24/01/2018
Sewing is not something I’m doing all the time, it’s a passion that can flail up, burn strong and then go back into dormancy. Really I’m more about the ideas than actually the actual cutting, assembling and sewing. Not to say I don’t enjoy it, there is a huge amount of satisfaction in seeing a project through from idea to…
21/01/2018
After last weeks popular first instalment in this new series, we follow up with another case study of a modern gentleman. Whereas Jon last week was more into bespoke suits and vintage militaria, this week Shaun shares his insight into dressing well on a budget, through hunting elusive bargains on eBay and charity shops. Welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Shaun!…
21/08/2017
Backpacks come in many shapes and forms, materials and details, intended for one use or another. I have backpacks that are great for stuffing a weekends worth of hiking gear in, backpacks that are brilliant for the daily year-round cycle to work with an expensive laptop inside, even a backpack that does a sterling job of carrying a library book…
07/07/2017
Well, I put the question of what my next project should be to the Internet, and the Internet responded. With a convincing voice the answer was “Thee shall go forth and attempt to create trousers from corduroy fabric!”. Sounds a little dramatic, but right now it also feels as like it. I’ve never made trousers before and to be honest,…
29/06/2017
It’s been a while now since I did one of my backpack guides, so maybe it’s time for a new one? This time I’m not going to go strictly for blackpack alternatives. Blackpack? You know, the black nylon backpack you typically get handed to you with your new laptop. The most generic, ugly and soulless piece of luggage you can…
20/06/2017
After a busy day one getting to know the nitty gritty of Harris Tweed and discovering Stornoway (catch up on it here), day two I was up early and rearing to go. Having read the Hebridean crime novels and the accompanying photos book by Peter May, I was very excited to experience it first hand. Not so much the murders, mind…
07/06/2017
Even with the very best of intentions, this project has been a slow starter. It’s been sitting on a shelf in the hallowed room of sewing for around a year now. I did post about it half a year back, when I thought I had worked up the gumption to give it a go (read here), so let’s let that one…
24/05/2017
Someone dropped me a note the other day asking whatever happened with the ill-fated John Elliott shirt I bought in Edinburgh last year. It’s nice to be reminded, and it’s a clear hint that updating the original post about developments in such a thrilling story doesn’t reach out all that may be interested. So, while you could easily go back and…
18/05/2017
Did you miss day one? It’s right here. Day two saw us lace up and set off again. After the miserable dinner at the hotel the evening before, it was easy to skip the £27.50 breakfast they served there. Almost 30 quid for breakfast? This just goes to show that when booking a hotel in London, make sure breakfast is…
09/05/2017
London is a city I love to visit. So much so that I often wonder what it would be like to live there. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the brilliant Underground, the sights, the exhibitions, the happenings and goings on. It all combines to make a place that feels so vital and alive. The daydream is marred just a little…