williamsews

  After the disaster of the last shirt, I thought it would be a good idea to have a break from making them. I have a few bowties already to go and I do enjoy making them. The tied tie is a Christmas bowtie which I was able to wear this year because the weather was cool. I wouldn’t make a very good gentleman’s dresser as it was difficult to tie it on someone else. This was bought for Valentines Day ages ago, perhaps it’s time to make it as well I am also finally going to finish the quilt I started long ago – the piecing part is fun and intriguing but the quilting is much less fascinating. Anyway, this is halfway finished and shouldn’t take very long. It’s too late to give as a Christmas gift which is a pity. It’s 2.2m x 1.75m and only two layers, the back and the patchwork, no wadding, so it’ll be a light quilt, Summer has been cool and wet so far and the first month is almost over, I know it’ll heat up. I prefer winter. It seems to be a short time ago I mentioned the Frangipani out...

  …I’ve had a few… and this shirt is one of them. It seemed like a good idea, something different, but I lost interest and struggled to finish it – I only meant it to be a sample, made from sheeting – perhaps a mid-weight fabric would be better. It can be worn without a belt. Anyway, I have a friend who wants it, so he’s welcome. On to the next big thing. I had a problem with the safari suit pattern I’d bought, it was wrongly labelled, my money was returned but I have no pattern (that is probably what inspired me to try this one). Safari Suit patterns are hard to find… or at least hard to find in my size but I shall continue the search. We are experiencing my kind of summer weather, cool and wet. I prefer winter to summer, so this is very nice indeed. I hope everyone has the best Christmas they can. Take care,  Will.

  The new shirt is a nice, soft cream – more so than the way it looks in the photographs but that’s just my lack of photography skills. In the past I’ve liked to create interesting pockets but have been stuck with one style recently, so I made an attempt to do something different. The buttons are vintage, mock tortoiseshell with brass insets, larger than usual but they work OK. The pocket has a workable flap that serves no practical purpose. This is a shirt I made at least 40 years ago, I still wear it in winter, I shall copy the pocket design onto a new shirt. Still in reasonable shape considering its age and how often it’s been worn over the years. Pattern drafting will probably be the next on the agenda, not a lot of fun but it will be worth it, a Safari Suit pattern is on the way. That’s my lot for today, Take care,  Regards,  Will.