tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64706915092827894782012-02-02T05:29:20.069-05:00costuming, tailoring and pattern making for the theatre with an emphasis on menswearTerrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.comBlogger2271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-45238766202900126442012-01-31T20:26:00.003-05:002012-01-31T21:07:30.042-05:00

Well, it has been a very busy start to a new season of work. I have some nice 1880's Victorian work to do, some 1930's, and some Edwardian as well, so I am looking forward to it!There has been a lot of concern with the economy as we are a business to a large degree dependent on our patron's disposable income. We are often asked whether we reuse costumes, and the answer is yes, we do. Most shows

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-40532285206135383022012-01-14T14:29:00.003-05:002012-01-14T15:15:13.433-05:00

As requested, here is a picture of my pattern for the jeans I made for myself.I have tried over the years to draft women's trouser patterns from a variety of sources, just out of curiousity, and none of them were satisfactory to me and they didn't get beyond the toile stage. I guess I just didn't want to fix the draft- too much work in most cases. I also know that I have a tendency to abandon

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-66481303468044117722012-01-12T17:04:00.002-05:002012-01-12T17:25:49.561-05:00

I made these this morning! It only took me 4 hours of unfocused sewing (chatting with Lela while I sewed). They aren't quite finished- I need a button and buttonhole, I need to stitch the back pockets on, add some bar tacks, and then to hem them. They are ok. I don't like the size of the yoke though. Too deep at the back and I think I could drop the waistline at the CB by 1/2". I hate trousers

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-44446627211534484242012-01-11T10:07:00.003-05:002012-01-11T10:22:47.802-05:00

I finished these up a few days ago and sent them off. In the picture on the left, you can see the new pair on the left and the old pair on the right. Better quality fabric makes a huge difference. In the picture on the right, you can see the finished product. They have an elastic inserted inside the waist to be adjustable for whoever will be wearing them, which explains the rippling of the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-80226880051058448042012-01-06T09:18:00.004-05:002012-01-06T09:44:06.241-05:00

New and improved white trousers. I was told they were breeches, but really they were trousers so I am making them trousers. The new fabric is much better quality, and not see through which is very important in my opinion when it comes to men's trousers and white ones in particular. On the downside, it is a bit spongy and thick which will mean a bit of a challenge on the placket.Apologies for the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-2298106353617232432012-01-03T18:56:00.006-05:002012-01-06T08:21:23.228-05:00

Well Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you had a nice holiday!Now today I thought I should start to get back to work and I headed over to the studio to look at a pair of "breeches" that I was asked to reproduce. A number of years ago Carol and I built costumes for this client. I built a cutaway coat, waistcoat and trousers and Carol built a lovely 1880's dress. These were well made and not

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-49031392023773189102011-12-22T16:10:00.007-05:002011-12-22T16:44:35.293-05:00

I apologise for not having much to say in the past few weeks! The rituals of Christmas celebrations have kept me hopping. Cookies to make, concerts to attend, cards to write, caroling parties, looking for work for next June, family to visit, and shopping -among other things. I have been doing a bit of Christmas sewing- and I'll post a picture of that after I give the item to my daughter. I don't

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-42363064326209868102011-11-27T09:40:00.006-05:002011-12-12T08:58:14.273-05:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting, these past few weeks have been very intense and busy but now I am back home from my teaching gig, just in time to feel the Christmas rush coming at me!I was spending this training time going over the drafting of body coats (tail-coats, frock and morning coats) and one of the first things we needed to do was measure our fit volunteer. Thank-you, by the way, to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-3201692701074830542011-11-20T22:06:00.005-05:002011-11-20T23:06:06.842-05:00

designed by Richard Hudson Cut and basted up in fabric for first and only fitting The finished product- unfortunately these didn't make it onstage- cut by the choreographer before they were shipped! Oy!I was thinking about how interesting and informative it is to do multiples of the same garment.I don't often run into situations where I am making multiples, at least not usually more

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-11776591072490776492011-11-16T10:43:00.003-05:002011-11-16T11:04:27.468-05:00

Off to the big city yesterday to attend the dress rehearsal for the ballet. We had a great dinner with colleagues at Jules Bistro which accomodated a growing reservation list of the wardobe department with good grace. Not everyone came but there were still 25 of us at dinner, apologies to the other restaurant patrons because we were loud!It was great to see a ballet again!I am always amazed at

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-3644845851486942362011-11-08T19:51:00.005-05:002011-11-09T17:00:33.886-05:00

Whew!That was an intense few weeks. Our deadline was November 7th for 10 doublets. The ballet company was away on tour until October 12, so I cut right into fabric to get ready for fittings. I did one set of fittings on October 14th and another set on the 18th. 15 minute fittings was what was scheduled!! They worked out fairly well, Took photos and notes and luckily the designer was happy with

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-55705354011373328392011-10-28T20:09:00.004-04:002011-10-28T20:19:14.993-04:00

Just popping by to let you know I am still working on those ballet costumes! Just to prove it, here's a nice gusset in a ballet sleeve. It is basically the same concept as my regular grown on gusset for a two piece sleeve, just with more range of motion. I had a great talk with my colleague Evan before I started this project as he has oodles of experience cutting for ballet. I took his advice to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-21479941666792811192011-10-13T17:14:00.006-04:002011-10-13T19:18:21.733-04:00

