Which waterproof fabric is best?
I have discovered cloaks, and I am going nuts making them. I have bought so much fabric in the past few days alone. They are so warm and so easy to make! However, I would like to make one that suits the purpose for which they were invented, so that I may wear it outside in the rain. Are there any good waterproof fabrics that won’t fuck up my fiancée’s #sewing machine?
Asking here because I don’t know what I am doing.
I make marine canvas. Sunbrella is a brand of exterior, water shedding fabric. Made of solution dyed acrylic and breathable to a degree. Off the roll it’s quite stiff but softens up over time. They also make a line of exterior furniture fabric that has a much nicer hand. It would work for a cloak, not so much for a jacket.
As far as sewability, it depends on your machine and how many layers your design will cause you to sew through. A nice thing about it is it’s two sided, there isn’t a coating making a right and a wrong side.
@Peppycito Since this is for a ruana cloak (which may result in me deciding to use a cloak pin) would the waterproofing be ruined if I stuck a pin through it
Sunbrella is not self-healing like a cotton cloth is, holes poked through it remain holes. But that’s the case with most fabric and probably any waterproof ones.
Using a pin as a fastener as a replacement for a button is probably a poor choice for any cloth over time. That’s likely why buttons were invented. Look into frog fasteners if you’re that worried about leakage. Most cloaks I’ve seen have frogs. Maybe pin it to a button hole if you need to use the pin.