A Slight Change of Plan

Let's get back to the pea coat project.

As you'll recall, I'm making my coat from the Japanese men's coat pattern book up top.



I made a muslin, and last week was all set to make the coat in this brown Donegal tweed.



Then it hit me: I didn't have sufficient time to do all the tailoring it required (what with all my Japanese TV commitments) and I wasn't confident enough about the pattern, which I'd had to trace from a book written entirely in Japanese.  (This month's theme is JAPAN.)

After sleeping on the issue, I decided to buy a different fabric that would require less tailoring and if I liked the way the pea coat turned out in the new fabric, make a Donegal wool version later on.  Doesn't that make more sense than rushing?

My new fabric is a coated cotton canvas.  It's as if the canvas has been painted with a thin coat of brown rubber, but it's not heavy or clammy feeling, and the grain remains visible.  It also has a slightly stone-washed patina I love.  It reminds me of waxed cotton.  Also, it can be pressed without the coating coming off.





Here's the selvage:



The underside feels like brushed cotton.



I plan to line the coat with the cotton flannel below, a remnant from a shirt I made for Michael last year.



Today I started cutting and I hope to start sewing tomorrow.



And that's it!  I do intend to make outerwear with that wool; maybe next month if all goes well.

In closing, readers, have you ever seen fabric like this before?

What do you think it's coated with?

Happy Monday, everybody!

Japanese TV wants to interview ME?

ZOMG, readers -- you won't believe how I spent yesterday!

About a month ago I'd received an email from a producer at Japan's Nippon TV network, saying they were interested in doing a short (2 1/2 minute) segment about vintage sewing machines.  They'd discovered my blog and were wondering if they could do an interview.

With my friend Johanna.

And would I kindly contact her for them?

OK, originally it sounded like they were interested in both of us, but after a few email exchanges it became clear that they wanted to tape the segment at Johanna's apartment, focus on Johanna's machines, and -- tragically -- interview just Johanna.

Friends, I was totally OK with this.  I've had my fifteen minutes of fame (or at least Cathy has); now it was Johanna's turn.  Not to mention that Johanna's collection of roughly twenty vintage machines dwarfs my own.  And her colorful, artsy-craftsy apartment is much more telegenic.  Plus she doesn't live with two yapping chihuahuas.

The interview was scheduled for yesterday afternoon.  Johanna made me promise I'd be there -- it's not like I pulled a Lucy Ricardo, hoping to break into show business by squeezing myself into the frame.  Also too, Johanna didn't want to be alone while her home was invaded by strangers, and who can blame her?

Johanna had spent a few days prepping her machines, straightening up the apartment, that sort of thing.  I got there early and was immediately reminded how many beautiful machines she owns.  There are sewing machines in almost every nook and cranny!

A few highlights:















When the TV crew of four arrived (two of whom spoke no English), they already had a precise idea of what they wanted to cover.  A lot of time was spent moving furniture, setting up lights, plugging in cords, and making sure the machines (and Johanna) were ready for their close-ups.









They wanted to tape Johanna sewing more than just a fabric scrap, so Johanna actually ripped open the seams of an old muslin so she could sew it back together.   That was my idea!









It was a very long day, readers -- they filmed for roughly four and a half hours!  Fortunately after the adventure was finished, Johanna treated me to dinner at a marvelous Greek restaurant that specializes in fish. 

Greek coffee is half grounds.

I am very proud of Johanna, who (so far) hasn't let her sewing machine celebrity go to her head.  The segment is due to air in early December and I think it is going to be big, very big.  At least in Japan.  I only hope Johanna still remembers me when she's starring in her own Japanese reality show.

You can view more photos of Johanna's large (and growing) vintage sewing machine collection, as well as highlights of our day under the glare of portable klieg lights here.

Don't you think it's time for Johanna to formally open her sewing machine museum already?

Have a great day, everybody!

Indie Pattern Companies and The Power of Branding

Readers, today I want to talk about branding.

You may have heard around the blogosphere that Colette has a few new men's patterns for sale -- a duffle coat called Albion and a bag (that can be a messenger bag, satchel, or backpack) called Cooper.

Let me say right off that the bat that I have no formal relationship with Colette, despite my having chosen their Negroni men's shirt pattern for my men's shirt sew-along a few years ago (and I purchased my copy).  But I want to focus on how expertly Colette is targeting the male sewing audience.

