The Jacket That Used to Be a Sleeping Bag
We found a sleeping bag. A 1960/1970s one, on eBay that we kept swooning over. It had been camped in, rolled up, and shoved in a closet for who knows how long.
Most people would have thrown it out. We thought it’d make a good jacket.
Here’s the thing about sleeping bags. They’re already padded. They’re already built to keep you warm. And they’re covered in fabric nobody makes anymore. And the quilted pattern on this one speaks for itself. The only problem is you can’t wear one to the grocery store.
So we took it apart.
The bag is thick, which makes it a pain to sew and a good fit for a boxy jacket. We kept the construction simple. The chest and back are covered with panels of upcycled cotton canvas, stitched down in a grid so it looks quilted. That also helped hold the thick stuff in place. Then came a stand collar, snap front, and two large pockets. The fabric was a little tricky to work with due to the thickness, but the results were so worth it.
It’s cut in a boxy fit,
in the smallest size, so it sits cropped and roomy making it perfect for layering pieces under the jacket,.
What came out is a jacket that feels like a camp blanket you can wear. It’s the kind of thing you wear on a cold morning and someone asks where you got it.
There’s only one. We don’t have another bag.
