Sewing Tips for Rainwear

Along with a thick coat, a sturdy raincoat is a necessity for the chilly winter months. Want to get creative by making your own rainwear this season? Though creating a raincoat with your sewing machine may not be the best project for a complete beginner, it’s perfectly possible with the right materials along with these helpful tips.

Choose the Right Fabric

Rainwear fabric has become more accessible for DIY enthusiasts with sewing machines, but it’s important to still be careful to pick the best one for your needs.

For example, heavy-duty waterproof fabrics like Gore-Tex and PUL will repel water, but they’re synthetic and not very comfortable. However, there are plenty of more breathable fabrics for everyday wear, such as waxed cotton, that are water resistant, which means they’ll hold up perfectly well against short periods of rain exposure.

Be Careful When Cutting and Pinning

When making rainwear with your sewing machine, you have to be more careful about creating unwanted holes than normal, as even the smallest pinhole could let water in.

When cutting your fabric, lay it out in a single layer whenever possible, and avoid using pins to do so. Pattern weights or anything heavy to weigh down the fabric as you’re cutting will help to keep your cuts even without creating unnecessary holes in the material.

Use Heavy Duty Interfacing

Many DIY sewing machine projects require fusible interfacing, but many water-repellent fabrics don’t adhere to it. Test this with a scrap of your desired fabric.

If fusible interfacing doesn’t work, other types of interfacing can replace it. Just make sure that your interfacing is thick and woven, as thin and papery interfacing won’t hold up against the rain.

Fabric Clips over Pins

Pattern weights and other heavy objects can be helpful to keep your fabric in place as you cut it, but if you’d like better precision, you could opt for fabric clips instead. If you have to use pins, try to use them within the area where your seam will be so that no extra unnecessary holes are made.

Test Your Stitch Beforehand

If you’ve never worked with water-resistant fabric before, make sure to test your stitch on a scrap before you begin your project. You may have to adjust your sewing machine to lengthen the stitch if you’re noticing puckering in your seams.

Find Sewing Machine Tools and Accessories, Fabrics, Materials, and More at GoldStar Tool

Need some sewing machine supplies? We’ve got everything you need for your next great DIY idea at GoldStar Tool.