Work on the jacket continues. Pattern Adjustments When tailoring from a commercial pattern, there’s some additional pattern work that goes on before fabric cutting. We draft new pieces for linings and usually pieces for facings and interfacings as a consequence of fitting the main garment. One issue I encountered with the original pattern has to do with the amount of ease in the upper area of the sleeve cap. A tailored jacket always has some amount of ease, anywhere from 1 1/2″ to (I have heard) in some cases 3″. The ease is essential in order for the cap to stand up from the shoulder, and als ..read more

I have been enjoying the online Tailoring classes offered by Lynda Maynard through her website. Her Tailoring class is a repeat of the class I took in person at City College in the fall of 2017. For me it is a nice opportunity to make a jacket from start to finish as a sewalong, and an opportunity to further my tailoring skills. Pattern For the original class I used an in-print Vogue jacket pattern with good results, but this time I wanted to try something different. I rummaged through my pattern stash and found this vintage pattern, Vogue 9445. I honestly don’t know where this pattern came fr ..read more

Time for a report on the boxerbriefs project. Truth be told, this may be a project where I have bitten off more I can chew. I’m making a total of 20 pair assembly-line style, which means a lot of repetitive work, and each step takes a long time. Plus, it’s been several months ssince I began this project, and my enthusiasm has defintely evaporated since the project began. But, I don’t like UFO projects and so finish this I will. Hems Restarting the project, the first order of business was to join fronts to backs, easily done on the serger. The next step, hemming, is a real chore for me even do ..read more

I decided recently I wanted to make another batch of boxer briefs, as I had done before. Making underwear is a great way to use up the scraps of knit fabric lying around in your fabric stash, and get a result that fits great and is comfortable. In my case, I had also bought yardage specifically for the project, and I got some knit fabric at swap meets that would be perfect for the project. But, the project has turned out to be a bit of an albatross. It’s become something of a UFO (un-finished project): I started it this past winter, put it aside because other projects and teaching commitments ..read more

I had originally intended this article to be about the batch of face masks I stitched up to get acquainted with my new sewing machine. But, I couldn’t resist getting nerdy over the feed dog adjustments on an industrial sewing machine. Industrial Feed Dogs An industrial sewing machine is meant to do one specific task, and to do it over and over again. If you are working in a factory and sewing a batch of 5000 dresses, it’s worthwhile to configure the machine to work well for just that job, down the point of swapping out parts as necessary. As I mentioned in my last article, industrial machines ..read more

That was my first thought after I had written out the check to Tammy Gustin at Sips n Sews studio to purchase one of their industrial sewing machines, and had time to reflect on it. Industrial sewing machines are not portable. They are bulky and difficult to transport; you may need to call a tech on-site if you can’t repair or adjust it yourself. They need to be oiled everywhere, and I mean everywhere (more on that in a bit). They are designed for practicality, not convenience; many adjustments on an industrial require screwdrivers and setscrews rather than dials. In short, they are higher mai ..read more

It has been a while, hasn’t it? Quite a lot has happened in my life since the last blog post. My readers are completely forgiven for thinking I have vanished off the face of the Earth. An Update on Me For one, I finished my classes in the Fashion Department at City College of San Francisco. I earned two certificates of completion, one in Garment Construction and the other in Patternmaking. I have earned most of the credits necessary to complete a third certificate, Advanced Garment Construction, lacking only a class in Couture Sewing Techniques to qualify. The culmination of two and a half yea ..read more

Sorry to keep you waiting on my fashion show debut!  Between class projects and getting my teaching venture off the ground, I’ve let the blog fall by the wayside.  It occurs to me I owe all of you a recap on how the fashion show went. Here’s the completed outfit walking the runway at the City College of San Francisco Fashion Show, “Odyssey.”  The model is Damon Mahoney; besides his work as a fashion model, he is a fashion entrepreneur who makes an exquisite line of hand-painted scarves and accessories.  You can see his creations at his website.  He was fantastic to wor ..read more

My colorblocked jacket has gone beyond any expectations I have set for the project. The City College of San Francisco produces a yearly Fashion Show with students in the Fashion department undertaking production. Aspiring designers (usually senior-year Fashion students) prepare collections to walk the runway, with the award being a scholarship at a local fashion school. The show includes a “Gallery” segment, featuring individual student creations.  After completing the jacket,  I decided on a lark to submit it for consideration in the gallery.  I presented the garment to the ju ..read more

My course in Apparel Construction at City College of San Francisco this spring encompasses three major projects: A sleeveless sheath dress A pant or pencil skirt A machine-tailored jacket, made with fusible interfacings So here I’m beginning a new blog series on the first project for the class, the sleeveless sheath dress.   Careful readers will note that project isn’t the same as the title of this article, so some explanation is in order. Requirements The sleeveless sheath dress, as a class assignment, has the following requirements: Internal seaming.  These are seams that d ..read more