Turning a Sweatshirt Into a Jacket

Make a Sweatshirt Jacket

My husband had some sweatshirts that were too heavy, so he asked me to put a zipper in them so he could easily take them off and on, as the weather and his activity require.

Turn your sweatshirt wrong side out. Press a crease in the center front. Cut a piece of fusible interfacing about 1.5 inches wide and lay it centered on the center front crease.

Spray the interfacing lightly with water and steam press it in place. The water and steam will aid in the fusing process. Pick the iron up and move it up. Hold it in each place approximatley 10-12 seconds. If your fleece can't take the heat, use a press cloth.

When fused and cool, mark the center line on the interfacing and cut down this line through the entire front and ribbing.

Apply a 1/4 inch strip of fusible web to the right side front edges of the shirt. I use Steam-a-Seam which is already cut into strips, or you can cut your own. Steam-a-Seam is nice to work with and isn't permanent until you press it, so you can move it around until you get it in the right place.

This is the product that I recommend. It is double stick and has paper on top until you peel it away. It is very easy to handle. It also comes in sheets and is nice for appliques, too.

You will be using a jacket-type separating zipper. Unzip it and lay one side on each front RIGHT sides together. When you have the edges lined up, press to activate the fusible web. The purpose of the fusible interfacing in the first step is to eliminate stretching of the front edges while sewing, so be sure your zipper is the correct length. You can cut the top off if it is too long but remember to sew each side across the top to hold the zipper tabs on.

Turn the zipper to the wrong side so that the teeth are now on the outer edge. Using your zipper foot, sew along the teeth on both fronts, but not too close or it will be hard to zip. I usually sew another row about 1/4 inch away from the first row. This looks nice and holds the zipper tape down better. You will need to also turn the top of the tape down and stitch it in place if you didn't cut the zipper off at the top.

You are all done. Your jacket is all zipped up and ready for someone's favorite embroidery or other types of embellishment!
A fun idea for a child's jacket or yours, too, if you like it, is to use a different color separating zipper on each side.

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	Turn your sweatshirt wrong side out. Press a crease in the center front. Cut a piece of fusible interfacing about 1.5 inches wide and lay it centered on the center front crease.
	Spray the interfacing lightly with water and steam press it in place. The water and steam will aid in the fusing process. Pick the iron up and move it up. Hold it in each place approximatley 10-12 seconds. If your fleece can't take the heat, use a press cloth.
	When fused and cool, mark the center line on the interfacing and cut down this line through the entire front and ribbing.
	Apply a 1/4 inch strip of fusible web to the right side front edges of the shirt. I use Steam-a-Seam which is already cut into strips, or you can cut your own. Steam-a-Seam is nice to work with and isn't permanent until you press it, so you can move it around until you get it in the right place.
	This is the product that I recommend. It is double stick and has paper on top until you peel it away. It is very easy to handle. It also comes in sheets and is nice for appliques, too.
	You will be using a jacket-type separating zipper. Unzip it and lay one side on each front RIGHT sides together. When you have the edges lined up, press to activate the fusible web. The purpose of the fusible interfacing in the first step is to eliminate stretching of the front edges while sewing, so be sure your zipper is the correct length. You can cut the top off if it is too long but remember to sew each side across the top to hold the zipper tabs on.
	Turn the zipper to the wrong side so that the teeth are now on the outer edge. Using your zipper foot, sew along the teeth on both fronts, but not too close or it will be hard to zip. I usually sew another row about 1/4 inch away from the first row. This looks nice and holds the zipper tape down better. You will need to also turn the top of the tape down and stitch it in place if you didn't cut the zipper off at the top.
	You are all done. Your jacket is all zipped up and ready for someone's favorite embroidery or other types of embellishment! A fun idea for a child's jacket or yours, too, if you like it, is to use a different color separating zipper on each side.