DIY projets you'd like to do

[johnnysama]

OK, so this came to my mind a few nights ago: I wanted to make my own 1960s Lombardi-era Green Bay Packers jersey.

The problem is: I don't know know how to make the sleeve stripes. Also, I am having some problems figuring out how to big the TV number should be, and the front/back numbers.

What I do know is this:

I will use a standard forest green sweatshirt, some white fabric (for the numbers themselves) and a sewing machine, if possible.

If there is anyone who has DIY projects they'd like to pursue, don't be afraid to post here in this thread!

[phutmasterflex]

Do painting old bobbleheads to reflect their current team count as DIY? http://greeneggsandlam.wordpress.com/tag/bobblehead-project/

[johnnysama]

I'll count that, yes.

[Ted Cunningham]

Johnny:

While I can't help you with the stripes, I will tell you that 1) yes, a sewing machine is pretty much a must considering the amount of hand-stitching you'd have to do otherwise and 2) it's good to use backing to help apply the numbers to the original garment. The stuff I use is called Wonder Under. Essentially, you iron your number fabric (the white in your case) onto the Wonder Under. This gives your fabric backing which can then be ironed onto the garment. Then, when you stitch up your numbers, they'll be more securely placed onto the base fabric. So you trace your numbers onto the Wonder Under backwards (because on the other side of Wonder Under is paper so it's easy to work with for tracing, etc.), then you cut them out, then you iron them onto the shirt, then you stitch them up. Pretty easy all told once you get the hang of it!

I do these for fun. They make good Christmas presents. This one is the hoodie I made for my mom. She went to a high school in Weirton, WV called Weir High School whose colors are red and black. I used her maiden name (as that's what she went by when she went there, of course) and then 25 is her birth date.

I love DIY stuff like this.

[Discrim]

I've taken a few stabs at DIY. A good number of said attempts have failed at some level. Most of those failures stemmed from buying fabric barely thicker than paper (admittedly I'm a bit of a cheapskate) and trying to turn that crap into something resembling a jersey (it didn't occur to me to look for anybody that sold blanks until about a year and a half ago). Most of the rest stemmed from using printable twill that fades horribly (which spurred me on to try something else: use a regular iron-on transfer on some white twill...basically a low-rent version of the Swingman idea, which oddly enough, worked better). I'm now in a situation where I've learned from my DIY mistakes...but can't really spring enough cash to apply those lessons properly...rather annoying, really.

Far as the 60s Pack sweatshirt: I can't help you with the stripes either, as far as sewing em. I figure you have a blueprint of sorts, or at least know how thick each stripe should be, right? In any case, good choice, as most sweatshirts last you a while.

[9erssteve]

I'd love to do a '94 Steve Young jersey. I've missed out on so many on Ebay and other sites over the years, and it's been so long since they were made that I reckon building my own might be the only way to go... if only I had the time, equipment and err skill.

I'd sourced almost everything I needed, there's a company on Ebay (sorry cant remember their name) who supply tackle twill numbers and letters. Just search tackle twill and they should come up. They had everything I needed, I just needed a blank red Wilson jersey with the sleeve stripes but couldn't track one down. But one day I'll get this done, if I dont find one online first that is.

9erssteve

[Discogod]

I've been meaning to customize a 1985-86 Milwaukee Bucks home jersey for a couple of years now - I have the blank Sand-Knit jersey and I've converted the round neck to a V-neck and made the Tequila Sunrise-style side panels, but my sewing skills aren't up to going any further just yet...

[BlueSky]

An easy one for me...I'd make a a '67 Saints jersey like these. Note the two different number fonts. For whatever reason most players had the 'skinny' font while a few guys had the blockish one. BTW the same guy who made the Kilmer jersey referenced later in this post made these too.

The following info should be helpful since the Saints '67 stripes were similar to the Packers of that era. This is cut and pasted from a UniWatch articlewhere a Saints fan described how he made his DIY jersey:

===

DIY Saints 1967 Jersey

Got a note from Tom M., who created a pretty awesome 1967 Saints Jersey. And I do mean sweet. Here's Tom to explain:

Thought you might be interested in my 67 DIY Saints jersey. Since jerseys from their first season are virtually unobtainable, I decided to make my own.

