After watching Ben Roethlisberger get sacked 4 times yesterday, it seems only fitting to post a pattern for "The Ravens Sack". My favorite local source for fabric is A Fabric Place (http://www.afabricplace.com/) on Falls Road. They carry Ravens official NFL fleece fabric, and they have rooms full of wools, cottons, silks, linens, trims and notions for any Ravens craft project. The fleece seems like it would be good for the sack.How to Sew a Sack
You will need fleece, scissors, pins, thread and a sewing machine.
I am providing a link here to an easy pattern that is from a charity sewing project.
http://www.uglyquilts.org/
Even if you don't need a sleeping sack, there are many organizations that can use them.
Here is a link to Project Plase for donations.
http://www.projectplase.org/donate/index.php
Working With Fleece
(from http://www.stitchnsave.com/fleece/Fleece_Patterns.asp)
One of the best things about working with fleece is that the fabric does not ravel and fray so you do not have to interface it, you do not have to line it, and do not have to finish any edges unless you want to.
Fleece fabric is categorized by weight. Microfleece is lightweight and is good for leggings, jacket linings, etc. 100 weight fleece is a little heavier, and 200 weight is the most common fleece, often seen in jackets, hats, and gloves. 300 weight fleece is best for your heavy, outermost clothing layer.
Fleece is heat sensitive and prone to melting and scorching. If you must iron it, use a warm iron with a pressing cloth between the fabric and the iron and test a hidden area or scrap.
Machine wash fleece fabric on warm with like fabrics, tumble dry on low, do not use bleach or fabric softeners.
If you are going to use a sewing machine, there are some important tips for sewing with fleece.
- Short pins easily get lost in fleece fabric, so use long ones - the type with bead heads are the easiest to see. ( I got some great ones at A Fabric Place when I was making voodoo dolls)
- Select a needle size that is appropriate for the weight of your fleece fabric. A Universal 11(80) needle is generally appropriate for sewing most types of fleece.
- Use a top quality, 100% polyester thread. Avoid the typical "cotton covered polyester core" thread. It is weak and it will shred and rot.
- A medium to long stitch or a zigzag stitch (length 2.5 - 4mm) and a loose balance tension work best when sewing a fleece pattern. Because stitches are hard to remove, stitch slowly and carefully. If your hems or seams are wavy, your stitch length may be too short. Lessening the presser foot pressure or holding your fleece fabric tight (without over stretching) in both front and back will prevent underlaying creep while you are sewing a fleece pattern.
- Experiment first on scraps of fleece, adjusting the stitch width and length until you like the way the seam looks.
- For most fleece patterns, any sewing machine will do. Be sure the machine has been cleaned and oiled recently, and that the needle is new, sharp and properly positioned.
Free Fleece Patterns
This site has a lot of free fleece patterns, many of the "no sewing" variety. The site is very cluttered with ads.
http://www.sewingfreebies.com/fleecenosew.html
The Sack Dress
Here is a variation on a theme: the sack dress. From an Australian blog:
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