Breaking down the cost of this handmade jacket
Earlier this year, I made a utilitarian version of the Glide Jacket (Made It Patterns, size range: 31 – 44″ chest) for spring. This is one of the few projects where I had to buy multiple notions and fabrics for, so I decided to document my spending. Today, I am breaking down the cost of this handmade jacket!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXnpW1W_1bg&t=223s
Learn some tips for sewing with waterproof fabric and see my process of sewing the Glide Jacket!
Cost of fabrics
My handmade jacket is made with an outer waterproof PUL fabric and the lining is made with a bright orange fleece. Here's a breakdown of the cost of these fabrics:
Waterproof PUL (2 yards): USD 12
Orange fleece (2 yards): USD 9.98
The waterproof PUL was purchased from a brick and mortar shop in Singapore while the orange fleece was purchased during a sale at Jo-Ann in the US.
The sum of the cost of the fabrics is USD 30.98
Cost of notions
The notions I purchased for sewing my Glide Jacket are: a) 2 invisible zippers, b) 1 separating zipper, and c) a roll of orange reflective ribbon. The cost of these notions are as follows:
2 invisible zippers: USD 6.98
1 separating zipper: USD 8.24
1 roll of reflective tape: USD 6.13
I bought the invisible zippers from Jo-Ann in the US and the other notions from eBay. I had a hard time finding something of the exact colour and length that I wanted! Thankfully, there's this thing called the internet and I was able to find something I wanted exactly.
Other than these sewing notions, I also used a short length of black bias tape to stabilise the shoulder seams. The bias tape is something that I have in my stash, so I didn't include it as an added cost.
In total, all the notions for this handmade jacket cost USD 21.35
Cost of sewing pattern
(via)
This handmade jacket is made using the Glide Jacket by Made It Patterns. It cost £12.00, which is approximately USD16.60 on the day that I purchased the pattern.
Check out more hooded jacket patterns to sew in my round-up post!
Cost of labour
Shortening the bodice for the pattern and cutting the orange fleece fabric. More details on how I modified the Glide Jacket pattern in my vlog here!
Last but not least, I also want to mention the cost of labour involved. This means printing the pattern, putting the pattern together, modifying the pattern, and cutting the fabric, and sewing the jacket. I can't say for sure how long it took for me to sew this jacket but it's about a whole week of sewing for approximating around 1-2 hours each day.
As I mentioned in my vlog, the sleeves I ended up with originally were a little too short. So, I spent additional hours unpicking and sewing the sleeves a second time a few months later.
Breaking down the total cost of this handmade jacket
So, how much did this handmade jacket cost in total? Let's sum it all up:
Fabrics + Notions + Pattern = USD 30.98 + USD 21.35 + USD 16.60 = USD 68.93
You will notice that I didn't include labour cost in the calculation above, but I reckon if I did and valued my own labour at $30/hr minimum, it would come up to USD 500!?!?!?
However, as a hobby sewist, I don't consider spending time on sewing as cost incurred. At the end of the day, I "gained" a jacket that is truly functional and is going to be worn for many years to come.
What's your most expensive sewing project to date?
This jacket is possibly the most expensive thing I have made in a while. I think I ended up spending more than usual for this sewing project because this is a more technical pattern that requires more notions. Or perhaps I am not shopping right?
To date, my wedding dress is still my most expensive sewing project. But who knows, one day I may decide to make a silk organza prom dress or plaid wool suit...
How about you? What's your most expensive sewing project to date?
