Army style jacket, with detachable (faux) fur-lined hood

I mentioned some time ago my new army/military style jacket; finished way back in March, well, here it is!
When we were in Tokyo I saw all ages and both sexes, everywhere, sporting big khaki army type jackets.  All with military details, lots of pockets, cinched in waist belts and sometimes with fur-lined hoods, and I just fell in love with them and decided I just had to have my own.  They just looked so big and comfy and cosy looking, and the girls (and boys) wearing them looked so warm not to mention so so so too-cooool-for-school; casually and bulkily stylish...  I'm sure a lot of the ones I saw were real army jackets, possibly from army disposal stores or secondhand stores, but naturally with my DIY aesthetic I was always going to try to make my own... :D
Of course what I wasn't taking into account was that it doesn't really get all that cold here and especially for the hoodie part of it!  I expect I will wear it without the hood for most of the time... but it was still fun to have a go at making a furry hood, and it just might come in handy for some mornings, and if we ever go down to the country.

Details:

Jacket; Burdastyle 05-2010-127 with my own modifications, khaki ripstop cotton and grey marle fleece lining

Skirt; Vogue 7303, olive green corduroy, to see this little skirt styled in 6 different ways go here

Top and tights; Metalicus

Socks, handknit by me, details here

Shoes; Francesco Morichetti, from Zomp shoes

Dressmaking details; if you want to know...
I used Burdastyle 05/2010, pattern 127 as a starting point, and as usual made a few modifications to get the army-style I envisioned, but as the bones of the jacket are essentially the same I think I can dare to write a review for this pattern??  I used ripstop cotton in khaki, a wonderful fabric both tough and hardwearing and so so so perfect for an army style jacket!  I have also made this and this from the exact same fabric, so I guess it is obvious I love it...!  I'd better not buy any more, hmmm?  The lining is a pale grey marle fleece, and the faux fur is... well, faux fur.  I think from memory, it was labelled silver fox.  All the materials are from Spotlight.
The modifications I made:
Lengthened the jacket by oooh, roughly 7cm? and also slightly enlarged (length-wise) and slightly lowered the lower front pockets.  I chose to enlarge these because I thought the original smaller ones would not have the right proportions on the lengthened jacket...
I drafted a completely different collar, a sorta slightly curved rectangle, because I wanted more of a wide standup collar than the little fold-down one in the pattern...

My sleeves are not vented or cuffed, and have a tab with snap closure, for more of a military-looking effect.
I did not incorporate buttons and buttonholes at the front as stipulated in the pattern, but instead inserted an open-ended zip, again inspired by the styling of army jackets I've seen around
My jacket is fully lined, with grey fleece (for warmth, and also to enhance that bulky look an army jacket is supposed to have)  as it turns out it is very warm!  I did not hem the lining, but enclosed the flat raw edges inside the sleeve and lower hems of the jacket.  The fleece was partly leftover from this project, I had to buy a bit more.

I added a tab at the lower edge, and another tab at the neck edge; both features I mentally noted from the army jackets I saw in Tokyo.  These both have snap closure.

I made a detachable, (faux) fur-edged hood.  For this, I used a modified version of the hood from KwikSew 3667, with the lower edge cut flatter and a bit narrower to fit in with the neckline of my jacket.  It is also lined with fleece, and has buttonholes sewn in the bottom edge, which correspond with the buttons that I sewed inside the collar edge.  I realise the fur-edged hood is probably kinda silly in this climate, but I think it looks kinda cool, and it just may come in useful one day?

My review of this pattern, if you're interested...