So I finished the draft of the jeans back.On the second page the instructions continue for the front and then into the instructions for the back before you get to the section headed "underside". Why did they do that? Hard to know, so the instructions 17 from 4... and 18 from 4... and locate 19 should really be in the underside section. Never mind.One thing I thought odd was to use 1/4 waist size

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-57924260471497048272011-10-10T10:32:00.003-04:002011-10-10T11:10:19.253-04:00

So I have drafted the fronts of the jeans, as instructed.Beginning with the crotch or "fork line", at "0". 0-1 is the rise , less the waistband which I decided was 1 and 1/2 inches deep.the instructions progress logically until you get to"draw the fly seam"Looking at the illustration of the draft makes this instruction confusing. So I left it for a moment and went to the next few instructions0-8

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-48167258053105344102011-10-07T10:17:00.005-04:002011-10-08T16:01:33.338-04:00

Well, the first thing to notice on the first page of the draft is the rise, and the difference between the waist and hip measurement.First, the rise. Obviously in comparison to the last draft I talked about, the rise on the jeans pattern is much shorter. The rise on the trousers was 13 inches and the jeans rise is 10 1/2 inches.Jeans generally sit below the natural waist. How much below is a

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-2348221424172121782011-10-07T09:27:00.004-04:002011-10-07T09:36:32.168-04:00

I am waiting for ballet fittings, so I thought it would be interesting to look at another draft for trousers.This draft for jeans comes from the Tailor and Cutter of 1970. Again, thanks to the Cutter and Tailor forum for the following draft.I preread this and I have noticed some odd things. But for now, I will post the draft here and have a read through it for yourself.Drafting and thoughts to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-43334748685821850262011-09-24T15:19:00.006-04:002011-09-24T16:03:13.153-04:00

Hi, Sorry for the delay in posting, I'm up to my ears getting a bunch of ballet doublets prepared for fittings I'm just going to talk about the button fly, which would have been used for these trousers.I start by tracing off the front of the trousers, from the waist down to the inseam. You can then mark off the placement for the buttonholes. At the waist, the closure options are either a

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-87225502225885414362011-09-18T10:30:00.007-04:002011-09-18T11:10:18.201-04:00

This draft has a grown on waistband but you need a pattern for the interfacing or waistband canvas.When I first started sewing for the theatre, I was often handed an oversize piece of waistband interfacing that didn't seem to make much sense to me. It was slightly curved and there was a process of sewing it in that was very time consuming and it seemed to waste a lot of materials.I needed to know

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-88928707918735737502011-09-14T10:26:00.014-04:002011-09-14T23:43:09.996-04:00

Here we are, ready to start drafting the back of the trousers.I have cut out the front pattern, laid it on a new piece of paper, and traced around it.I have then drawn in the horizontal and vertical construction lines, and the points from the fronts that are needed to draft the backs.So, Pivoting from 14, sweep from 9 to 16, 2 1/2 inches.17 from 14 and 18 from 12 are each 1 inch (for seams). The

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-40184756558484978542011-09-12T12:27:00.000-04:002011-09-12T12:27:00.684-04:00

This is what I have drawn. The side seam from the hip to the waist needs to be a gentle covex curve, and in drawing it, hitting point 6 didn't seem to make a good line, so my line is outside point 6 by almost 1/4". It looks right to my eye.I drew the centre front curve in a couple of times and erased it, must have been nervous! I tried to use a curved ruler to draw it but the shape didn't seem

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-36626957182129258272011-09-11T17:24:00.006-04:002011-09-11T19:22:22.772-04:00

Ok, Sorry for the delay, but one of my job prospects has come through and I had to stop everything and make a toile for a fitting on Tuesday.So when you are drafting, the paper is on the table in front of you and the tops of the trousers will be to your left and the hems will be to your right.I am going to follow the instructions and rewrite them to suit my explanations.One more bit of

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-22904721022874473122011-09-08T15:07:00.006-04:002011-09-09T09:36:54.601-04:00

TerminologyBefore you start drafting, it is a good idea to make sure you understand some terminology.Lets begin at the beginning.Waist: the waist measurement given - in this case 32 inchesSeat: (hip) is the hip measurement given - 38 inchesSideseam: also known as the outseam -44 inchesLeg: also known as the inseam- 31 inchesKnee: which is the measurement of the desired trouser size at the knee

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-57039810536304273062011-09-08T08:50:00.001-04:002011-09-08T08:50:00.602-04:00

The materials and tools you will need to draft a pair of trousers are:Paper: brown or white kraft paper about 2.5- 3m in lengthPencils: mechanical or regular (nice and sharp)EraserYardstick or metre stickTailor's square (also known as designer L square) they come in imperial and metric if you don't have one, you will need a calculator and either a t-square or something that you can draw a right

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-26303178644197974632011-09-06T20:31:00.004-04:002011-09-06T21:22:23.215-04:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I though it might be interesting to walk you through the process of drafting a pair of men's trousers from a published draft.In preparation for this, and in my previous teaching, I like to point out that trouser pattern shapes have changed quite a lot over the years, as I hope you can see from this selection of patterns I have scanned. All of them will produce a

