Just thought I'd post a note here for anyone interested in tailoring. Rory Duffy is offering Tailoring a Ladies Jacket on Vimeo for just €/$25/month. Very reasonable!.

I know nothing of the specifics, but I am seriously thinking this will be my "Merry Christmas to Me" this year. Will probably make the decision a bit closer to Christmas.

For those who don't know, Rory Duffy is Savile Row trained and a past winner of the Row's Golden Shears Award.  He also has several videos posted on YouTube if you'd like to check him out.

O! M! G!

I don't think I've ever witnessed so many people attempt to do something so simple in so many different, convoluted, awkward ways!

I watched 7 or 8 videos before landing on this one:

https://youtu.be/ffTJO-p6xm0

Even the writing pen she uses on her end is rather unnecessary, but she does show the very important part of running hands/fingers up and down the cord as it forms to evenly distribute the twisting.

It's actually easiest with 2 people. Each stands apart facing opposite directions and twisting threads away from them. When there is enough tension (these cords can be made much more taut than the YT videos show), hand your end to the other person to hold while grabbing the center. Then use your hands to straighten the cord and evenly distribute the twist.

Practicing with a second person is how I learned. Once you get a feel for it, most cording can be made on your own.

@WendyW How fun is this! And something to exercise my brain. Thank you!

I'm an interior designer. I worked years ago designing closets and storage spaces, then commercial offices and things like control rooms in a Chemical manufacturing facility. Finally spent several years designing commercial kitchens, restaurants, churches, etc. So here's what I can suggest.

- The closet at the end of the room, if it is to be a standard 2 foot depth, the shelves at either side should only be no more than 12" deep. Storing sewing and crafting supplies on 12" shelving will still be challenging to prevent losing things on them. Can the closet have a separate 30" of space for storage of your own things, such as the ability to hang self-drafted patterns? An iron you may not want students using,etc?

- The bins for fabric storage should be no more than 6"-8" deep and stack no more than 2 high on a shelf. They should also be translucent to ease usage.

-Instead of one large cutting table for two people to use, I would suggest 2 smaller tables that can be pushed together when teaching kids and separated for better usage by 2 adults. I use a hollow core door that hangs on the wall. I screw the legs on when needed. Is this a possibility for an extra cutting table when needed?

-can the cutting tables be used with stools for gathering everyone around for a teaching moment and to offer an easy way to eat lunch? A conferencing area more or less?

-separate 2'x4' tables for each student. This way the vibration from someone else's machine will not be bothersome. If they are movable, as you teach adults, could they face each other to encourage a club atmosphere and make it more socially engaging?

- At least 2 or 3 separate ironing boards, properly padded, for adults and advanced students, as opposed to one large ironing table. Unless you are teaching quilting, it would be better to teach everyone how to press and iron on a board they would use at home. I still prefer my original skinny board for making clothing. The wide ones are difficult for shoulder and neck seam pressing.

-specific storage for ironing accessories, spray bottles, clappers, point presser, sleeve boards, press buck, etc.

-daylight bulbs for color matching in all lamps/light fixtures.

- Be very careful with the electrical. I once designed a church kitchen with a huge bank of outlets to allow for slow cooker pot luck dinners. I clearly marked the outlets as "convenience outlets for slow cookers". But since I didn't sell the slow cookers I wasn't obligated to provide spec sheets (members would bring theirs from home) the dip dog engineer placed 8 outlets on one 15 amp circuit! They all had to be rewired. Find the specs on a few irons you may consider using so the contractor can calculate the loads correctly. Also, if you have an expensive computerized sewing machine, you'll probably want it on a dedicated circuit. If you plan on using vintage machines, there's something goofy with the foot controls that used to interfere with tv signals, I would discuss this with the contractor/electrician. You may want to have an extra 1 or 2 dedicated circuits in case a student decides to bring an expensive computer machine. Read up on surge protectors and buy good ones where needed - remembering to replace them every 2 to 6 years. You may want to provide a charging station for people's phones and laptops as they may be there for several hours. What kind of task lighting will you use for each sewing station? Do you want to add an additional washer and dryer for pre washing fabric and for guests to use?

-Will you need space heaters during inclimate weather?

-a coffee/tea station for the adults. A frig for storing lunches? A microwave? A small sink that isn't in the bathroom. Nothing elaborate, just accomodating.

- a wall mounted TV to watch applicable videos to be discussed as a class (and to keep you happy while you sew )

-easy access to cleaning supplies and storage for brooms, mops, a dust buster, etc. including outlets for those things to recharge.

-storage for quick access to tools needed to make machine repairs in a pinch.

Ok, so some are suggestions and other stuff is just questions I would would be asking were I actually designing the space.

I miss doing this, can you tell?

And the "sewing retreat" idea sounds like a winner to me!

@annieeg  That bib is adorable!

How many years have I been on here and just now, tonight, the popper/snap thing comes up twice.

I've decided to call the words that don't "cross the pond" in the same way "pond-words". Could be shortened to PW's.  "Popper" is a PW.

As skinny as the neck tape is, would a snap/popper be better than velcro in this case, as velcro can easily entangle hair when its exposed?

Results like these is why I haven't attempted  a pair of jeans since 1982!

Steaming and a Clapper couldn't hurt. Perhaps even a slightly less bulky new needle? (That sounds counter-intuitive, but your machines may not like the heavier needles?)The 201 was developed for dressmaking of lighter weight fabrics. Do you have access to a 15? They were meant to be useful "on the farm". I haven't used mine yet, but I'm expecting it to handle this stuff.

The good news is, if you look at high end jeans ($1400 - $1500 per pair) your pockets are stellar! Unfortunately, anyone that knows me will know I've not wrapped my 62 year old bum in thousand dollar jeans!

If it were me, I'd carefully fix the skipped stitches by hand and look for a 15 or some other machine proven to handle denim before I attempted another pair.

Maybe someone else will have a better idea, but I think it's the machines with the problem - and not the operator - in this instance.

@Catllar @Starryfish 's suggestion looks spot on.  I made myself several shirts virtually identical to that one "back in the day".

I was just explaining to my parents last night how useful they were back then. My favorite disco only sold beer and setups. Liquor and wine had to be carried in in unopened bottles. Liquor was pricey when purchased in small pints or half pints, so we would buy fifths (much larger - 1 liter +?) When we could afford it, but we of course never drank it in one go. So on the nights we had those large bottles opened, I'd have to wear a peasant blouse so it would slip up into my sleeve!.

@Iminei Yes, your calculations are correct. The turn of the 20th century gave birth to much of what we consider contemporary art and design. Picasso and others came into their own in the 1910's with the birth of Cubism and there were influences that led up to that.

In 1903, the Weiner Werkstätte was founded by craftsmen from different trades that laid the foundation for Modernism. They organized in many cities around the world.

I've been a modernist since I can remember (age 4?), influenced by my Grandmother's taste which always tended towards clean lines accented by skilled hand work. (She was born in 1915). She was a woman of extremely limited means and very little education, but she had an "eye".

@Ploshkin 

I've had 2 different people ask me about a new machine that will top stitch denim recently, I told them a vintage straight stitcher is all I know of.

Well... at least I pointed them in the right direction!

Thank you!