28/03/2020
I know, the moment you saw the rainproof smock and sewing as the title of this article, you thought one of three things: Hang on, I’m sure Nick announced that on Instagram ages ago Right, yes, another project started with lots of gusto and never heard of again Ooh, nice one, that will be interesting to read about! And yes,…
07/10/2016
After a long and basically threadless Spring and Summer (bare the occasional button that needed sewing, naturally) it’s time to see about firing up the sewing machine again. Yes, I know, the blue corduroy waistcoat is still unfinished, and every time someone asks I think that it must surely be time to finish it. And it will happen, I promise! In…
07/06/2014
I’ve been asked occasionally for tips on how to get started sewing your own clothes, so I thought I’d do a quick post offering some suggestions on patterns worth getting. I consider patterns to be essential for the beginner, as the combination of good instructions and properly laid out patterns are a hard deal to better, unless you really know…
19/02/2014
I know, I’ve been late in delivering the next iteration of the Waistcoat Project. To be honest, this one caused me so much trouble it almost sunk the entire project. The Singer just totally refused to do the buttonholes for me. So much so that I’ve since invested in a vintage Singer for future buttonhole duties. The issues with the…
03/01/2014
So, moving on with the Waistcoat Project. Having proven in part 1 that it is feasible for a middle-aged man to sew a waistcoat at home, with little previous experience (I realise that for some, this comes as no surprise, yet for others this is a revelation of near biblical impact) I now want to make some adjustments to the…
31/12/2013
Those of you that have follow my efforts for a while will have noticed that I have a certain fascination with waistcoats. I’ll not try to analyse just why I like waistcoats, but suffice to say they are stylish and practical, and add interest to your outfit. What’s not to like? Well, waistcoats are not in huge supply. While a…
12/03/2013
In my series of presentations of labels I consider worth keeping an eye on, today has brought us to the tiny Northern label of Mamnick. Situated in the defunct steel town of Sheffield in Yorkshire (a town I also have family ties to), Mamnick is named after a road in the Peak District, just outside of Sheffield. Mamnick isn’t so…