Today we are going to take a look into Softshell fabric and learn about the amazing properties it has to offer us as well as an easy, useful sewing project to pair it with for the first time sewist or experienced sewers alike!

Make sure to check out our Softshell Fabric Section.

Softshell is a three-part woven fabric which offers the body protection from the weather elements while extending breathability, comfort and mobility and that makes it great for activewear to use for outdoor occasions such as: winter sports, hiking, cycling and outdoor work to name a few. Softshell is not to be confused with "Hardshell" fabric which has a different construction and intended use.

Yes. The weight of Softshell can be found in the following: light, mid and heavy weight. The weight will determine how warm it feels against the body.

• The first layer- the outside material is typically made from polyester and or other synthetic materials which allows it to be stretchy, water repellent, and wind resistant.
• The second layer is like a memory foam base which creates the waterproof and breathable aspects.
• Lastly, we have the third layer; the backside which consists of a soft fleece that brings the comfort and warmth factor.

Softshell can be washed in a washing machine. It will do best being washed with a mild detergent and no fabric softeners or bleach as these will break down the fabric properties that make softshell great and useful. It can be hung to air dry or placed in the dryer on a low heat setting.

• Activewear such as: coats, snowpants, pants, vests, mittens, winter hats etc.
• Blankets like stadium blankets for outdoor events.

• Always prewash fabric before beginning a project.
• A universal or microtex needle can be used.
• Softshell can be on the pricier side of the spectrum. I recommend beginning with a small project to see what you think of it and then go from there.

Now that we have a better understanding of what softshell fabric is and how to use it, let's sew up a project with it! I'm going to walk you through how to sew the Mistletoe mittens pattern in Softshell, without a lining.

I purchased my Softshell fabric from Knitfabric.com and it didn't require much fabric to make these which is great because the website allows you to purchase in half yard increments and that was perfect for this pattern!

• Softshell fabric
• Rib knit for the cuffs with a minimum of 30% stretch.
• Mistletoe mittens pattern by peek-a-boo pattern shop
• Appropriate needle
• Sewing machine, scissors, pins or wonder clips.

This pattern can be made for infants all the way up to adult men. Measure the hand you will be sewing the mittens for to decide which size would be best, measuring from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist.

Since I did not include a lining thanks to the double sided softshell; I went with the exact measurements for the adult pair and slightly sized up for the other so that my daughter could grow into them and hopefully get a second season out of them. Pictured above is an example of the underside of the Softshell on the left (gray) and the smooth, outside on the right (horses).

Pattern pieces are cut out and ready to sew. This pattern uses a 1/4" seam allowance

Place the lower front and upper front pieces together with right sides and clip or pin in place and sew.

Clip the seam allowance down to 1/8" around the thumb where we just sewed. Repeat for the second mitten.

Lay the front mitten on top of the back mitten. Clip or pin in place with right sides together and sew.

Trim the seam allowance down to 1/8". Repeat for the other mitten.

Turn the mittens right side out and check to see how they fit.

Fold the cuffs in half with right sides together and clip or pin in place. Sew along the long, outside edge.

fold the cuffs in half again, this time with wrong sides together and seams enclosed as shown.

Slide the folded cuffs over the mittens with right sides together, lining up the raw edges and side seams. Clip or pin place.

One more view from the front. Sew around the bottom edge through all of the layers.

Flip the cuffs down.

The Mistletoe mittens are now complete!

I love how these turned out and so does my horse loving girl!

I'm gifting this pair so no modeled photos for the adult size.

If you are looking for a quick pattern, the Mistletoe mittens would be a great project to dabble with if you are curious about trying Softshell fabric. These mittens turned out great and only took about 20 minutes to sew up using only about a 1/4 yard of fabric without the lining, making it an affordable option to try, especially since you could get 3 or 4 pairs out of a 1/2 yard minus the lining depending on the sizes used.  

The softshell fabric itself was a breeze to sew with and my regular sewing machine handled the job well with little to no effort at all. It cuts almost like butter in my opinion, making it easy on the wrists and hands while cutting out the pattern.

If you were to start with a small project like we did above, I think you would fall in love with the fabric and want to try it for some other projects too!

So, we have learned in today's article about some really great properties that Softshell fabric has to offer. It offers protection from the wind and rain; it allows the skin to breathe and keeps you cozy warm all at the same time. Wow! If you love the outdoors- this is the fabric for you!

I recommend taking a look over at Knitfabric.com to see all the options they have to offer in Softshell fabric. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised trying it out for your next project. Any ideas what you would like to make?

Until next time!