*** The official and awesome DIY thread ***

krudsma said:

Nicely done! I'm gearing up to make my first stab at trousers, any tips?

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Thank you! Trousers can be rather challenging especially in terms of fit. I recommend making at least a couple full versions without pockets just to dial in the fit. Taking some relevant body measurements can also be helpful when adjusting a pattern for the first time. I think it took four tries for me to get a pair of jeans to fit well. If you want to make jeans and are looking for supplies, Pacific Blue Denims is you place for selvage denim and Citron Jeans on Etsy is your place for hardware.

Wow, my little DIY projects are nothing compared with the shirts and pants posted the last several months. But to keep the thread alive, here's some small things I did last summer.

First, a new heel for a 12 yr old pair of Goodhew socks that I love, taken from my daughter's sock that she outgrew several years ago and whose mate we lost back then:

Then a pair of Hudson Ipanema's that I modified. I bought the for a long trip to the Philippines last summer. The site then showed them as unlined, but they came lined with fabric and fusing. I removed the lining using scissors to cut and pliers to pull.


That made them breezy and comfortable during my stay, but they stretched out and my heels would slip out. Heel pads didn't help much, so when I got home, I opened up the back, cut out a wedge, and stitched them up. Now they fit and feel great.

I also switched out the vinyl footbed for a leather one and glued a 1x2" piece of skived calfskin at the front to prevent my toes from eventually rubbing through. With those mods, they made for an ideal tropical shoe imo.

Hi all, new to the forum. I've got little style sense.
I long ago needed a good wallet in leather, so made my own. Now I do it for fun. I guess this is some shameless promotion but I do belts, wallets and other things. Will put up pictures and ask for advice and see if anyone likes these things. I always do my stuff by hand. Full grain leather. Belts are usually veg tan or latigo (sorta like bridle) -- thick and sturdy -- but simple. Not dress belts. Jeans type.
Wallets - I do different types - but notably not the usual bill folds with card slots - more minimalist.