First, they've started a separate label for their men's patterns -- Walden.  Let's face it: a lot of men are squeamish about purchasing anything associated with women, masculinity being the fragile construct that it is.  So creating a separate menswear pattern line is a fantastic idea.

Second, they have great art direction, incorporate video, and use hip looking models. (You can take a look at the site and read more about the patterns here.)

Friends, who would you rather spend an evening (and perhaps the following morning) with?  Him....



Or him...?



Him....  (Wait, that's the same guy.  No matter!)



Or him?  (And what's with that fleece?)



Why must the Big Four pattern company sites look so generic, so nearly identical, so often divorced from fashion?  (And why must every guy be a "dad" or "husband"?  We get it, they're straight.)  These are not rhetorical questions, readers.

Is there a fear that the typical Jo-Ann's customer will be put off by the Pacific Northwest hipster aesthetic of Colette's Walden line?  Or is it just too expensive to update what's probably not a hugely profitable part of the business?

Obviously, a small, independent pattern company is more nimble, so a focused (even quirky) vision is easier to put into place.   There's a reason why the online shopping experience of buying menswear from Sears is different from that of a small, urban, clothing store chain like Steven Alan.   I'm not talking about the merchandise (though there's that) but rather the presentation. 

Readers, three questions:

1) Do you find the more focused, art-directed approach of many of the indie pattern companies to be to your liking, or are you immune to branding and focus solely on the quality of the pattern itself?  (or maybe you're put off by a hipper aesthetic?)

2) Is it merely the smaller size of the indie company that makes their branding so effective, or is it rather the clear vision of a single person, regardless of the size of the company?

3) What do you think the future holds as far as Indie vs. Big Four?  Do the Davids have an edge on the Goliaths?

Jump in!

Inspecting Two Ill-Fitting Men's Coats

I spent most of today gearing up for my pea coat project.

Most of this involved perusing tailoring books and blogs (primarily Mainely Dad's), to figure out how I want to tackle this project.  I'm trying to psych myself for what I fear could be a challenging week ahead.

I also inspected two old, soon-to-be-discarded coats Michael and I own, to see how they're put together.  I love to examine commercially made clothing and I learn a lot about clothing construction in the process.  I know there's a school of thought that says if you're going to aspire to nothing more than ready-to-wear techniques, buy ready-to-wear.  I can understand that way of thinking but it isn't mine.  Most of the ready-to-wear I've owned was decent and made to last -- maybe not decades, but certainly many years -- and I'd be happy to be able to create something as professionally finished.  (Perhaps women's clothes are more flimsily constructed since women's fashion cycles are so much shorter, ergo the RTW standard is lower)

This German loden coat is Michael's.  It's a melton wool topcoat and boy is it big, even when worn over a suit. And long.



A few design details:









Pulling up the polyester lining, you can see that the front interfacing is fused.





The corners of the pockets are reinforced with something that feels like Swedish tracing paper.



A piece of ribbon holds the pocket bag to the front seam -- a nice touch.



The armholes are reinforced with stay tape.



This topcoat isn't fancy and Michael plans to donate it to a coat drive this winter, but it's interesting to look inside it.

Coat #2 is something I bought from H&M in the days before I knew how to sew.  Yes, I sometimes indulged in fast fashion.

It's a Size 36 -- normally my size -- but too long and boxy on me and way too stiffly constructed for comfort.  I haven't worn it in years but Michael still dons it occasionally.  I think it cost $100 which is not very much for a men's wool coat, but it was a bad choice in retrospect.  It does have a lot of pockets and even a little inner tab to keep the back vent from flying open -- a nice touch.









The collar is cut like a men's trench coat collar.





Ill-fitting coats like these make me glad I can sew,  but I also recognize that even lower-end men's ready-to-wear often has design details that are lacking in most men's outerwear sewing patterns.  A good example is that the Japanese pea coat pattern includes no inside pockets and just two outside pockets, when most commercial pea coats have four.  So if you are aware of these details and want them in your clothes, you have to draft and add them yourself.

I hope to start cutting my fabric tomorrow.  I think I have all the supplies I need on hand already, except for buttons.  The journey begins.

Readers, when you sew clothes do you aspire to haute couture quality or are you satisfied with a standard RTW-level of construction and flattered that someone might think you bought it at Target or Kohl's?

Is an industrial standard good enough for you?

Have a great day, everybody!