Pattern Description:
Unstructured long-sleeved jacket; with two piece sleeves with vents and buttoned cuffs, front buttons and buttonband, epaulettes, four flapped patch pockets at the front, belt loops at waist level for the self-fabric belt and a short, buttoned collar.
Pattern Sizing:
36-44.  I made a 38
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
In essence, yes.  I made a few modifications.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes.  I did some steps differently and in a different order, to accommodate my modifications...
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I like everything about this pattern!  The basic bones of the pattern are great; being unstructured it is therefore very easy to fit, to put together and also easy to incorporate your own alterations.  The fun is in adding your own details.
Fabric Used:
Ripstop cotton, and fully lined with cotton/polyester fleece.  A strip of faux fur (silver fox) to edge the hood
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
Lengthened the jacket by about 7cm? and also slightly enlarged (length-wise) and slightly lowered the lower front pockets.  I chose to enlarge these not because I thought they were too small but because I thought the originals would not have the right proportions once I had lengthened the jacket...
Drafted a different, slightly curved rectangular collar, because I wanted a higher standup collar than the little fold down one in the pattern
Inserted tabs with snap closure in the top and bottom of the front edges
Instead of the front buttonband and buttons, extended the front opening edges slightly so I could insert an open-ended zip
Fully lined the jacket in a polyester cotton fleece
Added a hood, also fully lined with fleece, and edged in faux fur.  This has 4 buttonholes on the lower edge, and attaches to 4 buttons sewn around the neckline, inside of the collar
Left off the sleeve vent and cuffs, instead inserted tabs with snap closure inside the lower end of the sleeve seam, sewed the sleeves closed to the end and hemmed over the raw edges of the lining.  The lower hem of the jacket also encloses the raw edge of the jacket lining inside
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would definitely recommend this to others!  I might sew it again, if I need another jacket like this.
Conclusion:
This pattern was one of the first to catch my eye in this magazine, and I always had a mind to make it.  After visiting Tokyo, and being totally inspired by the cool cool army/military style jackets I saw worn over there, I realised this was the perfect pattern I could adapt quite easily to get that style of jacket.  And I'm totally happy with how it turned out; even if the hood is not super appropriate for our climate I still love it, and am very pleased with the smart styling and warmth of the jacket even sans hood.  The waist belt is a nice finishing touch, although I am very glad I lengthened the jacket as I think the belt would have looked a bit funny on the shorter length.

Oo la la

I've made a new dress for winter!
This fabric, a sort of very roughly spun and woven silk, with some very stiffish almost stick-like pieces woven into it, was one of my Christmas presents; that I bought so the children could have some things to give me; hehe, I know, so thoughtful of me...  I always wanted to make some sort of unadorned sheath dress with it, something that was plain-ish, yet still chic and polished, that could be dressed up or down to suit a multitude of "looks".  And in an ideal world, pockets would be in there too somehow.  But how to incorporate pockets into a sheath dress?   It is almost impossible, without resorting to the ol' patch pockets, which are not very chic and not a very polished look.  I wanted "polished", in case if I so desired I just could wear my dress to semi-formal do-es.  Occasionally, I do so desire.  So when I saw this pattern, dress 128 from the 08/2009 Burdastyle magazine I realised that while the dress did appear quite fitted and sheath-like, the pleated fullness at the front of the skirt meant that inseam side pockets were a distinct possibility.  So I tried out putting some in, and they worked out pretty good, imo.  Yes! (self high five)  Is that a case of having my cake and eating it too, or what?!
Apart from the inseam pockets, I made a few other small modifications.  Firstly, I have a slight pet aversion to dresses that have a waist seam on the front and not on the back.  Just privately, it bothers my pernickety need for order and continuity... so I cut the back pieces to have a corresponding waist seam at the back, corresponding to fit with the front waist seam.  This also enabled me to make a slight sway back adjustment easily, a double win.
Also, my dress is fully lined with acetate lining fabric, unlike the pattern, which stipulates a bodice lining only.  Why would you have a lined bodice, and not go that small extra step to line the skirt section? Hmmm...  imo, a skirt lining is mandatory in a winter dress, so it doesn't stick to your tights.  For my dress lining pieces, apart from the very top neckline and sleeve bits which are to the pattern, I used mostly the lower portion of an ol' faithful Burda 8511.  So apart from the bust darts at the front, and long double ended body darts at the back, the lining is quite plain.
I also opted to line the sleeves, for extra warmth.  But here I made a small error of misjudgement, although I know that sleeve linings need wearing ease, at this stage I was happily whizzing ahead in my blissful little sewing trance, and didn't incorporate enough into mine.  Agreed, I should know better by now... still, this is only a problem for that one moment in my day when I am trying to zip up the thing at the back, you know when you are twisted in that position with one arm up and one arm down behind your back, trying to hold that back centre seam in place with one hand and grab the zip pull with the other to pull it up?  I'm sure this is one of the main reasons yoga was invented.  I mean, the need to stay limber enough so we can get our back dress zips up by ourselves, naturally... 
The fabric is that sort of silk that frays like a madman, fraying all by itself just seconds after it has been cut. So I edged all the straight raw edges in HongKong seaming, while some of the "hidden" ones up inside the bodice and in the sleeves were just overlocked to finish...  did someone just say "lazy?"  Who, moi?  On the bottom hem, I made a wide strip of bias binding to make a divinely wide hem...  just look at that hem width, and not a raw edge to be seen anywhere.  Couture heaven, no?!


