Sewing Softshell

Dear users, dear authors,
I thought softshell was more suitable for jackets than for bags?

Sam flap bag, reversible, in 2 sizes, made from softshell and canvas

No Josefa, softshell is suitable for both :-)

look, I sewed this for myself about 15/16 years ago; neither of them exists anymore, since I outgrew the short coat ;-) it got much too big, and the bag eventually became unsightly from a lot of use
I also designed and digitized the spider myself once

Best, Inge

Nice pictures, Inge.
What’s the difference between softshell and fleece? Yesterday I also saw the term “polar fleece” in a product description. Is that a thicker kind of fleece?

Softshell is a fabric that barely lets water through because it’s coated, and it usually has fleece on the back—take my coat, for example; the fleece is black and firmly bonded to the softshell. It’s a fabric for wind and weather. That’s the great thing about softshell: you don’t have to line it separately, but when sewing, you should make sure the seams look neat on the inside. I usually use my overlock or coverlock machine for this, even though it isn’t strictly necessary because the fabric doesn’t fray or come apart on its own. For me, softshell has only one drawback: I always sweat like crazy in a jacket like that and feel like I’m in a sauna.
I sewed a softshell jacket for one of my grandsons when he got a job about 11 km from our village and rides that distance every day by bike (now an e-bike), because it keeps him warm and he doesn’t get soaking wet right away if it happens to rain.

Best regards, Inge

Fabric 101 with Inge :-)
You’re doing a great job.

Hi everyone,

I feel the same way about softshell as you do, Inge! It’s a great material and easy to work with, but I sweat buckets in it, so I don’t like it. :/

But that’s true of all fleece fabrics. That’s why I prefer cotton fabrics—they’re more breathable.

Best regards,
Sonja