A jacket in planning

I have put denim and polar fleece together before. I used a medium weight denim for the shell and a not quite 200 wt. polar fleece type for the lining. (this was cheapy fleece not MM.) I did that on a knee length stadium type coat for DD when she was littler. I think she wore it two years, and finally outgrew it. (That was a first, she usually killed coats. lol)

Cotton or poly/cotton twill would work too. Could go in the washer easily and would get you a wider color range than regular denim. It would also be pretty sturdy. I think corduroy would be way too bulky. And Heavy. You really don't want that much weight on your arms.

Also, look at some of the shooting jackets like at Cabela's website. You won't need to pad out the front of your shoulder. But you might want to quilt the elbows if you shoot from a rest. You might also think about gussets under the arms and pleats at the elbows. That will allow more movement that way.

Anything you pair with a polar fleece lining is going to have some bulk. I was trying to think of ways to offset that without making the jacket too heavy.

Sharon

There are many fabrics made specifically for water and wind resistance that work well with polar fleece as a lining. I live in Canada so I know about keeping out the wind and cold ;-) Most store bought wind jackets available here are lined with polar fleece and have nylon outer shells. Nylon is the standard for windproof jackets. Neither corduroy nor denim, as heavy as they can be -are truly windproof. I have used several types nylons for outer jacket shells -including gore-tex, cordura, supplex, and my favourite for making insulated winter coats, Commander Cloth. These are all designed to be worn in heavy weather by hikers, campers, and other outdoor activities. In addition they are all quite easy to sew (for an experienced sew-er) and are perfect for lining with polar fleece. Most of these fabrics come in many colors. I get most of my outerwear fabrics from a specialty company from Alberta, Textile Outfitters. Here's their website:

How about using windbloc or wind stopper fleece? It is more expensive (but possibly not more so than buying two fabrics), but would prevent the bulk of two layers.

Lizzy

Have a look here,too.

have used this company many times, they are very reliable.Juno

I would suggest a waterproof breathable (WPB) -- this will let moisture evaporate from within the jacket, keep rain off, and not let the wind through. Or I'd suggest doing a single layer jacket with one of the new "softshell" fleeces, like Malden's Powershield (expensive and worth for wind resistance, thin, light, easy construction, good quality and quiet)(Windbloc is noisy) Sources here:

noticed ER Hamilton Booksellers had "Sew The New Fleece" at a good pricethe other day-- that's a good one to have around when you're working withfleece.

Kay