Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Woodland Walk Wear



I recently read a book about the Finnish concept of "Sisu".  What is Sisu? It's a unique word to Finns that describes their nationality personality- one of perseverance, determination and resilience.  And how do you get Sisu?  Well, this author had many suggestions, including walking in the forest to reduce stress and anxiety.  I thought, "I can do that!".  She said that 90% of Finns say that they go to the forest on a regular basis.  I don't know about you, but with all that is happening in the news lately, I've been feeling a little more stressed than I want to be.  You're probably wondering- what does this have to do with sewing??

Well, a friend and I decided to take up Nordic walking in the forest, and I felt that my neon bright, high tech, polyester workout wear was completely out of place there! I felt like a fish out of water.  So, I went on the hunt for some natural fibers in some forest shades that I could make for walking in the forest.   I found this abstract linen/cotton print that reminded me of old driftwood, moss and berries.  Perfect!  Although this particular print is no longer available, I think many linens would work, as well as anything in the Shirting section.





Since temperatures in my locale vary so much, I decided that I wanted something that I could wear as a shirt, or a jacket.  For my pattern, I used Butterick 6465.  It's big enough to wear over a turtleneck, but not too big, so that if I wear it alone, it still fits fine.  It has pockets, so that I can put my keys and phone in them as I walk.  

For the buttons, I used some unusual buttons that I had bought at Fabric Mart a while back when they had a designer button special.  These have a marble look to them, and remind me of western snaps. They were a little larger than the pattern recommendation, so instead of 7 buttons, I used 5, and I also added them to the pocket bands.



For the sweatpants, I used a heavyweight cotton olive green jersey, that, unfortunately, is sold out.  It has very little stretch, and is almost like a sweatshirt fleece, but with just a brushed finish.  Here are some other all cotton knits that would work for this type of pants.


I also made a jacket from it, for when the weather is windy or cold.  For this jacket, I used View A of Simplicity 8739.  This is an extremely simple pattern!  The sleeves are cut on, and the cowl collar makes the neckline very quick to sew. This would also be great made out of any kind of fleece or sweater knit. 


The buttons are just decorative- it pulls over the head.  I used some wood look buttons to keep the woodland theme.


I really liked the shape of the hem, and I added some patch pockets that mirrored that shape in the front, just in case I need to take some gloves along with me.  The dark green feels right at home in the forest. 


 If you've not seen these sticks before, these are Nordic walking sticks.  I think that they are very common in Europe, but not so much here.  I got mine at a local sporting goods store.  They are kind of like golf clubs in the fact that you should try to get some that are the right height for you.


You never know what you might see- I was so excited to see this mama deer and her two babies taking a drink.  I'm really looking forward to when the seasons change and the leaves change colors!  


I love my new woodland walk wear!  I'll leave you with this sign that I saw as I left the woods, which is actually inside our city limits.  I think that we sewers naturally have Sisu- we are determined and persevere until our projects are just as we want them to be!  Do you like to go for walks in the forest?  What's your favorite way to de-stress?

Happy Sewing!

Comments

  1. I love the woods! I've never made anything for hiking, but you have inspired me to do so. What pattern did you use for the sweatpants? Love the jacket.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Susan! I used Butterick 6533 for sweatpants, but I narrowed the legs considerably, taking in about 2 inches off of both the inseam and outer leg. I had to lengthen it 3 inches as well, which is more than average, so check the length before you cut!

      Delete
  2. Wow -great job on both those jackets. Very cute!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fabulous. A few months ago I took up rewilding walks - walks designed to get you back in touch with nature. I've not yet had such a perfect picture as your mother and two baby deer. I recently bought walking poles - they're adjustable for height and you can also get ones with springs, though mine don't have those. I'm enjoying my walks. Now I need to make some walking wear!! DH asks what's the walking equivalent of glamping?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your poles sound great! I've never heard the term rewilding, but I guess that is what we are doing too. I guess the word would be glalking! Check out the styles at the high end sportswear companies like Patagonia and Northface. They have beautiful, albeit expensive, pieces to inspire!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: A Pink Suiting Set for Spring

Spring is here! So is my first blog of the year. I had some inspiration with this one. I saw a picture on an Instagram profile and wanted to make my own. Now, my version ended up a little different, but overall, I really love it. However, I still want to recreate the inspiration pic at some point. For this look, I chose a cotton candy pink double weave suiting . It is soft, has a semi-textured hand, and has a crepe weave on the wrong side. The fabric does have some stretch to it. I absolutely love the color and feel of this fabric. This is a suiting fabric with the softness of a knit. The thing I do not like about it though is it snags. So, I had to be careful using pins and seam ripping to prevent snags. I had the Fernanda Vicki Sews pattern in mind but once I downloaded the instructions and saw how many pieces were involved, I switched to a different pattern, lol. I ended up making the Riana Blazer. It has a semi-fitted blazer with a straight silhouette. A belt and belt loops that yo...

Made By A Fabricista: Youtube Edition - Marty

This is the beginning of a long-term project to make Italian Court Garb for my partner and me. And we are 100% blaming him for this. Because he asked. This project is your standard Venetian-style pants. I originally pulled this pattern for Matthew Gnagy's Modern Marker Vol 2. But over the years, I've made changes to fit my sewing preferences. The build for this was fairly straightforward. Once you get past the volume in the legs, it goes together like any other pair of pants. The only thing that really slowed me down was not being able to find the correct buttons locally (Thanks Joanns). Overall, this was a wonderful project to work on during the deadline season for my job because of how familiar it was. I am excited to continue to work on building his doublet, cassock, and eventually my gown. Be sure to check out my channel to follow along with the full build! MARTY   |  @scrappypatterns (Feeling inspired? Shop  Linen  now.)

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Eleonora by Silversaga – A Romantic Dress you need in your closet

I recently had the pleasure of sewing up the Eleonora pattern by Silversaga, and I’m excited to share my thoughts because this one really surprised me—in the best possible way. If you’re not already familiar with Silversaga, their aesthetic leans into romantic minimalism—think timeless silhouettes with poetic details. The Eleonora Dress is a vintage-inspired, chemise-style from the Regency Era of the 1800’s design infused with modern elements like adjustable sizing, soft gathers, and flexible fit details.  The Eleonora is a thoughtfully designed dress pattern with multiple views and customizable features. Some of its standout design elements include: • Adjustable fit via ties and elastic channels at the neckline and waist, allowing it to flatter a range of body shapes and sizes. • Sleeve options, including short or long gathered raglan sleeves, often finished with ruffles for added softness. • A full, swishy four-panel skirt—complete with in seam pockets and a deep hem—that b...