Second Life for a Suit [pictorial]

Originally Posted by Corniche

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I like this newer pictures better that the others.

As I told you it looked too sinister for children but this other POW seems better.

Your daughter is lucky man!

This is quite sig worthy.

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

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NOBD, can you explain the picture of the sewing machine with the settings? You just set it to the buttonhole setting (#16 I believe) and it stitches that design for you?

You put the button you want to use in this plastic thing:




You choose a buttonhole style (14-16):




The machine thinks...




And then you press the button and the machine does the work:




On a piece of test fabric first:




If you don't like the result, you can change the settings a bit (size of the hole, number of stitches). C'est tout.

Originally Posted by johnny_flapjack

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I kept hoping that your girlfriend would turn out to be a little old Italian man and we'd get to see her (him) knock out some handmade buttonholes. That would have brought the house down.

I was hoping that for my sake, not yours, of course.

I appreciate that last remark.

She tried some buttonholes by hand, but those are quite hard if you've never done them before, and it's not a very attractive or interesting job - not something you want to practice in your leisure time.

Awesome!

Originally Posted by NOBD

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You put the button you want to use in this plastic thing:

You choose a buttonhole style (14-16):

The machine thinks...

And then you press the button and the machine does the work:

On a piece of test fabric first:

If you don't like the result, you can change the settings a bit (size of the hole, number of stitches). C'est tout.

So great. Thank you.

wow! almost missed this thread... snarks aside this has got to be up there amongst the quality threads, which we lack nowadays here... thanks for this NOBD, gives me a great idea on what to do with all my old shirts and jackets.

I only infrequently browse MC (I'm a SW&D guy) but this is one of the best threads I have seen on this site Looks wonderful.

Superb!! Simply wonderful!!!

Regards.

^ Thank you.



***



Long (and a bit sentimental) intro alert. Feel free to skip.

The nicest thing about the above coat, I think, is the story behind it. It is actually a remake of a coat that the grandmother of my daughter (my girlfriend's mother) made almost forty years ago for the aunt of my daughter (my girlfriend's sister; I hope I am not complicating things by mentioning the family details, but they are important). My daughter wore that same (forty year old) coat last year. She has grown out of it now, but we liked it so much that we wanted to make a new one. The aunt (who wore the original coat as a child) knows how to make patterns, so she took the old coat and made a new pattern for a bigger version.

The original coat was in beige corduroy with a striped pink/white lining. The POW coat was a test coat (which turned out well, and which was worn this spring/summer). My girlfriend made another version which was more true to the original, but this time in a light blue corduroy with a light blue/white gingham lining. You can see the result in the following pictures.



The New Corduroy Version


Pattern parts pinned on the fabric:




Details pattern:






Lining: (cotton) gingham, and bemberg for the sleeves:




Cut:




Button holes:






Small shoulder pleats (hand pinned, machine stitched):






Done:




Detail:




Inside out:




Detail:




Handwork — lining in sleeve, lining and finishing bottom, button sewing:

That is absolutely stunning!!!

I've been showing this to my wife (who may or may not be getting a sewing machine for christmas) ... too big of a hint??
I absolutely love this thread. While it may not be so, you and your girlfriend have a way of making this process look accessible. Thanks for sharing.

^^ Dank je wel.
^ Thank you.

This thread makes me want to 1) Get a sewing machine, and 2) Learn how to sew.

Originally Posted by luftvier

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This thread makes me want to 1) Get a sewing machine, and 2) Learn how to sew.

Probably should work on it in the reverse order...

Originally Posted by whiteslashasian

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Probably should work on it in the reverse order...

Details, details . . .