• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Forum
  • Design Studio
  • Upholstery Jobs
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsors

The Hog Ring

Auto Upholstery Community

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Ukrainian Sewing Machine Operators are Sewing Flak Jackets

March 21, 2022 By Nadeem Muaddi

The Hog Ring - Ukrainian Sewing Machine Operators are Sewing Flak Jackets

Ukrainian sewing machine operators have stopped stitching clothes and upholstery to focus on making body armor for soldiers and resistance fighters batting Russian forces.

Together, the sewing machine operators have formed an improvised production chain that spans cities and towns across the country. They are sewing flak jackets and balaclavas, among other military clothing.

CNN documented the effort in a recent article titled “Ukrainians are making homemade body armor to send to frontline troops.” Here’s a an excerpt:

Irina Protchenko, 68, sings the Ukrainian anthem while steadily working at her sewing machine in a small apartment in central Ukraine. She retired not long ago from a factory in the outskirts of Kyiv, where she spent 50 years tailoring men’s suits and coats for clothing giants such as Hugo Boss and Lacoste.

She should be enjoying a life of leisure after decades of hard work. Instead, she’s sewing flak jackets and balaclavas with her children and grandchildren for Ukrainians traveling east to protect their country from Russian invasion.

“I should be sewing tuxedos for weddings,” not flak jackets, she told CNN. Her sewing machine is pushed against the corner of the living room, surrounded by rolls of fabric, Velcro, and cut-up car floor mats — supplies either purchased by the family or donated.

“The biggest reward will be if one of these flak jackets saves the life of one of our defenders,” Protchenko said as she proudly held up a finished vest. With each finished vest, she counts it as one more victory for Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, triggering a humanitarian disaster. As of Friday, at least 847 civilians have been killed, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office. More than three million people have fled Russia’s bombing of civilian centers, causing a refugee crisis.

Prior to the war, most of the sewing machine operators had never seen a flak jacket, let alone sewn one. CNN reports that some pulled images and videos of flak jackets off the internet to copy. For armor plates, they use scrap metal.

Of course, this isn’t the first time sewing machine operators have used their skills to address a major international crisis. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, many dropped their work to sew face masks.

Filed Under: Archive, Interesting Read Tagged With: Auto Trim, Auto Upholstery, Car Interior, Sewing Machine

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. cenzinla says

    December 14, 2022 at 11:33 pm

    Each of us should cherish the workers geometry dash lite

Primary Sidebar

anal porno bangbros rus porno yaşlı porno konulu porno olgun porno porno izle sarışın porno bakire sex 69 porno

THR Sponsors

NC Sewing Machines
Miami Corporation - Right Rail Ad 3
  • Albright's Supply
  • Big Z Fabric
  • Keyston Bros
  • Leather Craft
  • OEM+ Banner Ad - The Hog Ring
  • Hyde Leather
  • Douglass Interior Products

THR Favorites

The Hog Ring - This Car is Upholstered in Persian Rugs

This Car is Upholstered in Persian Rugs

How would an old school Mercedes-Benz look … [more] about This Car is Upholstered in Persian Rugs

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - JNG Creations

Shop Profile: JNG Creations

It’s no secret that there’s a lack of … [more] about Shop Profile: JNG Creations

Auto Upholstery - The Hog Ring - Custom Headliner

10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

For many auto upholstery shops, headliner … [more] about 10 Cool Custom Headliners on Instagram

The Hog Ring - Meet the Trimmers Behind Auto Kustoms

Meet the Trimmers Behind Auto Kustoms

Although our "Meet the Trimmer" series … [more] about Meet the Trimmers Behind Auto Kustoms

The Hog Ring - Meet Oksana Ignatova of Stitch Girl Inc

Meet Oksana Ignatova of Stitch Girl Inc

Oksana Ignatova of Stitch Girl Inc is a … [more] about Meet Oksana Ignatova of Stitch Girl Inc

The Hog Ring - Roxan Jane of Range Needlework

Meet Roxan Jane of Range Needlework

Thanks to her beautifully crafted motorcycle … [more] about Meet Roxan Jane of Range Needlework

Categories

Footer

Recent Articles

  • The Viral Headrest Gun Safe Is Going Nationwide with Tint World
  • TMG and Haartz to Open North Carolina Plant, Creating 125 New Jobs
  • Everything We Covered in June 2025
  • How OEM+ Auto Tops is Redefining Convertible Top Manufacturing with In-House Mold Production
  • From Factory Match to Full Custom: LEATHER CRAFT Has It Covered

Recent Comments

  • Edward Munday on Hidden Mouse Nest? How to Charge for the Extra Dirty Work
  • Jack on Keyston Bros. Acquires DLT Corporation
  • Brodie Smith on Aston Martin Just Introduced a New Convertible DB12
  • THE CAPTAIN on 6 Tips for Turning Callers into Customers
  • Dmei on Star Wars Seat Covers are ‘So Wizard’

Advertise With Us!

We're always looking for companies to collaborate with. Watch this short video about the benefits of sponsorship and then email us to say hi.

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in