Re Dress Forms. If your intention is to buy one for your own personal fitting only, then I suggest you always go for one size smaller than you currently are, then you have to pad the body form up to fit your body.
To do that, you make a pattern then a toile which fits EXACTLY your personal measurements, and pad the body form to these adjustments. Hey presto there you have it. This is the way we were taught at my fashion course at Art College. I've never bought a dress form as nothing I've ever seen has come anywhere close to the professional ones (Stockman)we used at college. Anything polyester and 'adjustable' is useless and a waste of money. One good one is a sound investment - and one which I wish I'd made in the 60's.

The video is very well exlained - but when pausing the stitching - especially for this particular exercise - the sewing machine needle should always be in the down position (in the work) in order that it doesn't shift!

I'm not impressed with any of these I'm afraid!

The whole thing is quite wonderful - the attention to detail great.
I just can't imagine actually sleeping in such a garment for two reasons:-
a) Not wanting to spoil it!
b) Even THAT fine wool next to the skin must be very uncomfortable!

Just a tip - a facing on a curved surface is usually 3/8" smaller than the part it faces e.g cuffs and necklines as these will be concave - therefore their circumference is smaller being on the inside.

"Boys in BRITCHES!!!!"
Are you Americans trying to rewrite English???

It so offends a lover of our beautiful language - breeches - please!

The fascination is how what goes underneath changes the whole appearance of what is on top! To understand this is the basis of the history of fashion evolution.

Did it evolve from a desire to please men - or from women wanting to change their appearance for themselves?

I have my great Aunt's trousseau which she hand-made herself - but sadly never wore, but the work is a wonderful testament of what might have been.

I agree - the colour shows grey - not blue. This whole design (or what we can see of it) incorporates some innovative ideas - but too many all on one garment doesn't work well. I don't think the design fits the material which -to me - should look more tailored to really do it justice. I don't like the darts at all.
Finally - to put all those features in one design - then to fasten with press studs - seems such a waste and cheapens the whole effect!

I recently unearthed such a garment. A length of crepy type polyester in a gorgeous deep amethyst- given to me by a friend about 5 years ago. I abandoned what I began from Burda Easy 2945 pattern (Just the top long flowing part- without the trousers). Then when my son announced his engagement I began researching 'Mother-of-the-bridegroom' outfits. Some considerable time later without inspiration, I revisited my amethyst project, & decided to re-model it. I needed sleeves, so drafted them from the Burda pattern - which worked perfectly. Then, as the material had lent itself to soft wavy edges when just zig-zagged on the machine, I wanted to incorporate this so the centre sleeves had channel seams down with wavy edges down the centre & the hems. The same was echoed in the side seams of the garment. I've used dupion silk in pale lilac as a cummerbund, which I've embroidered with the deep colour of the dress, lime green, and tiny rochelle beads, as well as putting the beading all round the hem & sleeve hem, plus the round neck. U'm very pleased with the result which I'll be wearing early next month at the wedding.

Any good reference book on a subject of one's passion is a joy to have.For this reason I would love to see this book on my bookcase to refer to whenever I needed some expert help and advice.

It was only a matter of time before this 'creation' became world news - having probably started out as a simple idea for a college charity event. When I was a fashion student we didn't have charity events but always some kind of show was going on which made it fun to display our creativity!

As for the designer - all sorts of speculation but nothing confirmed yet, I'm not at all bothered except of course delighted that its British - and excited about the actual design!

There is huge pressure on these two as they represent the continuation of our monarchy,anyone with an ounce of patriotism will be wishing them the very best of good luck, health and lasting happiness. Our present queen will be a very hard act to follow - such dedicated monarchs rarely, if ever exist now.

These look really neat & very effective.
Just as an aside - any ideas/suggestions as to where I can get hold of a really good professional dressmaker's stand -we always used STOCKTON's when I was at college, which we were taught to 'pad up'to our individual sizes. The only ones which seem to be available here are always those polyester covered expandable things which are unacceptable.

I do find your Americanised terminology sometimes difficult to interpret, not to mention the incorrect spelling which I find very annoying!!
A pillow is what you sleep on, and rectangular - the illustration is most definitely a cushion - but fabulous all the same!
Apologies - but being a lover of our English language - I hate to see it marginalized.

It aint rocket science! To put it simply -Having fitted the garment & pinned the front together, mark the bust point - draw a horizintal line across to CF & that is the first button position, If the waist is fitted - do the same, & put all other required buttons equidistant around these first two! Hope this simplifies any queries!