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-52217165703226917452011-08-27T10:48:00.005-04:002011-08-27T11:23:12.312-04:00

Over the past decade, I have been involved in teaching individuals and groups about tailoring and cutting (patternmaking).I've been aware for some time that training is limited to non-existent in the theatrical field and to some degree in the fashion world of menswear. There are sites such as the Cutter and Tailor where drafts and drafting instruction, and to some degree construction techniques

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-67163175372515988042011-08-17T11:44:00.005-04:002011-08-17T12:03:50.273-04:00

Well,I am back in the land of internet access, had a lovely time away. I confess though, that I am experiencing the sudden drop that you feel when you've been working flat out under pressure for many weeks only to suddenly be finished and hit the wall of inactivity.On the one hand it is delicious, and on the other, I am driving my family crazy as I pace around feeling like I should be doing

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-48258853676257460422011-08-10T08:21:00.001-04:002011-08-10T08:21:00.259-04:00

While I am away I thought you'd like to see some of the beautiful dress details on the ladies costumes for our last show. Sorry, the colours are a bit off as I was taking photos in the hallway with flourescent lighting. WE had a lot of trim and details on the menswear but again the womens costumes out trim us. They are even more beautiful when you see them worn- the fit is so good and what more

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-6827968809007085632011-08-08T08:38:00.001-04:002011-08-08T08:38:00.352-04:00

Here's a final look at a few coats and waistcoats that we have finished.You've seen the process for the grey coat all along, the green coat is the made of the wrong side of the same fabric as our footmen coats. The cream coat is a very thin silk that needed a fair bit of supporting structure inside it. I love the mauve lining.I'll be back to regular posting soon.

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-11500370105605275962011-08-06T08:30:00.004-04:002011-08-06T08:38:15.036-04:00

Our work season is finished, everything is set and ready on stage for opening night and I am taking a well deserved vacation for the next week. I've prepared a couple of short posts to appear while I am gone. Swimming, books, wine, music, friends and family.Cheers!

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-31870263977222181252011-07-29T19:37:00.001-04:002011-07-29T19:37:00.629-04:00

When I start making patterns for the costumes, I usually don't have any idea of the trims that may be used or the button size that may be chosen but those things make a huge difference in the final pattern and in the making up process of the costume.With our footmen costumes, the shape of the wide trim and the placement of the trims dictated the amount of button stand and the spacing of the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-57946961150741642812011-07-27T19:08:00.004-04:002011-07-27T19:36:19.137-04:00

This is the final stage of the coat that I blogged about here (toile) and here. Done. Finished. Both of them. (there are two matching footmen in the show)The other coats are done too!Stats for those who like them: I cut this coat out of 5.25 m of 140cm wide upholstery damask/brocade (sorry, I'm not sure what I would call this and I'm too tired to search for it today)Lined in pink silk duppioni

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-91549540093264910692011-07-23T09:44:00.004-04:002011-07-23T10:17:18.745-04:00

I was going to say that these coat cuffs were finished but they are not quite done yet. They are attached to the sleeve and the sleeve is in the coat so we have made progress but they still need their decorative buttons.Obviously at some point, historically speaking, this cuff style was literally buttoned up onto the sleeve with functioning buttons and holes. A practical solution that

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-41781738522111760832011-07-18T07:37:00.001-04:002011-07-18T07:37:00.962-04:00

Here are the coat cuffs in progress. In the first photo you can see the inside structure. The cuffs have been sewn together along the front seam after the structural portion has been flat mounted to the plain silk.The next photo shows the beaded silk inset basted in place. I decided to not put a seam in the beaded fabric, even though there is one underneath. The shaping at that point is quite

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-14129005411631927032011-07-16T08:52:00.002-04:002011-07-16T20:06:12.949-04:00

Sometimes, in the midst of getting through the enormous workload, I wonder why it is taking so long to accomplish anything. Then I cut something that really points out why I am feeling behind. Here's the latest example. Cuffs. Simple right? No, the end result will look simple, but in reality there are seven layers to be cut for these particular cuffs. They need structure otherwise they will

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-55136114183161876362011-07-14T20:18:00.002-04:002011-07-16T20:06:12.950-04:00

Trim, trim and more trim.Remember the post here of the toile 18th century coat? Well here it is in progress. The trim has been chosen and we've laid it out and stitched most of it on by machine. Then we stopped. We have two of these coats to do, identical trimming, so this one is waiting for a pair of hands to come free to continue with it, and in the meantime we are working hard to get the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-83816195673177208542011-07-09T18:57:00.004-04:002011-07-09T19:24:54.383-04:00

After the fitting, we dressed the stand up and left it for the designer to play with trim placement.This is what we saw in the morning. Originally the designer wanted to use the shapes inherent in the beaded fabric to create a scalloped edge. I thought the shapes were too big and didn't work, but the idea of leaving a border of the plain silk on the front edge was a good one.Turns out we are

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-1581731271371191412011-07-05T19:33:00.004-04:002011-07-05T20:05:57.972-04:00

We are a bit behind the eight ball these days, trying to overcome the loss of productive hours when we were stalled on two shows about six weeks ago.Ok, we were/are really behind schedule to the tune of about 300 sewing hours and I can't say how many cutting hours, so, after a meeting with my boss, I have gained two more stitchers for the next two weeks. I also managed to pass on one of the six

