I have decided to take an extended holiday this year. I haven’t taken a day since last January. I don’t consider Army Reserve training, a holiday, just a totally different ball game. Though there hasn’t been much of that either since COVID. I am eager to realise my vision of what I want my online academy to be, the one place anyone can go to learn the art of handcraft tailoring. I do believe what I am trying to achieve is possible, that apprenticeships will become a thing of the past and someone who is serious about being a tailor can achieve their dreams through my videos. I have an in-house apprentice, Terry, I taught him coat making. Since he had the skills I forwarded him the old video series on Trousers that made up the mini series on YouTube. His trousers are as good as mine. Next week will be spent shooting and editing the trouser making series. If that’s done before the holidays I will continue with the Tailcoat early in the New Year. It won’t be much of a holiday, just getting other stuff done so I can deliver on promises made. I know many of you are eager for the book, if there wasn’t so many edits it would be out there and available. To be fair I don’t thinks there’s much left. I do envision a drafting series too, notes available to download just as with the coat. The book itself will eventually be printed, only those like myself who like to own and read books with bother to purchase it. There will be some bonus material also. The Tailcoat I am making isn’t wanted until November, so there might be time for the Waistcoat. Waistcoats aren’t always a desired item of clothing but they are a great way to hone ones skills for coat making. I am eager for “learn to earn” videos or “earn while learning”. Think the former sounds better. When I was an apprentice I worked as a bartender on the weekends and an alteration tailor in the evenings. I have mention this already here, but I hope to add some videos on Ready to Wear alterations, so at least you can earn a living while you are learning the trade. I was trained by a pseudotailor (I just made that up). It wasn’t production and it wasn’t bespoke. Somewhere in the middle. I think there could be room for a series which took the best from Savile Row and the best from production. Bring the two together and make a coat series out of it. When I am rushing to make something for myself, this is the type of coat I make. The few who have signed up for Coat making one to one learnt this style. I didn’t advertise it as Handcraft and anyone who took it knew that. I am not taking the company name to means I will only teach one style, many of you may thank me for the options. Handcraft is great, when you are getting paid for it. Clients when given the option usually go for the cheaper rate, so long as the fit it there. As always it will depend on what I have time for, but stay tuned.
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"I think there could be room for a series which took the best from Savile Row and the best from production. Bring the two together and make a coat series out of it."
That's fine as long as you're clear. I took a couture course and became really angry because the person taught all kinds of shortcuts he made up that weren't pure couture methods, which were what I'd signed up to learn. I wouldn't have minded learning some of these tricks later, but the traditional methods should have been taught first.
There's a benefit in your creating a series of courses that demonstrate and preserve traditional bespoke techniques, although I imagine a series with hybrid techniques would be very popular.
EDITED TO ADD:
"Learn to earn" is catchier.
I understand that your videos will track what you happen to be making at the time. Although it would be interesting to see the making of a body coat like a tailcoat. I'd also like to see the drafting and construction of an overcoat. A vest/waistcoat would be interesting as well.
The plan is to stay true to Handcraft for the initial videos. Which will be clearly labelled as such. I was just thinking about the benefit of hybrids too. Some students will excel at hand sewing and others won’t.
Enjoy your holiday. 😊
I would love to see the hybrid coat making.
For perspective though for those still on the road, and before the first turn... I did the whole hand work thing in fly tying through which I made money as a kid, and later an apprenticeship in woodworking where I spent an eternity on my knees sharpening my first set of tools, literally a year or more. That was 40 years ago. I also have hand skills in many other activities, too numerous to mentions. As FK says, hand work is production.
But the romance of hand work can just be a clever way to avoid learning other techniques. One is not a more accomplished craftsperson by being less accomplished. If you think threading a needle is difficult, try all the things you have to learn to select, buy, get set up, often fix, the many kinds of sewing machines that can be useful, just to get to the same point of departure you reached when you threaded that Sharp. And then take an outing on an old style clutch motor machine and see how that feels. People today are so lucky to have variable speed servo motors.
If one does sell one's work one may want to speak honestly to customers. My dad had tailored suits from Belfast, and I had shorts suits from the same tailor. My dad's suits lasted for a very long time because there was central heating, and the fabric was very heavy compared to what we have today. Today the fabric seems to let go, before the sewing, so the fact there are stronger ways to make a seam seams less important today that maybe it was at one time. Does the crotch really need to be sewn by hand. I don't know, but I would like to know what the truth is.
Thanks for all your effort, Rory. I truly appreciate what you are doing here. Many of us have very little access to individual teaching for these skills.
Can't wait to see more videos. Maybe an overcoat with all the bells and whistles at some point..? (ie. two-way collar, frame pockets, poacher's pocket, turnback cuffs, etc)
I have one promised to my father, a Covert coat. Could certainly be done this year.
Hi Rory
Definitely make sure that you take some holiday. It's really important to take time off.
In relation to this thread about hybrid construction I think it's important to understand the traditional techniques in order to decide when, where, and how to use more modern techniques to achieve the aim of an exceptionally well made garment. Just because a technique is modern and available doesn't mean it is inferior. I think an example of this is Rory's very limited use of interfacing to produce a more reliable result at the end of darts. I am sure there are many other examples.
From a purely selfish point of view I would like to see the trouser video series and waistcoat series completed so that I can finish my three piece suit with confidence....and get the photos posted for Rory to see (and hopefully be proud!) 😁
"I think an example of this is Rory's very limited use of interfacing to produce a more reliable result at the end of darts. I am sure there are many other examples."
My favorite moment in the series so far was when Rory addressed the non-sewing "purists" who look down their noses at the use of interfacing. In my tailoring classes, which taught bespoke techniques, we also used small patches of interfacing on the dart tips and in a few other places. One of the things I enjoy about these lessons is seeing how one bespoke tailor who does this for a living actually works. There is no one more fanatical than the non-practicing amateur.
@Kunsthandwerk I agree with all of this re: fusible interfacing. I've tried the 'pure' handcraft approach and it's fine, but you genuinely get a better result with judicious use of fusibles (e.g. steadying pocket mouth corners). If the fusibles are cheap then maybe the glue is weak or will degrade with time, but if the fusibles are good quality the bond is extremely reliable. I find the Vlieseline products to be absolutely excellent.
@Benjamin
"I agree with all of this re: fusible interfacing. I've tried the 'pure' handcraft approach and it's fine...."
If a professional bespoke tailor does it, that's pure enough for me. The only time I haven't used fusible was in a couture class. Instead of fusible, we hand basted silk organza to the shell fabric and thread traced all the lines for a jetted pocket. We did the same thing for a bound buttonhole. There are times when it's appropriate. The key is to learn when. The older techniques aren't always fetishism.
More generally, with handwork, I've found that if one isn't willing or able to take the time to practice and get good, sometimes the machine method is better because a beginner's handwork efforts can be mediocre. When I made an RTW-style women's jacket as an experiment, I bagged one sleeve hem and the other I hand felled. The machine version looked neater. I realized I had to practice the hand sewing and go slower.