Plaid Overcoat Progress + More Pattern Drafting!

My plaid Burda overcoat is coming along slowly but surely.

On Wednesday I cut my front pockets.  They were supposed to be single welt pockets but due to a slight case of mismeasuring (and consequent cutting) they turned into double welt pockets.  A lucky save.



I'm making keyhole buttonholes myself with my Singer buttonholer (the beige plastic one that uses templates) and have incorporated a hidden button placket, which one often finds on coats like these.  Burda 7780 is a pretty stripped-down coat pattern -- no back vent, only a half lining (I'm adding a full one), and perhaps worst of all, no inside pocket (I'm adding two, for wallet and sunglasses).





As of tonight (Friday) my coat looks like this (below).  I attached the sleeves, the facings are in, and the collar just needs to be topstitched.  I still have to attach my lining pieces and insert them, and then hem the coat and add the buttons.  I hope to finish this sometime next week as I don't expect to be able to sew this weekend.



In other news, I had my patternmaking class again on Wednesday night.  We used the pattern we drafted last week to make a muslin to fit our dress form.  Here's mine: a shapely Size 8.



We then put the pinned muslin on the form and, with the assistance of the professor, corrected any fit issues.  These corrections were transferred to the paper pattern, and the now-corrected pattern was used to trace a master pattern on heavy brown paper.  That's a lot for one night, no?







I am loving this FIT patternmaking class.  The pace is perfect for me: it's fast but not overwhelming, and the professor is very enthusiastic and supportive.

And that's it.

Have a great weekend, everybody, and tune in next week for further coat updates!

My client, blue-eyed Ephraim, picked up his shirt this week.  It looks lovely on him.

Remaking a Coat Pattern from Six Years Ago, et al.

Readers, I don't know how I managed it, but six years ago, with little more than two months' sewing experience under my belt, I made Burda 7780 (above).  It turned out pretty nice, especially from a distance.



I made it with cheap fabric, however, and it didn't really hold up well over the years; I finally said good-bye to it this summer.  But since I could really use a raincoat-type topper, I'm making Burda 7780 again.  This time I'm using a coated cotton plaid in a rather dark palette.



It wasn't till I started cutting my fabric, however, that I was reminded that this pattern's front and back pieces are slightly curved.  As a result, the back looks like this:



The plaid matches (I used a walking foot with my Singer 201) but there's an unmistakable "V" shape at the center.  That's OK, right?

I've cut all my pieces out (plaid takes a lot time to cut, I was reminded) and interfaced what needs interfacing.  I hope to start putting things together tomorrow (plus double welt pockets; sigh).





In other news, last week I completed a shirt muslin for a client, using a coarse vintage cotton floral I found at the flea market years ago.  It's a pretty print but not very soft.



For the first time, I created a pattern by copying an already-made garment.  I used the method David Coffin recommends in his book, Shirtmaking.  It involves putting pins through the edges of the garment pieces and connecting the pin pricks.







We'll see how it fits in a few weeks.

On an unrelated not, this weekend I draped Michael in blue and patterned shirting I may use to make a shirt for him.  He's a "Light Summer."



On Sunday, we did my friend Johanna's colors.  We say she's an "Autumn."



And that's it!

In closing, have you ever copied a ready-to-wear garment using David Coffin's method or another? What were the results like?

Have a great day, everybody!

Willy sure knows how to charm Grandma!

I'll See You In September!

Vacation Eve!

I have not been out of town in a very long time and I'm really looking forward to a break in my routine.  Can't wait to eat some lobster!



I spent most of today sewing what I think is going to be a very beautiful shirt (I'm a very last-minute packer).  I love the fabric and it's a pleasure to sew with.



Oddly enough, though I have many, many shades of blue thread, I didn't have the right one for this particular blue, so early this morning I whizzed up to Sil Thread on 38th St., where of course I found what I needed.  Love that place!



The back yoke of the shirt is cut on the bias.  It's subtle but I like it.



Here's a little video of me topstitching -- not sure if you have to have an Instagram account to see it, hope not.

I also needed a contrast fabric for the solid blue below right, a very different blue from the one up top.  The print I chose (on the left) is likely to be used for the inside collar, inside pocket flaps -- if there are any -- and maybe the front placket on the button (right) side, which is largely covered by the buttonhole (left) side.  Of course, on a woman's blouse it's just the opposite.   Anyway, it's not going to be highly visible but will add a bit of interest.



And that's it.  I've been running a lot lately, and Provincetown is one of my all-time favorite places to run (but not to swim, oddly enough).  I've been adjusting to the most minimal running shoes I've ever worn, called Zero shoes.  They're the closest thing to barefoot and I'm totally sold on them.  I wear mine with five-toed socks.  Pretty wacky, right?



In closing, I wish all of you a great week and I will see you soon! 

PS -- I should be posting daily to Instagram if you want to see some vacay pics before my return.  Have smartphone, will travel!