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-41241470777705667472011-06-28T20:57:00.003-04:002011-06-28T21:21:49.555-04:00

While I toil away, trying to deal with a mountain of work so high that the thought of scaling it makes my brain shut down, I thought I'd show you this vintage capelet/shawl that a colleague found in a rummage sale this winter. I am always amazed at the things that people find at rummage sales or garage sales. I never seem to have that kind of experience, finding beautiful or valuable things in

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-46382099142408886542011-06-19T12:18:00.005-04:002011-06-19T12:44:16.728-04:00

We've been very busy at work, so busy it seems there's been very little time to focus on much else, so today here's a sampling of a few things we've managed to get finished in the past week or two.. The velvet jacket and waistcoat were cut by my apprentice, Lela, who did a fantastic cutting job for her first jacket project. As it turns out, it ended up being velvet, with bound edges- how cruel

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-60584235039986824982011-06-09T21:15:00.004-04:002011-06-09T21:43:33.478-04:00

Most of the time I start out by making a pattern for a design without knowing what fabric will be used. Usually it is not a big problem, but for some fabrics such as striped ones, you may want to change the dart position once you see the fabric.It is best to not interrupt the stripes by having an angled dart for instance- so you may want to reposition the dart to be straighter or possibly place

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-35183119662800106662011-06-06T23:30:00.003-04:002011-06-07T17:45:44.075-04:00

One of my favourite designers, Desmond Heeley, celebrated his 80th birthday last Wednesday. I first met him in 1986, he was designing The Merry Widow for the National Ballet of Canada, and I was a junior stitcher, busily stitching the skirts of the the Can-can dresses, which, incidentally, is why I focus on menswear!The story goes like this: the designs were as only Desmond can draw them,

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-61629205945795222972011-05-28T09:18:00.001-04:002011-05-28T09:31:38.667-04:00

DowntimeForgive the scarcity of posts lately.My computer has been having issues over the past few months and I finally took it in to have an assessment only to find I have capacitor problems.After getting peeved with the hardsell by my local store to just drop a bundle of money on a new computer, I walked.Posting on an ipad is problematic too so until I resolve this, (either my electronics wiz

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-36463624174741041542011-05-17T16:51:00.001-04:002011-05-17T16:51:00.514-04:00

I don't think I'm going to get any modern tailoring this season. No wait, I think I have a set of plus fours and a 1930's tennis jacket and white flannels to do when the fabric arrives.In the meantime...... The next assignment harkens further back in time to the mid 18th century, and since our designer was coming in from afar this week, I had to switch gears and get together a toile fitting to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-86626461672723624222011-05-16T20:11:00.005-04:002011-05-16T20:49:40.394-04:00

Some days are more difficult than others. Monday morning should not be accompanied by plaid. Especially an uneven plaid. Especially an uneven one directional plaid. Especially an uneven, one directional plaid with a 4"x 4 1/4" pattern repeat for a frock coat on a size 52 man.Never mind. The colour is totally off in this picture. The fabric is really a brown and black background with a double grey

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-36698024795610773822011-05-01T10:18:00.004-04:002011-05-16T21:10:22.141-04:00

Here are the finished photos of the waistcoat that I posted about here.I am very happy with the way it turned out. If I had to change anything for improvement, I would deepen the shawl collar at the back so the neck edge was completely covered. Top stitching by machine is not what I usually do on period waistcoats but it was a designer's request for that detail and I have to say I like the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-91916215396753469102011-04-24T09:59:00.001-04:002011-04-24T12:00:57.065-04:00

One issue that comes up with these large 19th century coat collars is how to apply the top collar fabric."What are the issues?", you ask- well, first an explanation of the standard jacket collar and how the top fabric is traditionally applied.The traditional suit undercollar is a one piece pattern in which one edge joins to the neckline of the coat and folds along a predetermined roll line, to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-12037572676310831552011-04-21T20:17:00.003-04:002011-04-21T20:41:08.062-04:00

We used to share our space with Carol who cut ladies wear, but she's been sent over to another building, so I had not seen any of the women's costumes for the 19th century designed show we are working on.Today I ventured over after work and took a few random pictures of some ladies dresses on the stands- cut by Margaret.The colour is totally off in this picture, sorry! I really liked the little "

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-70022526437646978942011-04-18T20:07:00.003-04:002011-04-18T20:59:42.165-04:00

We're up to our eyeballs at the moment with the first show up on stage, but we are still tweaking things both large and small.Unfortunately the red leather doublet has been cut as the director didn't like it really, so the designer redesigned and now we have something completely different that we are building, and hopefully we will have a fitting tomorrow and get it finished this week as we have

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-50926318310421487462011-04-08T10:25:00.000-04:002011-04-08T10:25:00.270-04:00

I love making waistcoats- I don't know what it is about them that I enjoy so much, but I really like cutting and making them. I guess they are so less complicated than jackets but that doesn't mean they are all simple, or simplistic in their cutting.I thought you might like to see the waistcoat that I showed you earlier, now made up. It has been in to a fitting, and there are a couple of

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-77868832317934881822011-04-06T19:27:00.004-04:002011-04-06T19:52:56.092-04:00

As I mentioned earlier, we've been really busy and just in case you were wondering, we have finished some things! Yeah! Not only finished them but made adjustments so the actor could make a 46 second quick change into this costume. Oh there's a cape too, but I forgot to get it on the stand for a photo. So this one at least is ready for Friday.

