said that it would likely be the same if I tried making one...she agreed !:D
Click to expand...

It was actually my wife, during the first attempt, who said 'You are making a snuggie, wow'.
 
do you have a light jacket that you can pull on/off over your head when it's zipped up?
if yes and it's close to the fit you want, zip it up, fold the blanket in half (the fold will lay over your shoulders) and lay the jacket on it flat.
trace the jacket, adding about 2-4" on a side.
If the blanket is 60" wide, this will be close to the right sleeve length -- you may have to add a bit at the cuff ends. You want the sleeves to be 12-14" wide at the body and taper down to about 10" at the ends.

say the blanket is a 60x80 - that first fold you lay the jacket on made it 60x40.
Once the jacket is traced, fold left to right so it's now 30x40 -- at the top corner, mark a 1/4 circle - this will be the neck hole. (trust me, a 4" radius makes a good sized neck hole - if you need more later, you can cut it then. after cutting the circle, open the fold back up and cut a straight line 4" long from the bottom center of the circle straight down -- you now have a "keyhole" neck. lots of room to pull on over your head.

if you want pictures, go here for a basic idea:
http://thescholarsgarret.com/northernshores/tunic1.html
for even more simple:
http://www.dagorhir.com/HowTo/DagorhirTunic.htm

another pattern to look at is the capote.
open front, button or belt shut mid-1700's fur trader coat.

also - to save wear and tear on the blankets, go to wally world, buy a cheap flat sheet for $6, and cut it up to mock up a jacket -- then cut it apart at the seams to use as a pattern for the next one that you make in 2 layers - outer shell of coated nylon (scrap tent floors work good) and inner layer of blanket.
 
Hey bud,
I think you are trying too hard. This is my pattern.... simple simple....

Anorakpattern.jpg
 
Rick Marchand said:
Hey bud,
I think you are trying too hard. This is my pattern.... simple simple....

Anorakpattern.jpg
Click to expand...

Hey Rick, thanks for the pattern. I basically went by the drawing on your website but didn't have the measurements. It ended up way too big and then way too small. I'm going to give it another go tonight.
:thumbup:
 
Well, an hour and a half later, success! I used Rick's pattern and just subtracted a couple inches for my smaller frame and I'm pretty happy with the finished product. It could be slightly narrower but I'm not going to screw with it further. The only thing I may add later is a criss-cross drawstring to close the neck up when it's real cold and windy but I have to learn to make button-holes first. I would post some pictures but I need to dye it first. You see, the wool blankets I used are pink and I'd never hear the end of it. :p

Thanks for all the help, guys!
 
So RIT dye doesn't do a great job... I may end up using my finished product as a pattern for a new one using a surplus blanket. What is it that they say about doing it right the first time?
 
Blais said:
So RIT dye doesn't do a great job... I may end up using my finished product as a pattern for a new one using a surplus blanket. What is it that they say about doing it right the first time?
Click to expand...


I realize this post is old, but I thought you might want to try this, before you trash the one you made


http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/9236231-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

These are both supposed to work well on wool. Don't worry about the hippie crap in there ;)
 
scouter27 said:
I realize this post is old, but I thought you might want to try this, before you trash the one you made


http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/9236231-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/3796-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html

These are both supposed to work well on wool. Don't worry about the hippie crap in there ;)
Click to expand...

Cool! Dying the anorak isn't out of the realm of possibility and I was looking for some Rit alternatives. I'm thinking that because the wool blankets I used are thinner than the milsurp blankets, I can use one for winter and one for fall/spring. Thanks for the link.
 
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