DIY Garment Kits

[bclason]

Ok, in the effort to improve my impression I am wanting to replace some of my beginer gear with new more authintic entirly hand sewn gear. Now I owny want to do this for my union impression; Lined SA sack Coat, SA Pants, Regulation Shir and Drawers. I was wondering who has the best DIY Uniform kits? I have looked at C.r. Childs and Wambaugh and White Co. Are there any other sutlers that offer kits that are worth the time and money? Who has the best instructions inlcuded?

Thanks
Brian Clason

[PanzerJager]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Who has the best instructions inlcuded?

Definitely not County Cloth, good ol' Chas' directions can be vague at times to say to the least, if you are a novice with garment construction there is a very good chance you will end up quite frustrated trying to decipher his directions.

regards,

[J. Donaldson]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

While I have not assembled one of the Federal kits, I did assemble one of Wambaugh and White's commutation jacket kits. Their directions are very detailed and accompanied by color pictures of every step in the process. I had not sewed a major project in probably five years, and I had no problem whatsoever assembling their jacket. Beyond directions, WW and Co. include their contact information so that if you have any questions while you're sewing, you can contact them directly for help over the phone or email when you need it. I don't think anyone else offers that.

[41strifleman]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

I have assembled several Wambaugh and White kits and I have to say that for customer service they cannot be beat.
When I was assembling the SA sack coat, and something did not seem right to me, they were quick to provide an answer that worked.
As with all sewing you need to learn some basic stitiches first, what right side together means, how to properly press a seam open (which makes all the difference in the world) and a lot of patience. If you take your time, learn to pin properly and realize that your first effort may need to be redone you can turn out a high quality piece of gear that you will be proud of.

Bob Gregory
79th NY Company A

[roundshot]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Hey, Brian. Welcome back! I've done both Wambaugh and Childs kits and like them both. Wambaugh kits, as cited above, are much clearer in their instructions than Charleys. Yet with a little common sense and reference to photos of original garments the average Joe can become pretty accomplished in the sewing department.

[KPavia]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Dan Wambaugh is the best. I started off with his CS haversack kit, learned about basic stitches and now I'm actually working on his Federal Issue shirt kit now. If there is any stitch I needed help on, I just looked up how-to videos on youtube. There's actually a lot. But I'm a sewing newbie, so my advice would be to start small and work your way up. I've accepted the fact that my first projects won't be awesome and the stitching will be lacking in skill so I'm actually enjoying myself.
But yeah, Dan is the best. Quick shipping, and excellent customer service.

[coastaltrash]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Keep in mind that not all federal garments were 100% handsewn. That is an old, and needs to die "hardcore" myth. It would blow folks minds to know the amount of machine sewn CONFEDERATE clothing.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Keep in mind that not all federal garments were 100% handsewn. That is an old, and needs to die "hardcore" myth. It would blow folks minds to know the amount of machine sewn CONFEDERATE clothing.

People might also be surprised to see a completely hand-sewn pair of J.T. Martin trousers, with mule ear pockets no less.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Man, those are some SERIOUS bartacks on those bad boys....

[Dan Wambaugh]

Re: DIY Garment Kits

Ross,

Yes, looking at those you almost have to wonder if the person making them was being paid by the STITCH!


Mr. Clason,

Thank you for your interest in our kits. In recent years they have become the flagship of our business and we work very hard to ensure that we have the necessary materials in stock and that our instructions are the best they can be. To echo a few comments, I would definitely suggest familiarizing yourself with basic sewing techniques before starting a kit. Purchase a yard of inexpensive muslin at your local fabric store, then use some online instructional guides to help you learn basic hand sewing techniques. Then, of the kits that you have listed I would definitely begin with the drawers, move on to the shirt, and then do the trousers and fatigue blouse last. This is the same order in which young seamstresses were taught to sew uniforms during the war.

The one warning I will give you is that we are currently very limited on our supply of domet flannel for the federal issue shirt kits, so if you are interested in making up one of those I would order it as soon as possible, even if you don't begin work on it for several months, that way we won't be sold out by the time you're ready to make one.

Have a great day!