Elementary!

I really like them all - not sure if the sleeves on the black bolero jacket aren't what we'd call 'Leg of Mutton sleeves'. The pleats on the sleeves are similar - but not exactly the same as those used on the garments worn by QC's /Barristers etc in our courts. These garments are made in Silk but I can't remember the correct name for the pleats but for the record i will find out!

I couldn't see Jackie O in any of these designs and the only one I liked was Michael Costello!

My most recent project has been making a new canopy for the coach built pram we've bought for our two month old granddaughter. The idea being to have it at our house for when she visits, so we can take her for walks. The pavements round here are uneven & often rough, so the buggy wheels get quite a bashing.My husband has been working on the bodywork of the pram, which needed some attention, & now it looks really good.
I unpicked the original canopy to use as a pattern, & bought a remnant in pale cream. As the pram is Navy blue, I wanted a matching fringe in that colour. I didn't want a traditional white bullion type fringe,but decided navy blue bobble fringewould look great. This proved very difficult to find, but I eventually succeeded & am delighted with the finished result.I then made a pram cover & pillow with some remaining fabric, so we're all set for the off & some fine weather!

This is excellent -surprising how many people don't know the difference between ironing & pressing - or even that there IS one!It is an important part of any fashion/design course & we covered it well in my course at college.
This also made me realise how well my mum had taught me as a younger child, & it always fascinated me. For years I would never use a steam iron - just a damp cloth where required.
It makes 'ironing' a whole different ball game - which doesn't have to be regarded as just another chore, so when I do it, I really enjoy it.

I was a design student in the 60's at Portsmouth College of Art & Design, & I'm sure our design teacher would have had a fit using hair canvas on silk satin!! Hair canvas would be used for tailoring heavier fabric - I used it to structure my Harris Tweed coat for my tailoring project.

The design of this opera coat is shapeless, pumpkin like describes it fully. Although not my taste it is always interesting to see how garments are constructed - but I don't think this has any subtlety in either shape or design.

Hi There - I would totally agree with all of the above & as for the dressmaker's dummy - or stand - as we called it, get the very best you can afford & if its for yourself,(although ideally one in different sizes is good)get a smaller size than yourself & pad it up to your exact measurements. Each term at college we did this so we all had our own for the duration of our course. Interestingly I first took this C&G course at Art college, & hated working on the stand with fabric. Much later as an adult, I retook the course - with the intention of teaching afterwards- & absolutely loved working with fabric freely on a stand. I felt so much more confident with it, & also one of the adult pupils had worked at Liberty in London for years - so her input - without formal training - was brilliant. She taught the tutor more than one useful trick, as well as making our course great fun & much more interesting.

Your description of this being a 'Norfolk Jacket' bears no resemblance to such!! A traditional Norfolk Jacket is a country style garment - worn by country folk who go hunting shooting & fishing - so is definitely NOT a close fitting garment. It is a long straight jacket usually with a slotted belt made up of the same material as the jacket which has stitched 'pleats' down the front and back. It has large pleated pockets and is made of tweed.

The pattern cutting shown for this sleeve is excellent - but this is NOT a Norfolk jacket!

Thanks for these wonderful pictures.
I have part of a trousseau made by a great aunt who was an excellent needlewoman. She was apparently going to get married & emigrate to Australia in the early 1920's, but her sister tragically died leaving her two young children aged 5+6 (their father was in the Royal Navy & away at sea), so she vowed to look after the children -my mother & her little brother, who both adored their aunt.

This is fabulous! Each time I come into this site I spend ages looking at all the fabulous ideas, it is so exciting!
Currently working out a design based on Winnie The Pooh (only the E H Shepard illustrations - not the Disney versions which I really dislike)for my first crib quilt.

Hi Mary - Tks for that. I agree with rkr4cds1 -re using an awl to gently push the threads apart-rather than'cutting' as that would produce a 'weak spot'.

I was also initially puzzled by the Americanised language - & had to investigate 'snaps'- which we call press studs!!

Hi - Brilliant to see glove patterns again.

I made leather gloves years ago with Pittards gloving leather which I bought from a now defunct supplier called John P Milner in Wales. They supplied everything from leather punches all the rivets, eyelets threads, needles beeswax & anything else to do with leather work. I've never found a comparable replacement so haven't made any gloves since. I loved making them & still have all the patterns - which look just like the ones supplied. The stitching I used was simple stab stitch - with silk thread, and looked really good when completed.