I realize that I never really wrapped up the kilt project(s). It all got a little overwhelming. Rather than blab on and on about the whole endeavor, I think I'll just let the wedding photographer's blog post illustrate what an extraordinary event two amazing young people, and their loving families, created on a farm in [...]
Category: tailoring
Not dead — yet!
My brother called a couple of weeks ago, worried that I might be dead. Apparently my niece mentioned that I hadn't posted anything in ages, and she was a little concerned. Contrary to opinion, I am alive! What's been going on??? I've been sewing like a madman, and blogging about it has fallen to the [...]
Muslin #2, Mrs. Mole’s fix and MORE!
The fitting battle continues.... First, thanks Mrs. Mole for your suggestion. I took your advice for my Dowager's hump, and the result is perfect. Plus it was extremely easy. Here's what it looks like... I sliced across the back at yoke level, and swung the top half up to create a curve at the upper [...]
Blazer of 2016 — Muslin #1
After weeks of procrastinating I jumped into the muslin phase, and it didn't take long to figure out that I've got my hands full with this pattern. There were some pretty glaring problems right out of the envelope. So I decided to do some "preemptive" adjustments. First off, the center back seam is ramrod straight [...]
The Home Stretch, or….The All Day Waistband
I had a feeling that the waistband would be time consuming, and man was I right. I used the construction techniques from Roberto Cabrera; and while I love the results, there are probably much easier, and faster, ways to finish off a pair of pants. The waistband is constructed before sewing up the crotch seam, [...]
Completing the Jacket Fronts…Tailoring nerds rejoice!
I know that many of you enjoy seeing the tailoring process, so this post's for you! For some, this may look like torture, but I actually enjoy all this hand work. Maybe you do too. It may look complicated, but in reality it's pretty basic stuff. There's a real sense of constructing something as I [...]
Oh, Yeah… I’m supposed to be making a suit.
Wow, it's been ages since I've posted anything. Spring sort of happened, (although most people in the Northeast are still in doubt), and life got a little hectic. Still, I've managed to make some progress on my Martha's Vineyard wedding outfit. I guess one could say I've been productive but silent. Still, I have a [...]
Tailoring Geekery … Conclusion
Moving forward, it's time to attach the lining to the jacket. Unfortunately, I don't have many photos of this process. I was so focused on the sewing that I totally forgot about the camera! In all honesty I was dreading this step, but it ended up being much easier than I anticipated. After placing the [...]
Wrestling Match
Things moved ahead so smoothly with the lining that I completely forgot about inserting the shoulder pads. Oh man, what an ordeal. Not that this is a particularly difficult process, it's just that there suddenly seems to be a lot of jumbled fabric sitting in one's lap. It starts to turn into a wrestling match. [...]
A Lazy Man’s Lining
With the sleeves set it's time to turn my attention to the lining. This is where I start to part ways with the Cabrera book. I think we should all feel free to pick and choose the techniques that work for us and meet our needs. Personally, I find linings difficult. Mostly because the (insert [...]
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