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-62002977350881624402011-03-29T21:55:00.005-04:002011-03-29T23:07:16.938-04:00

Wow, today felt like a Monday, but it is already Tuesday! Mondays are usually hectic since I've left it all behind on Friday only to come back in and find the same amount of work still waiting for me-no wardrobe fairies doing the work while we are away!This is a very hectic time of year too, coming up to our deadlines- we have a quick change rehearsal on Tuesday next , then tech on Friday and the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-87072449164419174792011-03-25T19:50:00.004-04:002011-03-25T20:14:30.000-04:00

The weeks are flying by! Why is it that a week in February takes its time, but a week at the end of March when deadlines are beginning to approach flies by and you feel you cannot get enough done in a day?Anyway, all I can show you right now are some random photos I took while wandering out on my way home.All departments are in full swing and the first show will be in tech by April 8. Today

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-23568469993337969002011-03-16T19:47:00.002-04:002011-03-16T20:13:32.394-04:00

It is getting so busy that I can barely find time to take a few pictures as I work through the fittings and alterations. This is a nineteenth century waistcoat that I fit the other day. I went straight into fabric for this one, hoping the actor was the size his measurement sheet indicated. Luckily he was and there weren't too many alterations to do to this waistcoat. It is in a very preliminary

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-29209918276590830472011-03-13T11:49:00.003-04:002011-03-13T12:24:23.558-04:00

The back vent of all/most body coats are open and traditionally have a type of vent opening that I call a step vent.For the first fitting, or for a toile, I usually ask for both sides the vent to be basted back on the CB line, so I can judge whether the backs are hanging correctly- if they are, the two edges will hang straight edge to edge. If they are crossing over in the back, or pulling apart

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-3319019907247185402011-03-08T20:39:00.003-05:002011-03-08T21:07:40.759-05:00

I had to put aside the medieval for a moment while we wait for the designer to return for fittings so I finally had time to alter my pattern for one of our 1830's coats and cut it out. I needed some time to mull things over because it will be made out of velveteen and I wanted to be sure I was approaching it the right way because I don't want to be altering velveteen very much if I can help

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-36293339547722632102011-03-01T20:22:00.004-05:002011-03-01T21:10:48.233-05:00

One of the garments we are making this season is a leather (actually suede) doublet which I fit today. The pattern I made for it is shown here.The doublet needed to have a soft rather than structured feel to it and it will be worn belted, but the designer didn't want a lot of excess material bunching up at the waist when the belt was tightened.That meant that I needed to suppress the waist and

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-57722992527734721792011-02-25T19:51:00.005-05:002011-02-25T20:17:02.337-05:00

I feel as though I am bouncing around through the centuries this week. I had been working on the Edwardian tailcoat and then I spent half the week somewhere Medieval and the rest of the week deep in the 19th century.I had a couple of fittings for the 1837 period show which were just toiles but they went very well and gave me an idea of the designers eye and the way he likes to work towards

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-51696451782636230512011-02-19T19:25:00.005-05:002011-04-23T23:24:12.953-04:00

I've been very, very busy these past few weeks and along with my regular gig, I have a small side project that involves making a set of Edwardian tails. I finally got a chance to nail down the details and the measurements and fabric just arrived this week, so off I went to make a pattern.First, I have a good number of visual references for this look but since I left them at work I will have to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-9111102064708472412011-02-13T11:44:00.004-05:002011-02-13T12:17:24.803-05:00

This is the time in the work process that is like being in limbo. It is not the "jump in the line, shimmy under the pole with a drink in your hand" kind of limbo.It is the other kind, being held in suspension with a huge jigsaw puzzle of work to do and some of the pieces have fallen off the table and one is under the sofa. That is the one piece that is usually the key to joining large sections of

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-37993346435493567392011-01-25T20:00:00.004-05:002011-01-25T20:47:44.593-05:00

Well, this is the beginning of the third season of work since starting this blog and I am excited about the upcoming shows and designers.One show is being set in 1837 and with a designer new to me- so I am looking forward to this- his sketches are totally amazing- not just in depicting the clothes but also in the attention to period detail, the characterization and to the extent of being able to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-8847709055973339242011-01-15T16:39:00.007-05:002011-01-16T16:15:17.199-05:00

I've been out of town the past couple of weeks mentoring and teaching, with another week to go so I haven't had much time to post. I have had time though, to think a lot about some things that crop up again and again in teaching:a lack of clear and up-front discussion about how the drafts need to be changed for balance, figure irregularities and just plain old bigger sizes.I thought I'd talk a

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-7270257881917680852011-01-06T12:07:00.000-05:002011-01-06T12:07:00.928-05:00

For those out there who enjoy period drafts, I'm posting a draft from The Sartorial Art Journal of August 1914 which ties in a bit to the Extreme Style postings. I don't think this draft would give as extreme a shape as depicted in those pictures, but I haven't tried it out. If you do try it let me know. I hope it is legible- I'd like to set up a proper photo taking method for these old