I first acquired a blank Durene jersey on ebay. Bigger than I wanted but they are getting hard to come by. Then I ordered some stock 4 inch TV numbers from Eastern Lettering in black and old gold. Also ordered sheets of tackle twill material in the same colors. The old skinny font is no longer available so I had to make my own. From old photos of Bill Kilmer, I made a 10 inch drawing of front numbers. It took a while to measure off the old pics and try to make it look right in that old skinny type. I used the drawing to make patterns for the front numbers, and also to make 12 inch numbers for the back. The numbers were cut out of the tackle twill material, and then ironed on in the too-far-apart style of the Saints/Southland Athletic of the period. I fashioned the sleeve stripes from black nylon material with 1 inch old gold stripes ironed on. I then shipped the whole thing off to my seamstress to secure the numbers and stripes with zig-zag stitching. The jersey is very stout. Could play a game in it if necessary.

Regards,

Tom, Lafayette, LA

===

This is Tom's finished product and a pic of Kilmer for comparison. Pretty awesome.

[gmu599]

Since I cannot find it available for purchase anywhere, I'm currently making a Washington Redskins 1950s era feather helmet. I'm good with paints, but I'm venturing into some new territories for me, like wet sanding. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[johnnysama]

Interesting bit of minutiae I like to point out: I believe the Saints were the first team to put the TV number on the shoulder (as opposed to the sleeve); which has become more commonplace in the NFL over the past 15-odd years.

[greyraven8]

I'd like to make a Portland Buckaroos logo for a jersey. Logo is too fine and detailed for just tackle twill; it would need embroidery and my few tries at hand embroidery suck. Only time saw jerseys like those was pics of the few times over the years the Portland Winterhawks have used them for a turn back the clock day. Those and any subsequent ones auctioned off will be too rich for my blood. Maybe some day. If not, with a lot of work on enlarging and cleaning up a small logo maybe sublimation would be an option.

Have done some DIY hockey jerseys. Reproduced Ross Taylor's California Golden Sharks design on a crest for a jersey, did a Cincinnati Stingers jersey, Minnesota North Stars, Vancouver Canucks 'stick in the rink' logo, Colorado Rockies logo etc. Simpler and blockier logos are a lot easier to do than fine detail and/or ones with lots of points.

Also did a Manitoba Moose Tag to fit in the pocket of my Goalie Bag. Just used a logo found somewhere online and the Moose font found on this site; laminated it at an office supply store.

For those interested in DIY there is a group on Facebook called 'DIY Hockey Sweater/Jersey Army'. Not just hockey jerseys; any sport DIY is very welcome.

As far as numbers and logos I use tackle twill (aka sports twill, poly twill). You can get it by the yard at Stahls or Twill USA plus some other online dealers. I usually use the heat press type (just use household iron for temporary bond), but others I know like using the twill with the adhesive on the back (pressure sensitive?).

I've also customized a few jerseys. When fonts needed weren't quite right I just modified existing fonts when making a template. I've also guessed at number size; sometimes you can enlarge a picture of a game worn jersey, crop and print out the numbers and clean them up (distorted due to not being completely flat or from the camera angle of the picture). Other times you have to either modify a template you have previously made or just guess and start from scratch.

Here's one of my Daneyko ones:

[ksupilot]

I am hoping to do a DIY Cleveland Barons jersey, since you can't get them anywhere anymore. Only one's I have seen on ebay have the wrong logo.

As far as the crest goes, how do you recommend doing it...cutting and assembling it with twill (like the Rockies jersey above)? Or can you use transfer paper onto some twill? When you look at the actual jersey crest, that is how it appears:

[DGivens87]

I'd love to do a '94 Steve Young jersey. I've missed out on so many on Ebay and other sites over the years, and it's been so long since they were made that I reckon building my own might be the only way to go... if only I had the time, equipment and err skill.

I'd sourced almost everything I needed, there's a company on Ebay (sorry cant remember their name) who supply tackle twill numbers and letters. Just search tackle twill and they should come up. They had everything I needed, I just needed a blank red Wilson jersey with the sleeve stripes but couldn't track one down. But one day I'll get this done, if I dont find one online first that is.

9erssteve

Similarly, I'm plotting DYI a '94 John Taylor white 49ers jersey with the drop-shadow numbers. I searched eBay for tackle-twill, but I can't find the company you're referring to. Could you PM their ebay ID?

[ksupilot]

Here is what I have done so far. Next I will be working on the stripes.