Readers, this is not a Halloween costume, nor have I joined the Marine Corps -- I'm a couple of decades too old for that.
I found this beautifully constructed, pristine uniform at the Salvation Army and thought it would be great sewing inspiration. I think the lines of the jacket are particularly elegant; I'm especially fond of the high, nipped waist. I read that the style dates back to the 19th Century.
Moving right along, my FIT classes are keeping me busier than I'd expected, though I love the work. The tailoring is painstaking, and I'm proud to say my pad stitching technique has improved dramatically. This week I started work on the canvas interfacing and I've now basted said canvas onto the jacket fronts. Most of what I'm learning is covered in the Roberto Cabrera book, Classic Tailoring Techniques: A Construction Guide for Women's Wear. My professor does a few things differently but just a few.
Meanwhile, in my draping class, we've been working on pegged skirts (which are fuller on top than at the hem), first with a side seam (immediately below, last week's work) and then without.
For this coming Saturday, we have to present the version without a side seam. I created a wrap skirt (remember, we only drape the right half of what will be symmetrical garments). It's fun to come up with different variations and then commit to one.
Here's how my skirt looks unpinned. The center back seam (at the lower left) is on grain. The center front (and beyond) is off grain. You can see the hip line (drawn in pencil), which starts out perpendicular to the CB seam and then becomes diagonal. The hip line was originally parallel to the cross grain.
To maintain the volume of the folds, I underlined the entire skirt in a second, stiffer layer of muslin. Then I added a waistband. Here's my final skirt, somewhat reminiscent of an upside-down tulip.
Side:
Front:
I love the volume. This skirt would look great in a stiff brocade.
On Saturday we'll be draping cowl neck tops, using actual crepe fabric instead of muslin, which I'm looking forward to. We're at the mid-point of the semester already!
And that's it. I won't be dressing up for Halloween, though I may wear my Marine Corps uniform around the house. Why not?
Have a great day, everybody!
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wow, there really IS nothing like a man in a uniform. Very handsome.
ReplyDeletececi
[sniff*sniff] Do I smell a fetish??
ReplyDeleteWow, impressive to have maintained such a flat belly! And I am so jealous of your classes and your beautiful work!
ReplyDeleteGot one like it in my closet, though I can't say it fits me anymore.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous jacket indeed; the rather more extreme version of days gone by is why so many Austro-Hungarian officers in the age of Franz Josef, operettas, and all things Viennese resorted to the kind of corsetry more usually associated with the ladies of the era.
ReplyDeleteAs for peg skirts, funny how a phrase can suddenly call up a vanished memory - in this case my overhearing, at something like the age of five, a heated conversation between my mother and grandmother about the disgraceful ways the "girls" at my father's office were dressing. They heartily agreed that such affectations as stilleto heels, sausage curls, no peg skirts were Common as Mud. They had in mind especially one standout in the steno pool who I thought was the most glamorous woman I'd ever seen, largely because she went in so much for all three (and more).
I definitely did a double-take when that photo popped up in my reader! My son Tyler is still an active-duty Marine and will be wearing his Dress Blues next month to the annual Marine Corps Ball (coincides with the Marine Corp birthday).
ReplyDeleteOorah!
Now I know who has the white belt if I need to borrow one! ;)
DeleteI so wish I lived in a place where I could take topnotch sewing classes, Peter! I took a Master Tailoring class from Susan Widawski last week at the ASDP conferene in Vancouver - LOVED it. I definitely need to brush up on my tailoring skills. Practice, practice!
ReplyDeleteWow! You do look splendid in that jacket! I admire your patience with all the stitching. Wish I had your patience!
ReplyDeletePeter, your draped tulip skirt reminds me of the skirt in one of the original Vogue patterns for Donna Karan #1962, as well as another pattern she did #2217. I made both of these skirts back in the day and I just loved the shape.
ReplyDeleteCool!
DeleteWow this takes me back! My father was career Marine, I remember him spending a few hours getting his dress blues ready for the Marine Corp Ball every year. My mother made herself an evening gown every year too. You're right, this design has not really changed that much in over a century. The buttons are solid brass and I think can still be removed for polishing. My father aways refered to the coat as the "blouse" but he retired in the 70's so who knows what the troops call it now. The Marine dress uniform is the most beautiful of all the service branches in my opinion, with Navy dress coming in second :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful workmanship. Lucky you to be able to take classes at FIT.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful workmanship!
ReplyDeleteAny chance of getting a tutorial on pad stitching? I could use some pointers and a lot of the pad stitching I've seen in tutorials didn't look nearly as good as that!
He looks smart.
ReplyDeletePeter, you look so handsome in that uniform! And your classwork is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful jackets on handsome men... military uniforms have always shined up a man's image. You look great in this tunic, Peter! I read somewhere that the buttons on a soldier's sleeve were ordered by Napoleon, who was offended when his men wiped their noses on their sleeves. The body of the tunic is more dashing, however, showing off handsome buttons and if you look closely, a man's heart beating? My father was a navy man and my mother always cherished the formal portrait of him in his dress blues, c. 1943.
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