A slight departure from my knife making, a wool outdoors/camping shirt....

[CanadianMike]

Ala Dave Canterbury's guide.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LshIne4JAm8

Found what I thought to be yet another wool blanket (love em and buy em each time)at the local second hand shop, turned out to be just a blanket sized remnant, almost didn't buy it, but did anyways (one can never have too many wool blankets afterall) and later realized I can make a shirt from it!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs786.ash1/167674_496637974206_510619206_5793345_901887_n.jpg

Sewing up the first sleeve now, will post a pic once i get this one done. Going to go a step or two further than Dave did, going to make a collar for it and likely line with fleece to prevent chafing on the neck, and also add a button on hood (gonna make rosewood buttons and good chance make deer antler keepers for the hood closure).

[Mouldsy]

Nice mate, it will be good to see the finished shirt, keep us posted.

[CanadianMike]

Will do, here's it with the sleeves on and sewn up. Fit's pretty well, it's a keeper. Could have made the ass longer though, contemplating cutting all the way down the front and making it a button up instead ofa pullover.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs778.ash1/166801_497656859206_510619206_5810964_692695_n.jpg

[Mouldsy]

Very nice mate:happy-clapping:, did you hand sew it or use a machine? I would like to have a go at making one myself one day.

[CanadianMike]

Thanks. I sewed it by hand, initially just used normal thread but found it rather weak, so I went for the waxed string I sew my leather with, worked out a lot better (and stronger!)

[CanadianMike]

Mouldsy send me a PM asking about this, decided since I actually made some progress on it today (previously in the week was working on my knife polishing the blade, and rehandling a co-worker's Heinkle kitchen knife in rosewood), I might as well take a pic and post it up. Made a large hood for it and got it stitched on today, more work to do around all the edges, and add a second fold down section to be attached to the butt area, one to double the sitting thickness of it, two to allow it to flop down lower to keep my legs warm while sitting.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs054.snc6/168486_500708124206_510619206_5854010_3911347_n.jp g

Calling it quits for the night on this project, currently soaking my new knife blade in hot vinegar to oxidize it (forced patina), taking pics of it to post up on here for the sake of showing what it does and looks like after. :)

Aren't I useful? Lol

[CanadianMike]

Long awaited update! After many hours spent on this and other things, I'm almost done the shirt. Here are some new pics.

Leather cord and whitetail deer antler slices for stoppers, work very well, little pressure to slide them but they stay put very well:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/181728_10150100035149207_510619206_6024889_591717_ n.jpg

Decided since I had some leftover, I'd lengthen the tail section by about 10" and fold it up for double layer on my arse, or extend it for more coverage on my legs when sitting:
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180992_10150100035614207_510619206_6024895_1492265 _n.jpg

And, hardwood buttons I made today, cut up a hardwood broom stick half (ok, technically it's a wooden stick you attach a paint roller too, my gf and I recently painted her main floor and she needed a half stick for the hallway), no idea the type of wood, but sliced them about 3/16" thick on the radial arm saw at work then shaped the edges, drilled 1/8" holes and soaked in linseed oil. Four to fold up the tail of the shirt, four to attach the rather large hood I made, and two to hold the front of the hood closed (doubt I'll ever need to, but hey, better safe that sore arse'd).
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181688_10150100036239207_510619206_6024915_6266469 _n.jpg

Next I have to sort out if I want to dye the entire thing a dark grey or leave as it is, is rather light right now and there are little red and blue flecks in the weave that kinda bug me. Will see.

Thanks again for looking!

[Fletching]

Good evening Mike, that's looking good! :)

[CanadianMike]

More like good night for you, it's what, just after midnight for you? Lol

Thanks, and it's warm too, not that thick but have worn it outside to test for about 5mins at a time on nights that were below -20C wearing a long underwear shirt and a wool button up shirt, and found myself oddly comfortable without the bulk.

[Martin]

Hey Mike, the shirt looks great. We need to see it being worn though, some shots of it being used in action. :)

Oh, and I love your grasp of proper English!!! Arse is perfect, you must be a scholar of the old country lingo. ;)

Martin

[CanadianMike]

Lol, thanks Martin, will be wearing it camping and maybe fishing once spring hits. And arse, etc is common around the Ottawa Valley where I grew up lots of down to earth country folk.,

[Mouldsy]

Nice one mate.

[CanadianMike]

Thanks Mouldsy, mostly put the updates for you, since you actually PM'd me asking about how it was coming a while back. Lol

Anyways, is soaking in a hopefully weak bath of black Rit Dye, will post pics in a few days after it's dried and I get buttons sewn on.

[Mouldsy]

Thanks mate, looking forward to seeing the finished shirt it looks like quality already.:happy-clapping:

[CanadianMike]

Let's just say it works well while outside in nipple tightening temps, but now that I dyed it black, it's very much purple?!?!?! Lol, looks like another round of dying is in order.

[OKBushcraft]

Looks great! I have been hitting the youtube vids myself lately trying to see how everyone else is doing it. I think I may be able to do this. Thanks for the pics and encouragement.

[CanadianMike]

No prob, I pretty much just went full with what Dave did for measurement techniques, and then went my own direction. I'll have to get pics of it now that it's finished, sewed wooden buttons I made on it, hood is attached. Still purple though, but other times it looks a shade charcoal grey, but mostly purple. Will have to dub it "The Grimace Shirt". A co-worker mentioned what happens when you put a black marker in alcohol, the dye comes out and turns purple when it's diluted. I think because wool has hollow fibers, that's the reason it came out purple, even after two strong washes of black rit dye and one whole bottle of black leather dye, no change.