Jill's shoulder harness- another essential part of her outfit. I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. First thing I did was look up a bunch of various types of shoulder harnesses to find the one that would match the most in terms of look, texture, shape etc. I decided to go with Lowepro's "S&F Technical Harness". It can also be found on Amazon for a little less.
I chose this one because, while it's a rig used for photography, it was made of the material I was looking for, black, sturdy/tough, correct size, and it already had some of the straps and 'D-rings' in the right place! This is what it looks like out of the box:
First, I took off the straps that could be removed: the one in the middle that horizontally connects to the two shoulders and the two on either side that were clipped on the shoulders. Leave the two at the bottom ends of the shoulders on as they will loop under the armpit to connect to the back. I also took off the 'Lowepro' logo.
My plan was to cut each strap at the same place, switch sides, and sew them back on at the back of the harness, achieving Jill's 'H' harness. I found the spot I was going to cut by putting the harness over my shoulders as if I were wearing it.
I cut through the whole strap right under this seam^. Same for the other strap.
The material I used on the edges here^ to close the opening was actually from the Reebow pouch I mentioned in this previous post. I had taken it off while merging the two pouches. I like to reuse materials I have to save money and it's creative!
I did the same for the other side. And the same for the other two halves I just cut off. (The strap I had cut through on top I kept on^, and sewed it into the hem.)
Next, I took off the long piece that goes down the back. No cutting, I just un-stitched it.
The next step is to re-attach the straps on the back/bottom *on opposite sides*. The reason I exchanged their sides is because they curve slightly to one direction or the other. To maintain a smooth flow over the shoulder, under the armpit and up the side of the back, the curves make a sort of semi-circle. I had to fidget a little here to get the right angle. If the angle is too sharp, your straps are coming out of the back into your arms instead of under. If the angle is too wide, they're coming straight down your back. I had to pin and re-pin as I held it on me to get the angle right, just so the straps come under your armpits.
You can see in the picture above that I folded that little piece, which had the strap down the back attached, over the other two pieces.
The strap that is left on, becomes the strap that connects the front to the back underneath the arms, and holds her spare mags. You can see about where the straps should rest under the arms, but do what's comfortable for you! Keep in mind where the mag pouches are going to hang from.
Once you've got it just right, sew!
I sewed the straps to the back, the straps to the folded piece, the folded piece to the back, the straps to the straps back and forth, to make it really secure! Pictured above^ is that horizontal piece that was originally connecting the two shoulder straps before I took it off. You can reattach it or not, it comes off fairly easy. Now how I connected the strap under the arms:
...Back down under it and attached the strap to itself, making a loop. This way, I didn't have to cut anything else and it was just as secure, and more than that, it's adjustable.
Now let's talk about the magazine pouches! Jill has three on her, two under the arms and one on her belt. I don't think I mentioned the one on her belt in this post but I'll do that now.
This specific pouch is called the "Condor MA23 Double Pistol Mag Pouch" that I got on Amazon for around $10. Got three of them and they fit perfectly. They come with the sliding straps you see in the pic above that can come out completely. I've got them adjusted to close over the top two rows of straps. This way they are high enough under my arms not to hit my utility belt. Adjust it for what fits you!
Now you don't have to put anything in these. Obviously, you're not going to wander around a con with some mags. Maybe even empty ones are not a good idea. I wanted to be somewhat realistic, so I got some wood with tape to serve as my spare mags. They add some weight but not a lot.
Went to Michael's, got two pieces of wood called "AM WD Pine Plaque" and cut them into thirds. Put some black duct tape on them and boom. The sliding adjustable straps that come with the pouch are what I used to attach it to the shoulder harness. Slip it on to the strap under the shoulders!
Another detail on the harness is Jill's walkie talkie, specifically, the pouch that holds a walkie. Also not necessary but I added it anyways. I looked for a smaller one that wouldn't be too heavy, with the shape I had in mind. It was hard to find a picture that actually showed the walkie. In some of the previous pictures I've posted, you can see parts of it, but here's one screenshot from a video:
I attached it to the left shoulder of my harness using the straps that were already on the harness and pouch itself.
The harness came out beautifully! It fits so comfortably:)
I hope this has helped. Feel free to ask any questions regarding this costume or any other!
Thank you!
{WarriorClassStudios}
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