Details:
Dress; pattern no 128 Burdastyle magazine 08/2009 with some modifications, silk
Sandals; akiel, from an op shop

Below is my pattern review, if you are interested...


Pattern Description:
This figure-following sheath dress constitutes a tribute to all Paris fashion designers; the bodice remains plain while little waist tucks lend the skirt a refined tulip look  (don't you just love Burdastyle descriptions...!)
Pattern Sizing:
36-44, I sewed a 38, and  graduated the skirt pieces out to 40 from hip height down because I wanted to incorporate inseam side pockets.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
yes!
Were the instructions easy to follow?
very straightforward and easy
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
There's nothing not to like about this pattern!  I made a few slight modifications to suit my personal taste.
Fabric Used:
A roughly spun and woven silk, with acetate lining
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I incorporated inseam side pockets.  The slight flare at the front of the skirt provided by the waist pleats made this an obvious modification, and very easy to do.
I cut the dress back pieces to have a waist seam, corresponding to the waist seam at the front of the dress.  I prefer the continuity of this look, and it also enabled me to make a slight sway back adjustment.
I fully lined the dress, including the skirt and sleeves.  For the dress lining pieces, I used a plain shift dress pattern I already have; which does not have the shaping of the main dress pieces.  For the sleeve linings I used the pattern pieces, although, note to others who plan to do this, be sure allow some wearing ease here!
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I highly recommend this to others!
Conclusion:
This is an easy dress pattern with a lovely, flattering and classic shape.

below; side view, with pockets in action...

A little bit of Lagerfeld

Filling another (so-called) must-have void in my wardrobe; the little black skirt.  I do have a charcoal skirt already, that is a much worn little thing, but the classic black was missing; well, no more.  I really made this about a month ago, and am only now getting around to wearing it and photographing it.  With Me-Made June floating around soon I thought I'd better get onto keeping up with documenting my actual sewing in these posts, I still have a few newies that haven't appeared here yet...
So now I have my classic black skirt I should be set for winter, although as Donna rightly pointed out yesterday I rarely wear the "classic white shirt" much either.  Maybe I'm not classic enough?  Paradoxically I often find my more out-there and distinctive garments such as my bright orange skirt, a lot easier to work into my daily ensembles.  Hmmm, ridiculously still don't really know what my "style" is; this requires more thought...
Whastevs, I always intended to have a go at this allegedly Karl Lagerfeld designed skirt from the 10/2010 issue of Burdastyle magazine, the reason I bought this magazine, actually.
I used up another piece of leftovers from my stash, this a piece of black gabardine leftover from a long gone skirt I made back in 2007.  Yah, 'bout time it got used up, huh...?
I feel hugely and disproportionately chuffed when I do reduce the stash, especially when it's a piece of fabric I've had this long.  And, confession time, the stash is still getting added to, all too frequently...  it's like a one step forward, two steps back kind of thing.  I wonder if I will ever be at a point when I have no fabric, and need to go fabric shopping?  Hard to imagine... (insert literal lol here)
Back to the skirt...
I did incorporate a few modifications, as usual.  The blindingly obvious is that I lengthened it by about 12cm, or as much as my piece of fabric would allow me.  Would you look at the skirt length on that model?? (at right)  Granted, she could be over six foot tall, but still.  Almost more like a belt, really.  My husband has a term to describe skirts like that, but I won't reproduce it here... family viewing and all that...
Another obvious modification I made is to the back of the skirt; if you look at Burda's line drawing you can see the original design has a gathered elasticised waistband at the back.  Gathered elasticised waistbands are an anathema to me.  Like, no way...  So I made a slightly curved back waistband fitted to my waist, and dealt with the fullness of the skirt by incorporating two big inverted box pleats, sewed to about 7cm long, in the usual dart position.  Pretty pleased with how this looks too.  I like my version, a lot.  I think the pleats are far more pleasing to the eye that a gather would be, and the look of them fits in a lot better with the look of the front of the skirt, which has some pleating too.
The other modification; a minor one, is to increase the size of those laughably small inseam side pockets.  No kidding, those pockets as they were were designed for children.
So there you have it.  My new skirt, a little bit of Lagerfeld in my wardrobe!