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-24173490873532996662011-01-03T09:02:00.003-05:002011-01-04T12:33:06.780-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about this recently because I am doing more and more of it.There seems to be a definite lack of instruction available regarding menswear. So, why is that?My guesses are:Most community college courses focus on women's wear.Tradition- menswear/tailoring was traditionally taught as a one on one situation: ie apprenticeships. Loss of information.Lack of interest.In regards to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-42561032548621638922010-12-31T16:34:00.003-05:002010-12-31T16:48:59.923-05:00

We've been having a bit of R&R&R around here over Christmas: rest, relaxation and recreation and as 2010 draws to a close, I'd like to wish you and your families Happy New Year! All the best for 2011.Thanks for reading, and I'll be posting soon...Terri

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-9795198195259156342010-12-12T09:44:00.005-05:002010-12-12T10:08:05.734-05:00

These designs, available from Chicago Woolen Mills in their 1943 booklet should make you give your head a shake! There's a lot of online discussion about drape so this should add fuel to the fire.Above you can see the basic drape model in full colour along with the description NOTE: when ordering, observe that these DRAPE MODELS have extra wide shoulders, fullness across chests and in sleeve

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-19791358297304924172010-12-09T12:31:00.005-05:002010-12-09T12:48:38.923-05:00

Wow, there's been a lot of snow in the area although we only received a measly 20cm or so. The picture of the parking meter was taken in London, and the city was basically shut down for the last two days. The winner though, was Lucan Ontario, just northwest of us about an hours drive away with snowfall accumulation of ............wait for it..........177cm........... seriously.As I mentioned

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-66157642512902043892010-12-08T08:11:00.002-05:002010-12-08T08:25:49.131-05:00

I have been collecting reference materials for a number of years now and as I was organizing things the other day I stopped to leaf through some of these catalogues and books.I try to photograph or photocopy the more fragile examples so I don't have to worry about them becoming more damaged and I thought I'd share some of the things here with you.We often think of extreme fashions as being

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-70012610113193352652010-12-07T11:24:00.004-05:002010-12-07T13:55:21.286-05:00

No pictures for today and it has been a while since I last posted. So it's all talk.We finished up this morning with one last jacket fitting that was delayed and I have been going over the past month's teaching and learning process in my mind.I think that we made real progress in drafting and fitting the trousers and waistcoats and it's true that Lela had some experience there already. Jackets

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-23177912334663898672010-11-28T13:41:00.004-05:002010-11-28T14:58:13.079-05:00

I was going to title this "final thoughts" but that sounds:a) too morbid and b) too final- there are always more thoughts. On the left I have pinned out the excess length along the neckline. It is about 1" (2.5cm). That amount would need to be shrunk in to get the neckline to lay flat against the body. It does create a full chest which is the fashion of the day. I have concerns about being

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-47452070796815618882010-11-20T09:51:00.002-05:002010-11-20T10:17:48.760-05:00

Continuing on with the Blue Book waistcoat, you can see that the balance is off . In the top photo the fronts are short and are pulling up causing an excess of fabric in the back armhole, a diagonal tension from mid back to front of armhole and if you can see it, my waistline is tilted upward.In this photo, I have unpinned the shoulders and pulled the front of the waistcoat down so the tension

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-38030985981209698432010-11-17T17:54:00.005-05:002010-11-17T19:22:07.228-05:00

I feel that I should title this "What is she going on about?"I've been teaching and talking all day long and sometimes feel like I become less coherent as the day progresses so I hope this will make sense :)Anyway, in order to explain, I made this little drawing.First thing - the back neck of the waistcoat is where it is- it is stationary, so we are moving only the fronts.The fronts are also held

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-28019182575705512542010-11-15T21:59:00.003-05:002010-11-15T22:38:54.828-05:00

This is my "Blue Book" waistcoat pattern cut in muslin and pinned to the stand. As I said I just followed the draft as is.The first thing I saw in the pattern (previous post) was the location of the front neck point in relation to the CF construction line. It is excessively far to the right. The result of this is the fold of excess fabric you see in the front neckline. As you move the neckpoint

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-36534111529960951672010-11-13T10:05:00.005-05:002010-11-13T10:48:49.441-05:00

The Blue Book of Men's Tailoring- ahhh- one of those "go to" books for so many people. Originally published in 1907 and reprinted in 1977 with the tag line "Theatrical Costumemaker's Pattern Book for Edwardian Men's Costumes" it seems to be one of the earlier republishing efforts directed specifically at recreating period dress, and as such seems to be held in high esteem by many people.I like

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-88992046034505957462010-11-09T21:37:00.006-05:002010-11-09T22:34:43.577-05:00

Lela and I have spent the last few days drafting up waistcoats from a selection of drafts from a variety of sources, and time periods.I thought it would be a good introduction to the different ways that pattern sytems work on the body and how the fit and styles change over time.At this point it is all about making patterns and checking them with a half muslin before we actually pick a style and

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-56214921716498761072010-10-31T10:18:00.003-04:002010-10-31T10:37:48.453-04:00

The photos from the corset show have been coming in here and there, and we are trying to get them all together in one place for future viewing. I like to take snapshots of events and of my work but it turned out to be impossible to do while actually involved in an event - which shouldn't have been a surprise to me.This is one I hadn't seen until today and I'm glad the photographer captured the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-64185811081846722502010-10-29T15:03:00.002-04:002010-10-29T15:55:48.725-04:00