Liked It So Much, I Made Another!

One of the garments I'm complimented on most frequently when I wear it is the blue cotton shawl-collar sweater I made a little over a year ago.

You may recall -- or didn't I ever tell you? -- that I purchased this sweater knit in two colors: blue, which I used right away, and sand, which I haven't.  Or rather hadn't.  Michael has been asking for his own sweater since I made mine, and I finally got around to making it this weekend.

Here's what the knit looks like -- a friend of mine who's a textile designer said it's knit in the round (I think) which explains why the right side of the fabric doesn't run perfectly horizontal, but rather at a slight angle.  Did I understand her correctly?  You buy it off the bolt like any fabric (i.e., it's not in a big loop).  Maybe you know.







Anyway, once again I'm using vintage McCall's 5267.  I love this pattern and it goes together easily.  Someone on Instagram asked me if I serge the seams and I replied that I do not: I stitch them with my Singer 15-91 (the machine I've been using most this week) and then serge the seam allowances.  It's a very heavy knit and serging the seams -- while totally do-able -- doesn't look as nice as stitching them with a sewing machine and finishing the seam allowances.



This time I lined my front patch pockets with leftover paisley fabric from Zack's shirt (and my boxers):



I'm mostly done, I just have to whip stitch down some seam allowances so they lay flat, buy buttons, and make (or have made) buttonholes.  Hopefully tomorrow.

This just in: I got a new pattern!  It's Butterick 5811, a unisex (!) raglan-sleeve jacket pattern.  Looks like something that might be fun for the fall with a knit waistband and collar.



I have a busy week ahead: a pair of pants are in the pipeline, as well as a few shirts for clients, before we leave town for a week's vacation.  Hope the summer weather holds out a while longer.  

Have a great day, everybody!

Working on Rugby Shirt #2

It's time for another rugby shirt!

This time I'm using a cotton knit that's less stretchy than the pink and blue one I worked with last week.  So much less, in fact, that after I'd stitched the sleeves and torso seams closed at 5/8" and tried the shirt on, I had to rip the seams open and re-stitch at 1/4" (Luckily I hadn't yet serged the seams.).  The extra ease made a huge difference in the fit -- I hate knits that cling across the chest.

This knit is a lot like those found in those striped French boating shirts.  It stretches (along the weft) but there's definitely no Lycra here.  Once again I used the front opening placket from David Coffin's Shirtmaking book, and added a full collar stand and collar.





I hope to finish this soon and whip up some coordinating pants next week.

In other news, this morning in the trash I found this vintage Sixties Admiral portable TV.  Not sure what to do with it though.  It's in excellent shape.



I've been wearing a lot of my recent makes.  Last Friday I went fabric shopping with a friend and wore my comfy linen coveralls.



Saw the shot below on Pinterest and felt very on-trend.



Sunday I wore my pink and blue rugby shirt, a new favorite.



And on Saturday, I wore my Miyake-inspired shirt (combining two cotton-silk organza-weight print fabrics) and man-skirt (you may remember this from last year).  I must say that after a full day in this outfit, it no longer feels in any way unusual -- just clothes.  I got a lot of compliments!



And that's it!

With just a few days before MPB Day, I'm catching up on my beauty sleep and thinking about possible outfits.  It may be time for a makeover...



Have a great day, everybody!

I'm Making Coveralls (or is it a jumpsuit?)

Last year I purchased Kwik Sew 3389 with the intention of making a pair of coveralls, and I've finally decided the time is right.

I spent the last two days working on them and hope to finish them tomorrow.  I'm making mine out of a beautiful blue linen rather than a more utilitarian fabric. 



The Kwik Sew instructions are very clear and I've made only a few alterations to the pattern, mainly shortening them a little in the chest, the waist, the rise, and the inseam.  Since it's all one piece, it has to fit: there aren't many places to adjust it.

Now you may be wondering what the difference is between coveralls and a jumpsuit.  Coveralls are something worn over other clothes (hence the name) whereas a jumpsuit is usually worn next to the skin, am I right?  (More discussion of men's jumpsuits here.)

I'm not sure I'll be wearing these over other pants but I'll probably wear them over a shirt; I have to see how they look when they're finished.  The sewing has gone well but there's a lot of seaming (and many of the seams are reinforced with rayon binding) and topstitching, not to mention side pockets and patch pockets -- it all takes time and this somewhat loosely woven linen is a little hard to handle (and prone to fraying and growing).













Some of my inspiration for this project is below:

Hermes

Levi's for Band of Outsiders

I'm really looking forward to getting these finished and seeing how comfortable I am wearing them -- it's a new type of garment for me.  The linen makes them very cool and, since they cover most everything else, an easy thing to pull on for a summer morning dog walk.  We shall see.  Does any guy you know wear coveralls (as fashion, not uniform)?

Have a great day, everybody!