Gentlemen, show us what you've made!

[Baron Kurtz]

I'll just say my fingers hurt, and leave it at that.

Just started drafting the pattern for my next one … thanks for the kind words on this one. As a prototype, I think it's not terrible.

can't believe you're mad enough to actually hand stitched everything !

 

[Mario]

As a prototype, I think it's not terrible.

I'm honestly impressed, especially considering that you hand-stitched this thing. But then I'm even impressed if someone is using a proper machine.

 

[BR Gordon]

I'm honestly impressed, especially considering that you hand-stitched this thing. But then I'm even impressed if someone is using a proper machine.

Those were my thoughts exactly.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

 

[Nick D]

Nice one, BK. I like the details, especially the cuffs. I've started doing pick-stitching where before I was machine topstitching, especially on trousers.

If you do get a machine, get a good one. I bought an inexpensive machine, and have regretted it for the last four years. My consolation is I've got a very good machine at home when I move back.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Thanks Nick.

You're absolutely right. I'll be honest and say that both the Baroness and I would by far prefer to have a sewing machine, despite the "fun" of hand stitching. But you know the uncertainties of the academic career, and I don't want to invest in a good manly ex-commercial machine (I need to be able to do leather, eventually) before I know where I'm going to end up. That's probably back in the US, these days, so when I'm settled back there, I'll certainly be buying a good a machine.

For now it's a good set of sharps and some robust thread and newly-developed manly callouses.

 

[Giftmacher]

Hat off to your patience to sew it by hand. Very nicely done! Love it!

 

[BR Gordon]

Hat off to your patience to sew it by hand. Very nicely done! Love it!

My patience is limited to sewing nothing more than brace buttons on my trousers. I am truly impressed with your talent.

 

[Metatron]

Speaking of the jacket design, I love that subtle combination of the spartan and the ornate, like the completely basic collar vs the fancy back.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The base jacket for this model is a 1930s/40s Canadian goatskin work jacket. I changed is the pockets (copied from a 1930s British A-1) and shifted the cuffs round a bit. And I didn't make the collar long enough, so I'll have to replace it.:eusa_doh:

 

[edmond]

 

[Feraud]

Inspirational work!

here's the last three 20s inspired jackets i've made:

...all look rather narrow shouldered on the dummy. when worn your shoulder fills out the sleevehead area.

 

[Barmey]

More vintage cloth folks. Dated 5/11/50. Working on some drafts for myself and then i'll crack on and make something

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s539/AlexHills/DSCF0910.jpg

 

[herringbonekid]

nice looking cloth Barmey. i look forward to seeing what it turns into !

 

[thunderw21]

A combination of a modern piece with vintage aspects.


Years ago for paintball I bought a "Tru-Spec" jacket in a civilian variant of woodland MARPAT. Well, for some reason I bought it in a large size (42R-45R) even though I'm a medium (39R). Because of this I never used the jacket and threw it in the closet.

Well, I'm getting into airsoft and decided to check out the jacket again. Yup, still too large; actually it looked like a balloon on me. So rather than put it away and never use it I decided to try a fun little sewing project.

While I didn't get any "before" pics of the back, my jacket had just a plain back.

On each back seam I took in about 1 1/4", making the jacket fit me a lot better. I did some interesting pressing, pinning and sewing, and gave the jacket a bi-swing back with a gusset at each shoulder as well as open gussets on the jacket skirt.

The finished back:

I took some more inspiration from a WW2 service jacket I own. It has a piece of elastic connecting the two inner pieces of the shoulder gussets together, keeping them organized, flat, and pulled in while at rest:

Without elastic the fairly flimsy fabric of the MARPAT jacket renders the gussets pretty much useless: there isn't enough 'weight' in the fabric to push the gussets back in.

Now, with just a plain seam below the shoulder gussets the bottom of the jacket back would have been a tad tighter than I like and I wanted better mobility so I opened it up from just below the shoulder gussets all the way to the bottom of the jacket skirt. What previously would have been just a seam is now pleated just like the shoulder gusset. At rest it just lays flat while in use it can expand, giving me extra mobility and room to move.

My jacket's right side gusset at rest:

And expanded:

A few more pics.

There are a few minor things I'd do differently if I had another chance and a couple areas of pulling/wrinkling that could be fixed but I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

 

[Shangas]

Hey guys,

I'd like some advice from the men around here.

My dad is a surprisingly fashion-and-style conscious person and appearance and grooming mean a lot to him. I suppose that's where I get my own style from. But he complains on a regular basis that my shirts don't stay tucked in like they should be.

To remedy this, I was thinking of MAKING a pair of shirt-stays. You know, those things that you wear, that hook onto your shirt-tails, and then trail down inside your trousers, to your socks?

These things:

I have some old clip-on braces that i don't use, and I figured, I could recycle the straps, clips and sliders from those, to make myself a pair of shirt-stays. Does anyone have any tips? How long should I make them? Should i include slider-clips, or should they be sans-clips (like what you see in the photo up there).

 

[Bugsy]

Hey guys,

I'd like some advice from the men around here.

My dad is a surprisingly fashion-and-style conscious person and appearance and grooming mean a lot to him. I suppose that's where I get my own style from. But he complains on a regular basis that my shirts don't stay tucked in like they should be.

To remedy this, I was thinking of MAKING a pair of shirt-stays. You know, those things that you wear, that hook onto your shirt-tails, and then trail down inside your trousers, to your socks?

These things:

I have some old clip-on braces that i don't use, and I figured, I could recycle the straps, clips and sliders from those, to make myself a pair of shirt-stays. Does anyone have any tips? How long should I make them? Should i include slider-clips, or should they be sans-clips (like what you see in the photo up there).

Why don't you just by a pair?

 

[Bugsy]

Why don't you just by a pair?

"buy"

 

[Shangas]

Well I reckon I have all the stuff I need to *make* a pair, so i'd rather save the money, if you know what I mean.

 

[Bugsy]

Well I reckon I have all the stuff I need to *make* a pair, so i'd rather save the money, if you know what I mean.

I understand completely. You are obviously better with a needle and thread than I am.