I'm trying to rearrange my teaching notes and condense the information to a managable size which is proving to be a challenge. I have so much new information- some that I need to try out myself, as I have been doing with the Rundschau drafts, but I also have some old information that needs to be looked at again.In regards to the old information, I came across a bunch of notes I made a couple

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-24201312372144400052010-10-23T17:03:00.003-04:002010-10-23T17:20:57.796-04:00

No pictures yet, but the corset show went very well and it was fun to do. No-one tumbled off the runway, we were well received and I'm sure the whole thing will be posted on Youtube soon. I'll let you know.I don't know how you feel about your colleagues or workplace or if you ever have opportunitites to work creatively towards a goal, but I am always impressed by everyone I work with and this was

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-28145384733784023442010-10-21T15:26:00.004-04:002010-10-21T16:00:56.028-04:00

Well, the corset fashion show is tomorrow at the Creative Festival in Toronto and I think I am almost ready. I had been thinking about making myself a blouse to wear with the corset suit but you know how it is sometimes - great idea, but that's all it was. That is, until we had our dress rehearsal for the show this past Sunday. Linda had asked me to also model one of the waist cincher/corsets

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-48050263080283928822010-10-16T18:34:00.004-04:002010-10-16T19:36:59.391-04:00

What happened to the past week? Did time speed up after Thanksgiving? Maybe, all I know is that I blinked and here it is the middle of October. Since I have been otherwise occupied by things beyond my control, I thought you might enjoy looking at a little something that I worked on a couple of seasons ago. This garment was made for a certain Mr. P.My info: a sketch- and after a meeting

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-91163858889532747072010-10-06T15:17:00.005-04:002010-10-06T16:25:16.532-04:00

Today I tried drafting the Rundschau sleeves for the coat draft.Thoughts:It is a very straight sleeve, and when drafted out according to the instructions, very wide. The hem proportion in the draft is quite small especially in comparison to the width at and above the elbow. In the instructions they calculate 1/4 of the Ad in two different points. Point C and F in the picture on the right.I

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-14468792841660348132010-09-30T10:05:00.004-04:002010-09-30T10:59:54.262-04:00

I spent a couple of hours the other day writing out the German draft in English, which really helped me get a better feel of the system. I made a quarter scale draft as I wrote and yesterday, I went back to it in full scale on brown paper.It was a much smoother and quicker process this time.There were a few areas I had concerns about and I noted them on the pattern. I didn't change them at this

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-43305807205150055142010-09-29T13:32:00.000-04:002010-09-29T13:32:00.353-04:00

The thought for this post started when I went back to look at a pattern I made for "18th century" breeches earlier this summer. I kept the toile pattern and laid it out to compare with my final pattern, then tried to work backwards to quantify what I did and turn it into a draft that I could keep and use again in the future. Interpreting a design and making patterns for that design is not

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-58200440942588381552010-09-28T10:17:00.003-04:002010-09-28T10:31:06.077-04:00

When translating drafts from German gets to be too much (and I spent a good amount of time on it yesterday) I knit. These are thrummed mitts for my husband. They are very warm to wear because as you knit, you knit in wisps of wool roving that fill up the inside. You can see the roving inside the unfinished thumb of the one still on the needles.Very cozy.I found that writing out the Rundschau

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-50483117388108943732010-09-26T15:20:00.000-04:002010-09-26T15:20:00.382-04:00

After I had my fitting on Friday,I had a couple of hours free, and I thought that would give me an opportunity to try out the Rundshau Draft that I downloaded from The Cutter and Tailor. It is a "modern" drafting system -mid 20th century I guess - and I always like to see whether drafts work as written, and whether I can make any use of them. I decided to just use a stand to measure and draft

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-43642640447925633662010-09-25T11:00:00.003-04:002010-09-25T11:46:00.944-04:00

I had a second fitting for the corset suit yesterday. Jennie had to take the jacket waist in a fair amount from the last fitting, so she concentrated on doing those alterations and wanted to check them before going forward with any other details.So, the sleeve is just roughly pinned in place for now. The skirt has been altered and needs a lining and a press as well as a few minor tweaks. The

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-48307933116339608922010-09-20T08:14:00.010-04:002010-09-20T13:39:50.728-04:00

Sorry for the delay in bringing you some new posts.My corset suit is delayed by the dreaded September back to school colds- new germs brought home, and both Jennie and I have been suffering from those.A project I had thought would happen has fallen through, so I find myself at liberty and looking for gainful employment until my teaching project starts in November.Then there's the garden to work

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-21767241210311748332010-09-10T20:22:00.004-04:002010-09-10T21:00:40.566-04:00

More camera issues- my batteries were dead the day that I had my first fitting of the "corset" I am modeling at the upcoming Creative Festival in Toronto. The only person with a camera handy was Linda from Farthingales (the driving force behind the project) who snapped this one as Jennie was just pinning me into the jacket.I was expecting to be fit in a toile, but Jennie was daring and had cut

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-87180046877606978292010-09-07T09:36:00.006-04:002010-09-07T10:54:07.506-04:00