Details:
Skirt; Burdastyle magazine 10-2010-136 with some modifications, black gabardine
Shirt; Brown Sugar
Cardigan; Allude, from Ricarda
Tights; Kolotex
Shoes; Misano, from Labels

Above and below; the buttons are decorative, closure is by hidden snaps sewn inside the front waistband

The back view, with box pleats sewn in the skirt back instead of the gathered elasticised waistband

Below is my pattern review...


Pattern Description:
Trouser styled mini skirt with front creases, front fly zip and extra-wide hem-cuff/turn-up.
Pattern Sizing:
34-42, I made a size 38
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
yes, except that mine is about 12cm longer.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Pretty easy.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I particularly like the "trouser" styling of the skirt. It's a really tailored kind of looking skirt, and yet still manages to look cute and funky.   The front pleats are sharp; in the cool and stylin' sense of the word...  I also love the interest of the little flaps over the front pleats.  The turn-up at the hem is yet another interesting feature in a little skirt packed with interesting features.
I didn't like how the back was to be gathered into an elasticised waistband, but that is just my personal taste; I loathe elasticised waistbands with a passion.  So I modified mine to be NOT elasticised.
Fabric Used:
Gabardine, the sort men's business suits are made of
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I lengthened the skirt pieces at around hip level,  by about 12cm.  The original is SHORT!
To replace the elasticised waistband; I made a slightly curved back waistband fitted to my waist, and folded and sewed box pleats (7cm long) on each of the skirt backs in the usual dart position, to take in the extra fullness of the skirt pieces into my waist measurement.  I really like how my skirt back turned out, much much better than an elasticised waist... sorry, Mr Lagerfeld.
The inseam side pockets as they are, are tiny, so I made mine a bit bigger.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I'm sure when this distinctive little skirt is worn out, I will sew a replacement!
Conclusion:
I bought this issue of the Burdastyle magazine, just because of the Lagerfeld patterns, and this skirt didn't let me down.  I adore the styling of it!  It is tailored, classic and smart, and yet has interesting and distinctive features.  With that bit of added length I think it would make quite a witty office skirt too.

Bracelet-sleeve jacket in raspberry

I finished my jacket for Sherry's RTW Tailoring sew-along!  Finally...
Hehe, I wouldn't blame poor Sherry for giving up on me in disgust, what with my intermittent effort thanks to pattern indecision, as well as the interruption of hiking trips and charity balls, both of which required some intervening sewing effort from me, but here is my RTW jacket, finally finished.  Of course eagle eyed readers will notice immediately that this is a completely different jacket from my original good intentions (snort).  No really, I still do intend to get onto that pattern and that fabric properly.  One day...
Now did I employ the couture techniques learnt from the wonderful Vogue 8333 in the making of this simple little thing?  (pause for effect..)  no.
I basically followed this pattern, and just made a few adjustments for fitting considerations.  Namely, took some width off those grid-iron shoulders, and removed considerable width from the top half of those weight-lifter-worthy sleeves.  
The thing I'm fairly proud of is that I only had about 1.3m of this raspberry-red hessian silk in my stash, enough for a good length skirt.  Not really enough for a jacket!  Thus the choice of this pattern, a simply proportioned cropped jacket with bracelet length sleeves.  And even so, my sleeves are about 5cm shorter than specified in the pattern, and I barely squeaked the pattern pieces out of my length of fabric.  And I had to leave off the pockets (sigh, I do love pockets...)

