In a recent post, I detailed the high-level design of the photo panels: where they’re located on the jacket, how big they are, etc. But I didn’t cover the actual implementation because I hadn’t yet figured out how it would work.

I ordered a few samples of clear vinyl PVC material and tried sewing them directly to the fabric. I quickly noticed a flaw with this approach: when stitching PVC to fabric, the stitches are stronger than the PVC material. This means that the PVC will eventually rip free from the stitches, making the panel useless.

As I began to think about how to solve this problem, I remembered a simple analog: a wallet ID window. An ID window allows you to see a card underneath but safely sandwiches the fragile PVC material between two layers of fabric, protecting it from potential damage.

I looked up a tutorial on YouTube:

I wanted to make sure I understood how this worked. One of the ways I’ve enjoyed learning lately is by breaking down the material and rewriting it step by step.

Step By Step ID Window

(⚠️ Descriptions are mine. Screenshots captured from the video above)

The ID panel is formed via a piece of fusible iron-on interfacing cut into a rectangle, with a concentric rectangle cut out in the middle.

A piece of fusible interfacing (a stiff fabric that provides reinforcement) is ironed to a piece of ‘real’ fabric, as shown above.

This gingham+interfacing piece is sewn along one side to another piece of fabric (floral), and one side of a zipper.

The gingham piece (which the fusible interface was ironed to) is then marked, with a smaller rectangle in the middle and lines going from the corners:

The mini rectangle drawn in the middle is snipped out completely, and the remaining four diagonal lines to the corner are snipped so that each side of the inner rectangle space has a flappy trapezoid:

Each trapezoid gets folded down over the fusible interfacing and ironed into a crisp square, forming a neat finish.

Now, this is looking recognizably like an ID window – minus the PVC.

But we still have to do the same steps to the backing piece of fabric – the floral piece of fabric – so that the folded-over trapezoids get hidden inside the sandwiched layers of fabric. We trace the rectangle:

And then start the same process, of snipping the corners and cutting out the inner rectangle:

Then ironing those over:

And sandwiching the two pieces together:

Then we stick the piece of PVC in the middle of the sandwich, like a nice slice of transparent plastic ham:

And, sew around the edges of the rectangle so everything is held in place:

Then, a backing piece is added for structure and a way to slip the ID card in:

Experimenting With The ID Window

Now that we’ve outlined the theoretical approach from the video, let’s try it out in practice with a quick prototype. I omitted the zipper but happened to have fusible interfacing leftover from another project.

First I cut out a fabric rectangle (green fabric), then a smaller rectangle of white fusible interfacing, which I cut out an inner rectangle from. I didn’t bother taking measurements, since I’m trying to validate the overall concept, not make it perfectly fit a photo.

I ironed on the fusible interfacing, which has a heat-activated adhesive side that bonds to the fabric beneath it.

Once the fusible was bonded to the fabric, I drew an inner rectangle and cut it out, then drew diagonal lines to the corners.

I snipped those lines, creating ‘trapezoidal flaps’ which would be folded around the stiffer fusible interfacing.

I did the same with a second piece of fabric, then sandwiched a piece of PVC between those two pieces of fabric. What you see below is me holding this sheet above a Polaroid on the table.

The last remaining step is to attach this ‘sheet’ to another backing piece of fabric:

Then, we can slide the image in.

This open side will have a zipper that the wearer can open/close.

Adapting The ID Window For A Photo Panel Implementation

I expect to follow the approach above – except instead of one panel, I’ll create one or more long strips of 3 “windows” stacked vertically on top of each other, attached to one long zipper.

Think of it like this. If my MS Paint style drawing here represents the original ID window:

Then the multi-photo approach will look more like this:

Each of the windows would be cut out of one long rectangular strip of fabric. Each “window” would be a small separate PVC rectangle.

One thing I’m unsure of is whether each photo window will have a zipper, or whether there will be one long zipper allowing access to all 3 photos at once. Probably each window will be given a small zipper. Otherwise, when replacing one photo, others might accidentally fall out.

Once the strip is formed, it will be sewn onto a backing rectangle of thinner fabric, That completed panel will then be sewn onto the jacket.