Continuing on with the waistcoat at hand. Let's look at the back. When I measured him I made note of the fact that he had a fuller upper back. If the person has significant figure issues it is best to deal with them at the first stage of pattern making. In this case I didn't make the changes in the pattern first because the difference was not huge and I thought it would be interesting to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-60721508689104321722010-09-04T08:59:00.000-04:002010-09-04T08:59:00.349-04:00

Here are the photos of the waistcoat toile from the fitting. As you can see, he is a tall slim young man, and I thought my rather quickly drafted pattern made up well.I also have to say that taking photos to look at later is such a great fitting tool. Often, when we are doing fittings at work, there is such a time constraint and when you are in the moment, you can sometimes be too close to

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-47640678553399930572010-09-02T09:49:00.003-04:002010-09-02T11:23:06.384-04:00

I like to make a toile for a garment if it is the first time I have made something for that person. A "toile" is a trial garment, used to test out the pattern for a first fitting. In some places, people would refer to it as a muslin. You can make a toile out of any fabric I suppose, but I generally use an unbleached cotton or muslin, but not a wimpy drapey one. This one is a bit more tightly

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-80891819538070765512010-09-01T10:21:00.004-04:002010-09-01T11:19:16.934-04:00

This summer, Silvia's nephew arrived from his home in Switzerland to live here in Canada for a few months before he continues on with his education.He expressed an interest in making a pair of trousers for himself so I made a pattern and under his aunt's instruction, he did a very good job making them up. To compliment his new 1920's style trousers, Silvia asked me if I would make up a

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-52613227777686722842010-08-20T17:24:00.004-04:002010-08-20T18:07:10.738-04:00

Ok, here's the last of this little trip down memory lane. One thing that needs to be worked out for all costumes is how the actors put them on and take them off- usually, but not always, that is a straightforward issue. These were a bit different. In the costume above, we made a back opening using hammer-in dome fasteners. The rigilene overlapped onto itself and each piece snapped together

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-41464791509847467452010-08-11T08:13:00.000-04:002010-08-11T08:13:00.133-04:00

The Birds by Aristophanes designed by Teresa Przybylski was a project that I had a lot of fun doing. Teresa is a wonderfully creative designer and teacher and I had worked with her on a few other projects before this one. The show was great.As you can see from the sketch, we were making what I called "bird cages" for the actors to wear. These were a couple of the more complex pieces.The

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-77922529948444621132010-08-09T07:59:00.001-04:002010-08-09T07:59:00.180-04:00

Every so often we get to do something really out of the ordinary and this project was one of them. Instead of wondering how to incorporate period detailing or adapting period shapes for modern bodies we get to make sculpture. Well one could argue that all patternmaking, and the subsequent garments are sculptures, since they are the three dimensional result of the two dimensional pattern, but we

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-33516849846432897332010-08-05T22:15:00.004-04:002010-08-05T22:48:37.674-04:00

I finally managed to find some time to take a few more photos of the garments we've been working on before we wind down our building season here at work. We've made it through three dress rehearsals without too much trauma, the quick changes have worked, actors are comfortable and our designer was happy with the show so it is a nice way to be ending the season.This is a period waistcoat for

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-40986660394779026522010-07-25T14:45:00.002-04:002010-09-25T15:14:26.855-04:00

Another few pictures of one of our coats in progress. It is actually finished, but I lost the pictures somehow. Nevermind, I'll try to get some more later this week.This is a "nice to work with velvet"- or velveteen. That makes me wonder if all cotton velvet is called velveteen ? I'll have to look that one up.This is cotton with a black cut pile on a white warp and weft. It has a soft

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-9879445677796108462010-07-22T21:04:00.004-04:002010-07-22T22:05:09.159-04:00

One coat finished and three to go. Here are a few pictures of the coat in progress. The first baste up, the trim decisions and then the finished coat and a close up detail of the trim. This way it looks like you can snap your fingers and here's a coat, but there are days and days of careful work going on from one stage to the next. More to come as we head for the deadline. Tech dress is the

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-39190716147286573302010-07-12T20:51:00.005-04:002010-07-12T21:58:13.208-04:00

Along with the eighteenth century coats we are making, there are waistcoats and breeches to be made as well. These breeches, like most of their era are styled with fall fronts. This means that instead of a centre front opening or "fly front", these have a "flap/fall" front as seen here. Fall fronts come in a couple of configurations- whole/broad falls in which the flap is the complete front of

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-90606548981585002442010-07-08T21:53:00.003-04:002010-07-08T22:22:24.179-04:00

As requested, a shot of the inside of the fully lined trousers showing the waist the side pocket and inside of the fly extension.Apologies for the quality of the photo- my camera was on the last of it's battery power yesterday, and this was the only shot I got.We use a few different finishing techniques than you would find in "Ready To Wear" or "Off the Rack" clothing. The main one is that our

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470691509282789478.post-3899916551944483892010-07-03T17:55:00.003-04:002010-07-03T18:06:43.346-04:00

Well, this took forever didn't it! We were ready to fit these, then we had a week layoff and then we waited a week to get a fitting and then we needed to get those 18th century coats ready before this could be worked on. Phew!Ok, so once you have a final trouser length, you hem the trousers as you normally would, moving the lining out of the way. The lining then is clipped just barely as far as

Terrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04192103872756970288noreply@blogger.com2