 |
To View in your browser, click here
January 6, 2023
Enjoying the restful peace of the time between Christmas and Epiphany is always enjoyable - but it doesn't mean that life stops. It just means I take a little extra time to think about the new year.
And what could be more fun that new classes. Since you all are always the first to know and find out anything - classes are starting up again in person. A true sign that things are about to become normal again! March 20, 21 for the Ponte Pant Class - two days, and you will walk out of class with not only a great pair of pants, but a pattern to use over and over. You can call Bernina of OKC, 405.840.8911 to schedule your class! I'll have more on Instagram
@sewingartistry.
I'm starting with a favorite the ponte pant. Many of you already have that, but that leads up to the summer when I will do the ponte tailored jacket. This is one of my professional student's favorite class. It allows these working students to look great in court, making presentations or speaking to professional groups. Then they return to the office (where the summertime thermostat is set for 0°), and yet they can reach under their desk, in the top shelf
of the storage closet, or simply get in and out of their car without having to worry if they are going to bust out of their suit, or rip a seam.
The ponte pant is to lead into the tailored jacket. As much as my professional students love the pant, the jacket is the cat's meow. It acts like a tailored jacket, but it's not, and that's clear when you put it on because it doesn't have a lining. If you feel you absolutely must line it (I would only line it for warmth), then I would line it with the ponte itself. This is not really great for the double knits and ponte di Romas, but it does work
very well for the scuba knits and the neoprenes. The problem with the double knits and the ponte di Romas is that they have a "brushed" finish which is a little tackier. The scuba knits and neoprenes have a smoother finish and therefore make an excellent lining.
But that said, I really don't recommend linings for these jackets. They have plenty of stability to keep their shape and work beautifully without lining. If you need one for warmth, wear a coat.
The other big problem with stability knits - all of them - is that they cannot press to a crisp finish like a bespoke tailored jacket .
Notice the beautifully sharp press on the lapel edge but also on the pocket flap edge and the welt above the pocket flap. Also notice the hand-ticked top-stitching on the edges. That's a dead-giveaway about how we're going to solve this problem of the stability knits that cannot be pressed enough to create that crisp, sharp edge in the bespoke jackets.
This is probably a linen/wool or 100% linen jacket with the beautifully crisp pressed edges of this peak lapel and seams (notice the shoulder seam, how crisp and flat it is). But it's also a great shot of the hand-ticked top-stitching. Even around the shoulder head. This is the helped by the lambs wool, which is to give the top of the sleeve head an extra oomph (which I personally think is one of the most outstanding ways you can tell a great
dressmaker/tailor from just an okay happy-hands-at-home type "sewer" - and that may be the only time you will see me use that word). Here this "ticked" top-stitching is one of those other symbols of real tailoring, and to finish your garment with this kind of stitching just makes it all that much more special. Note, the people who comment on the stitching and say something. They really know their sewing and are probably experts in the field.
I love doing these very subtle, very high-tailoring techniques that require mega bucks when you buy them, but for us, requires a little more time, and boom, we have a really classy garment.
As far as a pattern, my best pattern I've been using lately is a discontinued Butterick pattern 6925. It can still be had in the larger sizes here, however if you do searches, I can find it on Amazon, Etsy and Ebay, so it's still available. I'm giving you heads up on this because it is a little difficult to find. But it's worth it. It's an older pattern, so it
has more of the tailoring notes in it.
Now, I know you've heard me talk about core patterns and how much I love them, but doing a tailored jacket from your core pattern can be done, but it's a major task. (See this movie opening and this actor did that whole sequence in one take - for a quick segment on what it takes to measure out and draw up the pattern for a tailored men's suit.)
So let's not go there for several reasons. One is that I'm not going to ask you do to a lot of sketching and drawing (because this does require years of expertise), when we can use a pattern and alter it from your shoulder measurement. IOW, pick the pattern according to your shoulder measurement, and we will take it from there.
A second very important reason is that because we are using a stable knit, the garment will be very forgiving. This is one of the special treats of this pattern because although it may fit too snug for a bespoke tailored suit (if you were to do it in a wool 120 or a linen, we'd have to fit you to the extreme - like a Savile Row tailor). What does that mean?...fit to the extreme?
 I'm going to use a male model here because unfortunately the kind of care given to women fitting is simply not there, even with
wealthy women who have the funds and other wherewithal (knowledge and connection) to dress otherwise.
