Biodegradable biker

Do you ever get the urge to do something that doesn't make any sense, just to see if you can? Does it skip the denial stage, because you've already admitted to yourself that it's a bad idea, but you want to push forward anyway?

Let me introduce you to my big stupid Kwik Sew K3764 motorcycle jacket made from paper fabric. Yes, paper. It's an idea that feels about as bad as it sounds (crunchy, if you were wondering), but hey, I think it looks cool in photos!

As a purposefully self-indulgent, impractical, not-for-everyday-wear garment, I believe it goes even further than #SewFrosting. It's not suitable for wearing at any occasion or time of day or really ever at all!

With no fit adjustments, I cut a size Small and made View B's length and hem with View A's pockets and zippered + gusseted sleeves. I also expanded the pockets. The ones drafted are inexplicably small given how there is certainly room for them to be bigger. 

One key thing about this fabric is that it does. Not. Move. It's already incredibly hard to move in, but it would have been even worse with the narrower, un-gusseted sleeves of View B.

Paper fabric is marketed as a leather substitute, which at first glance seems great for a motorcycle jacket, but actually nowhere does it advertise itself as being appropriate for apparel. I see some tutorials for paper bags, wallets, luggage tags, etc., but nothing about clothes. I have to assume the company for the specific product I used (Kraft-tex, distributed by C&T Publishing) doesn't want to tell you that you can't use their products for anything, exactly. But the point is, at no point was I deceived. I walked into this fully knowing that I wasn't going to end up with something functional and nobody lied to me to convince me to start. This was all me, baby.

I originally picked K3764 as my pattern because it's designed without a lining and I didn't want to spend that much time, energy, or money on something purely experimental. But I went and drafted one anyway because this paper stuff is not that great to wear against your skin. And I initially was not going to put the sleeve gussets in for the same reason (laziness) but my selective commitment to practicality won out in the end. I'm beginning to suspect I may have a problem doing things halfway even when I decide from the beginning that that's how I want to do them. Hm.

I swore off polyester but for a lining in a jacket that I won't wear, I think it's fine.

In terms of sewing, paper fabric is not that hard to work with. It takes a little finagling to get your edges and notches lined up because the fabric doesn't curve easily. I can't speak for how well K3764 is drafted because I'm sure my fabric choice skewed with my ability to match things completely perfectly. Other tips and things to consider: 

• Prewash and machine dry to both account for shrinkage as well as softening it up. When it's dry, scrunch it up and wring it around with your hands. It gets more flexible after you put it through multiple washes but never to the point of it being completely fabric-like. OR: if you're buying Kraft-tex brand specifically, buy their pre-washed variety.

• Grade your seams and clip your curves generously, even when the curve is gentle or undramatic. Grade even when your pattern instructions don't explicitly call for it. 

• If your pattern calls for facings in the same fabric you're using for your shell, don't use the paper fabric for the facings. You don't want the thickness and stiffness of this stuff multiplied by 2 in the same area (under collars, for example). If it won't be visible, use an actual fabric.

• Don't interface.

• Kraft-tex most frequently comes in 19" x 54" rolls. (I've seen it in 10-yd bolts on Amazon, or by-the-yard from other vendors with a significant markup). Keep this in mind when plotting your pattern. I used 4 rolls (of the "Natural" colorway), but I also admit to being pretty bad about pattern-cutting efficiency when I don't have the guidance of instructions. I might have been able to get away with 3 had I been more diligent.

• You don't have to consider grain when cutting your pieces.

• If the kind you have is 100% paper, iron on high to help your pieces lay flat. Some things like texture and creases from folds are more or less permanent.

• Treat it like leather. Holes made from stitching are forever. Don't use pins. Use clips or tape things in place. Increase your stitch length to 3mm or more.

• There are some differing opinions on what kind of needle to use. C&T Publishing says that you can you a medium-weight universal needle and regular thread but I find that it leaves prick holes that are too wide for my taste. Other sources say to use a leather needle, which I have not tried. I (probably foolishly) used a microtex needle and standard thread, and that was good enough for me.

• Not all paper fabrics are made the same and each one may sew/behave differently. I scoured for some on Etsy, for instance, and the majority of them were both unbranded and listed as having a 100% polyester fiber content. Even the ones that had "biodegradable" or "natural" or other sustainability-related buzzwords in their product description. Sneaky!

My final hot tip is: just plain don't do what I did! There's a reason nobody uses this stuff for wearing. If you absolutely must, stick to garments that don't have sleeves. It's impossible to turn sleeves and tubular shapes without soaking them in water first. A paper motorcycle vest could be both chic and physically wearable. Or, you could make the jacket in full but replace the sleeves with a more viable material/actual fabric. Or you could make a literal paper bag skirt, if you don't plan on sitting down. If you only want a silly experimental art project like me, then go right ahead and make the paper jacket of your dreams. If you are like me, you must maintain an abundance of patience. I've been working on this damn thing since September 2021 because a fabric as frustrating to work with as this will kill your motivation.

Playing up my nonchalance for the camera....

But I'm actually as perplexed as you are about how I made it work after all.