If you look at the front facings inside the jacket, you will see more evidence of my lack of fabric, see that triangular patched in bit?  It looks the same on each of the facings, and was necessary because I really didn't have enough fabric.  Usually I hate that sort of messy piecing together of bits to get a pattern piece out of the available fabric, but every now and again it has to be done, in emergencies.  This was an emergency.  I even traipsed out to the fabric shop to get a bit extra of the same fabric... you guessed it, it had sold out and the colour was discontinued.  That will teach me, for hanging on to fabric for years before using it...  Thankfully the patch is completely unseen when I am wearing the jacket, or I wouldn't have considered it.

The pattern incorporates a very interesting sleeve design, a design I've not come across before.  They are two pieced sleeves, but not the usual kind.  Instead, they have an under-sleeve seam, hitting right at the lowest point of the armscye, and a top of sleeve seam, running along the top of each arm.  The top shaping of the sleeve cap is enhanced by two darts.
Also, the coat has side pieces, with no side seams; resulting in princess-like seams on the front and the back.  So that under-sleeve seam doesn't meet up with a side seam.  A unique design in my experience.  

The jacket is completely lined with raspberry coloured acetate lining. 
I chose not to block-fuse the entire jacket.  This is because I like my jackets to be soft and comfy, like a cardigan.  I used fusible interfacing on the front facings, the collar and on the hem allowances of the jacket and sleeves.
However, patched-together facing pieces aside, I do love my new jacket.  It is a colour I love, in a comfortable easy to wear style that I love.  I'm sure it will be appearing a few times here, come Me-Made June.


Details:
Jacket; Vogue 2894 with some fitting modifications, raspberry hessian silk
Skirt; Vogue 7303, olive green corduroy, to see this skirt styled in 6 different ways go here
Scarf; made by me, a re-fashioned Tshirt, see here
Top and tights; Metalicus
Shoes; Francesco Morichetti, from Zomp shoes

And if you are interested, below is the review of this pattern I submitted to Pattern Review...


Pattern Description:
Loose-fitting fully interfaced, lined jacket with collar, patch pockets and three-quarter length sleeves.  Pleated skirt, 2" below waistline with yoke, side pocket opening and below mid-knee length.  I have made the skirt as well but this review is just for the jacket.
Pattern Sizing:
8-10-12, I used size 8.  I would usually fit a size 10, but the 8 is still quite a loose-fitting jacket on me.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
yes
Were the instructions easy to follow?
very easy
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The sizing runs quite big.  Even though I went down a size, the shoulders were still very grid iron on me, and the sleeves themselves so puffy as to make me look like a weight-lifter on my day off.
But after removing fabric off each of these areas I'm very happy with the boxy yet streamlined shape of the jacket.
I like that it didn't require much fabric.  I only had 1.3m, from which I just managed to squeeze out the pattern pieces.  Admittedly, I had to make a small patch on the front facings, but I still managed to get out my jacket!
The design is quite unusual, which I really like.  The sleeves are two-pieced, but not in the usual way.  Instead there is an underarm seam, joining up with the lowest point of the arm-scye, and a top of sleeve seam, meeting up with the shoulder seam.  The sleeve cap is shaped with two darts.  I've never come across this sleeve design before.
The body of the jacket has side pieces, meaning there are princess like seams on the front and back of the jacket, but no side seams.  Meaning that under-sleeve seam doesn't meet up with a matching side seam... interesting.
Fabric Used:
Silk hessian
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
Because of the grid-iron shoulders, I took off about 4cm off the width of the shoulders, and graded in the arm-scye and top of the torso area accordingly.  The sleeves are also very roomy.  I took in about 2.5cm from the width of the top of the sleeves.  I sadly had to leave off the patch pockets, and my sleeves are about 5cm shorter than the pattern, thanks to lack of fabric...
I chose not to fully interface the jacket, as I like my jackets to be soft.  I used fusible interfacing on the front facings, the collar, and on the jacket and sleeve hem allowances.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Definitely I will sew this cute little jacket again!
Conclusion:
Great little pattern with some unusual design features, and very very easy!

