A good day with my needles and pins

Yesterday I pieced together my waistcoat for my City and Guilds course.  I was pleased with how much I managed to do, I finished the top stitching and then did a sample of the  bound button holes, the sample I did went well.

 So I decided to work on the fabric, it was slow going but I think they are all OK! I found working in the navy on a dull day quite difficult, another time I think a good sunny day would be better.  Even with two good lights over the work it still made it extremely difficult.

Once the button holes were completed, I put on the back belt and started to stitch the side seams.

Once the lining is in tomorrow I will take a picture of the finished waistcoat to show off my work.  I am really pleased with the way it is turning out. Now I need to turn my attention to my jacket.

Sewing for men is different from sewing for women. Different skills and different techniques



My new Wednesday course doing Men's Tailoring it brilliant, I'm enjoying every minute, the 2 hours in the class just speeds by, but I've managed to cover so much already in just three lessons. I'm starting by making Mike a Linen jacket.  I purchased the fabric at the Sewing Exhibition in Shepton Mallet earlier in the year, it's a good thing this summer was not the right weather to wear it as I'm only just starting it.

 

 

With the pattern selected and toile cut out and fitted, it's time to see where it needs adjusting.  Mike has long arms, so they will have to have some added fabric when I amend the pattern.  It looks a bit big across the shoulder, so a little needs to be taken in there.

Also something needs doing about the cross back area. Once the toile is adjusted and refitted, then it's time to get cutting in the Linen fabric.

I went to Dorren's sewing classes almost twenty years ago to learn to sew for men and to do ladies tailoring, she taught me a lot, but over the years I've forgotten the techniques and skills needed to make clothes for me.  So a refresher was needed.  I was so pleased when she agreed to take me on again, I know I'm not an easy student.  I like a challenge and always want to stretch my learning to the limits, so it makes me a challenge for the tutor. I've been surprised how once I started again, things keep coming back to me, I do remember after all.

Everything I stitch 'seams' to be blue

Everything I am sewing at the moment has a blue theme.  The work for my City and Guilds submission pieces have the theme of Moody Blues.  And when I look at all the things I have stitch over the last few weeks, the blue theme is in every thing.

This 1947s jacket is a Vogue pattern, but I have modernised it with a 2012 twist, its made from curtain fabric because I could not find any blue wool at the time and all the seam lines are piped, it took a long time to do, but it looks great on.



 

 

 

Now I just need something to wear it with and somewhere nice to go.

 

Working on my City and Guilds

I'm making a jacket, waistcoat and trousers, all in blue for my City and Guilds, I have enjoyed making lots of sample garments before I settled on the final design ideas.

 

This is the waistcoat pattern all drafted out, tested out on a sample waistcoat and ready to cut out.

After my trip to the Birmingham Museum in May to see the exhibition 'Style Africa' I have wanted to find some African prints to work with.  I was really pleased when I found these fabrics from The African Fabric Shop at the NEC when I went to the Quilt Exhibition there in August.  I chose four different prints and aim to put them together into a patchwork jacket.  I will add more photos as the work progresses.

 

 

New Tailoring Course

 

Three weeks ago I started to revise my gent's tailoring skills, doing another course with Doreen again, to refresh my men's tailoring knowledge.  I learnt to make clothes for men with Doreen nearly 20 years ago at a local sewing class she was teaching.   I've been busy at school for many years and not really done much men's sewing for a while.  So I decided it was time to have ago again, and who better to teach me! So I made enquiries and joined a class she is now running, for one afternoon a week, photos to follow, to chart my progress on the first of what I hope will be many future garments.