Carly Fiorina is a slight (what you would consider thin) figure so she shouldn't have any problems, and yet when you compare her jacket here with her husband's jacket - there's a world of difference. We're not even sure that Mrs. Fiorina's jacket can close and if it does will it have the same drape and hang as Mr. Fiorina's jacket. This is NOT due to inattention on Mrs. Fiorina's part. This is due to this is all that's
available for women.....
unless you sew, or you have a designer/dressmaker who sews for you. I've referred to this so often that it's finally occurred to me that I need to write a blog on this phenomenon that not many notice, but once pointed out, it's plain as day. See that new blog here!
So back to fitting to the extreme...
 Here's that "fit to the extreme". This fellow has always had a large-boned build
and girth. But this doesn't preclude him from having an excellent fit with his suit. First notice the shoulders - smooth slightly sloped (a more Italian and modern cut), and yet notice the crisp shoulder /armscye drape of the sleeve head - with that slight poof at the sleeve head. Also notice how the shoulder is extended out to fall so that the bicep isn't bulging out past the shoulder. If you look carefully you can see how the sleeve seam is angled slightly away
from the body and out from the shoulder. This is done to keep his biceps from looking to large. But look what happens below the shoulder - it's the drape and the hang of the skirt that's kicking. This sort of tailoring and hanging and draping is simply not seen in today's clothing. This is a woven garment that has been tailored to the extreme. The only place gentlemen can purchase or have these sorts of suits is from
hand-tailored, custom shops. These shops are usually run by one or two master tailors and the rest are either apprentices or employees of the shop that the master tailor(s) have trained. They are NOT stamped out on an assembly line - anything but.
But this doesn't mean that you have to give up this sort of hang, drape and lovely tailored look - you can have this same look and feel in a stable-knit jacket, but you have to have some knowledge of what goes into a tailored jacket to work the stable fabric into a tailored look.
This is what I'm looking at in the near future here cause this is something that can really add to your sewing cadre of skills. Using these tailoring techniques, we can literally form clothing to fall, fold, hang and of course drape in exactly the way we want.
I'm going to leave you with this jacket - one side is done (tailored and has some great hand pick-stitching as well as pad-stitching while the other side is in a lot of trouble! One side has a droopy shoulder, the other shoulder looks impeccable (with the little "poof" on the shoulder head). One side doesn't have crisp seam pressed edges (or looks like it) the other side looks like it's pressed beautifully. One side looks like it drapes beautifully
and the other side looks like a mess.
All these problems are solved with the hang and the drape and there's some pretty hefty manipulation of the fabric to make this look right.
We'll trek more down this road as the year progresses - so let's start with a January Zoom. These are free - about an hour long, and it's a chance to talk with like kind - fashion, flattering your size and shape and comfortable and yes, you can have all of that! This Zoom I'll talk a little more about this jacket and what all is going on with this jacket, and of course I love hearing from you all, what you're doing, and what you are looking at
doing.
Click on the image to add to your Google or Outlook calendar
All you have to do is respond to this email that you want to get the link, and I'll send it to you. If you can't come, LMK and I'll send you the video for the link after we've had the Zoom!
The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid you in fit and flattery of your shape, size and style. Check it out.
On the Blog
|
|
|
It's worth the time to look at these styles, particularly today as there is a group that wants to look...
|
| |
|
|
|
This is the way fashion used to be - pretty, flattering and I can't wait to make some of ...
|
|
|
|
The other day I was doing the laundry and suddenly my machine wasn't spinning, thus wasn't washing. It was making...
|
To view in browser (so all images can be seen) or past emails or in your browser click here.
NOTE: Some email clients, software and web sites, do not allow pictures because they can contain nasty worms and viruses - ICK! So they will by default block you from seeing the pictures. This is a security measure from your email. I can't change that cause that means I would have to get inside your computer and mess with your security which you don't want! So you can do two things: 1.) you can disable your image blocker and that will
depend upon your software. You can Google it to see how to do that for your specific email. 2.) You can view it in your browser which is equipped to handle the nasties that might be in pictures. To do that you can click here to enjoy the full email with pictures!!
To talk about a sewing problem, a style quandary or size situation one on one with Claire, click here.
We respect your email privacy.
|
|
|
|
