How to sew a down jacket?

The micro-down jacket material is made up of 3 layers; a lightweight wadding sandwiched between 2 coated nylon fabrics (polyester or polyamide), the whole being quilted with regular stitching. Thus, all the layers are interdependent and can be sewn together without difficulty. It is possible to make the material yourself and adapt the thickness of the wadding according to the quality purchased and the density of the quilting. The tighter the quilting, the thinner the material will appear because the wadding will be more flattened. On the contrary, if you space out the quilting stitches, the down jacket will appear more puffy.

This material is used to make accessories such as chapkas, mittens, pencil cases or bags, but also more or less fine jackets, coats, and flight suits.

For fairly thin materials, you can use ikatee patterns like Vega, Vic or Vic mum, Dublin, Sintra or Jasmin, Jasmin Mum vests or the Hugo chapka and sweatshirt (without changing the usual size). For thicker down jackets, we recommend the Grand'ourse, Sam, Hugo patterns, which are jacket and coat patterns that already include the ease needed for sleeved pieces to be layered over small sweaters. So, here too, sew the usual sizes without oversizing.

Sewing down material requires a few tips that ikatee details here:

1- Cutting the pieces

• Choose the cutting direction and cut all the pieces in the same direction. You can use two directions: straight grain and perpendicular to the straight grain, otherwise known as the counter-straight grain (perpendicular to the edge). It all depends on the quilting being done.

• cut the down jacket in a single thickness ; it is therefore sometimes necessary to mirror (in symmetry) the pattern pieces that are marked "to be cut on the fold". In any case, avoid cutting on a fabric folded in double thickness.
• pin with very fine pins (test on a piece to check that you are not marking the material too much with small holes) or use weights to hold your pattern pieces to the material.
• Trace the outlines of the pattern pieces with tailor's chalk or a textile pen on the back of the material.
• cut with sharp scissors or a rotary cutter, without taking any special precautions.
• Overlock all pieces with your overlocker or with a zigzag stitch on a conventional sewing machine.

2- Ironing and interfacing the down jacket fabrics

• It is recommended not to iron down jacket materials, which are mostly made of synthetic fibers. The material would be damaged if it came into contact with the iron. Using a damp cloth helps avoid direct contact between the iron and the material, but the material could still be damaged by the heat, despite the thickness. I also advise against using steam, which will also damage the coating of your down jacket.
• If you need to reinforce a part such as a facing or a button placket for example, it is also recommended to hand-sew a thin interfacing fabric with a few holding stitches . Even if this can usually be heat-sealed, the interfacing cannot be heat-sealed on a down jacket without risking damaging the synthetic material or simply the pearlescent appearance or the surface coating.

3- Sewing down jacket fabrics

• use microtex needles

• pin with pins very thin (test on a piece to check that you are not marking the material too much with small holes) or use plastic tweezers.
• A dual feed foot can be useful as an option. If your material catches or, on the contrary, slips too much at the claws, it is often enough to place a sheet of thin paper such as tissue paper between the claws and the material to make sewing easier; this paper can then be easily torn off after sewing.
• in straight stitch with a stitch length of approximately 3.
• with polyester thread.
• for assembling 2 pieces right sides together, tuck in any wadding that may be sticking out.

4- Buttonholes, buttons, closures in down fabrics

Several options: buttons/buttonholes , snaps to fix or sew.

• buttonholes : test a buttonhole on a separate piece of fabric. If you have any difficulty, place a piece of tissue paper or a very thin piece of fabric such as batiste or organza between the fabric and the presser foot, embroider your buttonhole and cut the thin fabric flush with the buttonhole or simply tear off the tissue paper.
• snaps : prefer anorak snaps to fix (be careful to remember to insert a square of fabric on the reverse side as reinforcement which will be cut flush after the snap has been applied...unless you have already interfaced the reverse side of the fabric of course:) or opt for snaps to sew by hand.

It is possible to finish your vest, jacket, chapka or pilot suit with small sewn stickers which will personalize your garment

Good sewing