Hiking pants

I've finished my new hiking pants!
And I likey.  These feel so so comfortable, almost good enough to sleep in, and they also feel quite tough and practical, to withstand the demands of being out in the bush.  And pretty soon they are going to be put to the test, so we'll see how they go...
They are made from khaki rip-stop cotton, pre-washed twice to shrink and soften it up as much as possible.  I've learnt from past experience that this stuff is real hardwearing because it is very densely woven, which is fab.  You want that for hiking pants.  But its a good idea to toss it in the machine for a couple of heavy duty hot cycles before you go blunting your good dressmaking scissors and sewing machine needles on it.
I used a pattern from Burdastyle magazine issue 10/2010, pants 110.  Previously I have made up the shorts version of this pattern, so I knew already they fit well and were very comfortable to wear.  And I really like the streamlined style at the top of the pants, with no waistband and no bulky darts or pleats at the front.
My version of these pants have a few minor variations to the pattern, as follows:
Firstly, I cut the pants legs to be perfectly straight rather than tapered in to the ankle.  This was made super easy for me to do with this fabric, as it is self-marked in a grid pattern, so from mid-thigh level I just cut straight down to the ankle, following the lines on the fabric.  Easy peasy.  I also left off the ankle bands and simply hemmed the bottom edges.  Oh and I added about 10cm to the leg length, and am very glad I did.  Would have been ankle freezers if I had not, methinks...
Secondly, the pattern only had four pockets; two slanted side hip pockets and two welt pockets on the back, which are pretty small and in practise hardly ever get used for anything.  How many ladies out there actually put anything in those little back welt pockets?  Hmmm?  I'm betting no one...  Situated right on your bottom cheeks as they are, putting stuff in those pockets makes for a lumpy bumpy funny-looking rear view, as any lady knows, so really they are a purely decorative thing... so I added two roomy cargo pockets on the outside leg, details here.
Lastly, I used snaps for the closure in lieu of buttons, as these just seem sturdier and more practical for when you're out in the bush.  Snaps are not going to come flying off and get lost in a sand dune, and need re-sewing on out in the middle of nowhere.

Details:
Pants; Burdastyle magazine 10-2010-111 with a few minor variations, khaki cotton
Top; top "a" from "Unique Clothes Any Way You Like" by Natsuko Hiraiwa, white cotton, details here
Shoes; Country Road
Backpack; souvenir from Santa Fe

Pattern Description:
Flat fronted, mid-rise trousers with faced waist, fly front, slanted hip pockets, back single welt pockets, underlap with button for internal closure, outer tab with button for another waist closure.
Pattern Sizing:
34-42, I made a size 36 at the waist, tapering out to a 38 at the hips.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
In essence, although I made a few variations.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes.  I had previously made the shorts version of this pattern, and the instructions are pretty much the same, so it was a second go at it.  When I made the shorts I found the instructions for the waist facing attachment to be quite confusing, but I had it all worked out by this time!
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked the unbulky streamlined top of the pants, and the loose comfortable look and feel of them.  It's a pretty straightforward pair of pants, goes together well, the pattern works, and they fit me like a dream.  I wanted a pair of cargo pants, and I think this pattern adapted really well to give me that look that I wanted.
The magazine version has the legs gathered into an ankle band, making the legs kind of "bloomer-y"; I didn't really like this and omitted this feature from my version.
Fabric Used:
Rip-stop cotton
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I added about 10cm in length to the legs and also cut them to be straight from mid-thigh level down to the ankle, rather than slightly tapered as in the pattern.  Also, as mentioned above, I left the lower legs loose and un-gathered and omitted the ankle band.
I added big cargo pockets with flaps on the outside leg seam.  So now they have six pockets!
I used snaps in lieu of buttons.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
If I need another pair of loose comfortable casual pants I would definitely use this one again!  I love these pants.  And yes, I do recommend this one to others.
Conclusion:
Love my new pants!  They are so comfortable and I think they make a reasonably cute pair of cargoes.  I'm putting them to the test out bush soon, so I'm hoping they will stand up well to a few days of hard knocks.