Carin Huber (photo)

Flask Jacket

Dress up a plain hip flask for a night at the cemetery, cover the claw marks left on it from the last full moon, or just remind yourself which flask has the whiskey and which has the O-negative.

by Carin Huber

Suggested Listening

"Hip Flask" by The Sagittarian

Difficulty

Scoutmaster Euclid
Click here for definitions of difficulty levels.

Finished Measurements

Custom to your flask.

Materials

• stainless steel hip flask
• .25 yd/.25 m of fabric
• .25 yd/.25 m of fabric for lining (optional)
• Sewing thread
• .75"/1.9 cm wide hook-and-loop tape (the sew-on type, not sticky-back)
• .5"/1.3 cm wide elastic
• 1.5 yd/1.5 m of .75"/1.9cm wide ribbon (optional)

Design Notes

This small sewing project is a great way to showcase that gorgeous fabric you couldn't pass up, but of which you could only afford a small piece. Or you could make it from the remains of a beloved but worn out garment, like dead Grandpa Igor's lucky grave-robbing shirt.

It's also a nice base for your choice of embellishment. To embroider the jacket, mark the pattern for the outside fabric piece, but don't cut it out. Mount it in your embroidery hoop or frame and complete your stitchery. Then cut the piece out and proceed to make the flask jacket. The back of the embroidery will be neatly protected between the layers of fabric. Beaded accents should be applied after the jacket is completed, to avoid problems with pressing, and painted designs can be done before or after. Just make sure the paint is dry before you try to sew it.

Fancy fabrics and embellishments shouldn't be tossed in the washing machine, and this is such a small item that gentle hand washing and air drying isn't a big deal, so you can skip the usual fabric prewash.

If you use a different fabric for the lining, a quarter yard/metre of both fabrics will give you enough to make three flask jackets. Otherwise, a quarter yard/metre of one fabric will make and line one flask jacket, with enough left over for the outside only of a second jacket.

Special terms:
Ladder Stitch
Grade Seam Allowances

The AntiCraft assumes any well stocked sewing room to have certain things on hand. (Click for our basic sewing items list.)

Directions

For a basic, rectangular flask:

Measure the circumference of the flask and the height of the flask to the "shoulder" (i.e., not including the cap). Cut two rectangles of fabric (outside and lining) to measure the circumference plus 2.25"/5.7 cm by the height plus 1.125"/2.9 cm. Place the two pieces face to face, and sew together with a .5"/1.3 cm seam allowance, leaving about 3"/7.6 cm unsewn at one end. Clip the corners close to the seam and turn the fabric right side out. Poke the corners out neatly, and press the rectangle flat.

click image to enlarge
Carin Huber (photo)

Check that the rectangle fits the flask correctly. It should be exactly the same height as the sides of the flask, and overlap itself about 1"/2.5 cm at the ends. Make any adjustments necessary to the fit, then grade the seams and sew the opening closed by hand with a ladder stitch.

Cut a length of hook-and-loop tape .5"/1.3 cm shorter than the height of the flask. Wrap the fabric rectangle around the flask with the ends overlapping. Position the soft loop side of the tape centered in the overlap area, pin in place on the end of the rectangle, and sew down around all four sides of the tape. Position the rough hook side of the tape at the other end of the other side of the rectangle to match the position of the loop side of the tape, and sew in place. This is the only place where stitching will show on the outside of the jacket, so neatness counts here!

click image to enlarge
Carin Huber (photo)

Cut four pieces of elastic, each 2"/5 cm long. Wrap the jacket around the flask, close the hook-and-loop tape, and position the closure in the center back of the flask. Position the elastic pieces as shown in the photo to the right, with the ends tucked under the fabric. Hand sew the elastic to the edges of the jacket with a ladder stitch, then remove the jacket from the flask and whip stitch the ends of the elastic to the lining of the jacket. Be careful not to sew through the outer layer of fabric, or your stitches will show on the outside. The elastic should not be stretched when the jacket is on the flask, just close fitting. If the cap of your flask is attached by a hinge, position the top elastic pieces so that one of them sits comfortably under the hinge.

Optional:
Sew a long piece of ribbon on for a carrying strap, tucking the ends under the jacket at the top sides of the flask, and stitching as you did for the elastic.

Flask not rectangular?

It's a little more work, but no more complicated.

click image to enlarge
Carin Huber (photo)

Trace the shape of your flask onto a piece of paper. Add .5"/1.3 cm seam allowances all around. Cut two pieces of fabric (outside and lining) from this pattern.

Now, fold your paper pattern in half vertically, to find the center line. Measure 1"/2.5 cm left of the center line, and cut the pattern apart there, discarding the smaller part. Cut four pieces of fabric from the remaining pattern (two outside and two lining), making sure that you have matched left and right facing pieces.

Match up your outside and lining pieces and sew together as described above with a .5"/1.3 cm seam allowance. Check for fit, clip any curves and corners, grade seams, turn right side out, press. You should now have one lined front piece, and two lined back pieces which overlap each other about 1"/2.5 cm.

Sew on the hook-and-loop tape closure and connect the front of the jacket to the back with elastic, as described above. Put the elastic wherever it makes sense, particularly at any corners, to keep the jacket from curling there.

Dress yourself and your flask, and go find the night-life.

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