Beekeeping Jacket Tutorial

Have you priced bee jackets? I did and the diy juices started flowing. I had originally thought to just get a light colored windbreaker-style jacket. But since I was shopping out of season I couldn't find one among the flip-flops and shorts. So I started looking for a shirt that I could change up to fit my needs. If you have the same thing in mind, you'll need to look for a shirt that has several things going for it:

-white or light colored

-collar for your veil to tuck under

-it should be a couple sizes larger than you normally wear

-heavy material such as twill or cotton duck

-washable in the event that you get bee alarm pheromone on it or it's just plain dirty

You'll also need:

-elastic (enough to fit around your hips and both wrists)

-thread

-sewing machine

Here is my victim:

For this tutorial, I'm assuming you have a sewing machine and a general idea of how to use it. The first thing to do is find the lowest point on the shirt where you can cut a straight line across. Marked in this picture with the measuring tape:

And cut the thang:

I also decided to make mine into a pull-over style because I reasoned the elastic on the bottom would tug at the buttons causing the front to gap open, making little doorways for irate bees. Not good. So I sewed the placket shut following an existing stitch line, stopping at the second button to leave room for my large-ish head.

You can see in the next picture that I've serged the cut edge but that's not necessary, just zig-zag stitch along the edge or take a little quarter inch fold to tuck in the raw edge and minimize unraveling. Now measure up 2 inches (or more is your elastic is very wide) to make a casing for the bottom elastic:

Sew close along the cut edge stopping to leave yourself a 3 inch gap to thread the elastic. Wrap the elastic around your bahookie right above your hips in the area where the bottom of your jacket will ride. Snug it up to a comfortable fit and mark that measurement. Now give yourself a couple inches for overlap and ease and make the cut. Use a safety pin to thread it through the casing:

Join the ends of the elastic securely:

Now tuck the elastic in and sew up the gap in the casing.

Sleeves:
Turn the shirt inside out and sew up the placket on the sleeve opening. This takes a bit of manipulating to get the small opening sewn shut. Take care not to sew the sleeves shut *ahem*:

Turn the cuff back, like a French cuff and sew along the edge making a casing as you did in the bottom of the       jacket. Don't forget to leave yourself a space to thread the elastic through:

Measure the elastic using the same high-tech method used for the bottom of the jacket, thread through and sew up.

That's it! Here is my finished "jacket". I slip it over my head, button up to the neck and tuck my veil under the collar.

Cost of my diy jacket? The elastic and thread I had laying around the house and the shirt came from the thrift store for $2.99. Pretty good savings compared to the $50 cost (before shipping) of a new jacket.

I'll let you know how it works.

Update: I've worn it for a hive cutout and inspection and it's done the job. I wear it with the veil I made and a baggy pair of pants. Admittedly, my bees are sweethearts so I can't say how you would fare while working a hot hive. 

Sting count in my jacket:  0