Quote:
Originally Posted by monolith21
That article definitely has a lot of great info in it. I think the only thing that has really been debunked from that article is the Ultrasuede. Chris Pappas wrote up an equally informative post over at the RPF that had a pretty interesting idea as to why the Ultrasuede myth began in the first place. If we're lucky maybe he'll re-post some of that info here.
Buttersuede is an almost exact match. However, a few years ago they stopped making it in the correct color. It is certainly cheaper than the Ultrasuede.
http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Butter...6VVviewcat.htm
The tan is a tad light for the pants and tunic, but definitely looks close. The brown is the darker material my jacket was made out of. You can see a picture of it over in the uniform resource thread.
Now, having said that...I think it would be awesome to make a jacket out of Ultrasuede! There was a guy a few years back doing them that way and they looked sharp! However it would cost close to two hundred bucks in materials. |
I'm not too sure about that "buttersuede" fabric. I went to a Hancock Fabrics at lunch today and took a look at it. The fabric has a stretch to it and is really too lightweight for this kind of use. It might be okay for a uniform shirt, but the fabric is overly soft and very lightweight - not to mention the fact you can't find the right color.
As for the debunking of Ultrasuede - back in 1978, Ultrasuede was a very new fabric that is produced in a variety of colors and fabric weights. When BSG first came out, most of the people I knew that were making their own costumes were using Ultrasuede as their fabric of choice for the jackets, uniforms, capes, etc. Ultrasuede wears very well, does not stretch, does not sag and it has the right texture. Ultrasuede is actually the forerunner of microfiber fabrics that are used quite extensively today. One of the best features of Ultrasuede is that it is machine washable, but still maintains it's texture and color if you wash it according to the recommended instructions.
I remember buying some blue Ultrasuede to make a bridge uniform back in 1979. The color was a nice dark midnight blue and the texture was perfect, but the costume never got made and the fabric found its way into other hands for lack of use.
Ultrasuede may not be the actual fabric according to certain sources, but it's probably the closest in color, weight and texture in today's fabric market. I went on their website and they have colors that look very close to what some of us might need or want to make uniforms with. Of course, not knowing what today's prices will cost, but it's still a good choice.
Bryan
