What to post:
-Pics of your work
-Questions about how-to and techniques
-Answers to those questions
What not to post:
-Pics of other people's work (unless its relevant to a question being asked)
-Off topic nonsense that doesn't have anything to do with uniform modifications (talking about which pattern is more effective for instance)
I'll start:
This is an old m81 blouse I decided to practice on. I did it by hand because I'm masochistic (and don't have a machine). Then I found out my ol' Lady has a machine, and re-sewed everything.
Halfway there.
Completed.
What I did:
-Relocated bottom pockets to upper chest and angled.
-Relocated top pockets to shoulders
-Relocated pen pocket to left forearm
What I didn't do:
-Didn't add velcro (I don't like velcro on pockets, and didn't have any Green velcro for the ID plates yet)
-Didn't modify the collar
After practicing on an old beat up uniform I did the same mods to a newer m81 uniform, pics forthcoming.
What I learned:
-Practice on an old beat to crap uniform first. You'll be glad you did.
-Cheap seam rippers do a shitty job and break. Good seam rippers will rip a hole in your uniform if you aren't careful. Using a razor blade in a scraping motion is also an effective de-seaming tool.
-Sewing inside the sleeves is difficult. To make the shoulder pockets easier, sew on velcro before attaching to the sleeve. Then approach from the chest side with a machine (or your hands). When using a machine, do one line at a time rather than trying to twist and contort the uniform around to get it all at once, You'll end up sewing the sleeve together if you do.
-Here's a place to buy green velcro if nobody local has it http://www.veltye.com/inc/sdetail/110
-Slow down, take your time, don't sew on an empty stomach.
-Your first blouse will take 2+ hours depending on how much experience you have with a machine.
