Reddit reviews Shirtmaking: Developing Skills For Fine Sewing
We found 19 Reddit comments about Shirtmaking: Developing Skills For Fine Sewing. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
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I just started down this path myself. Luckily my mom has a sewing machine and some basic knowledge of how to use it, so that's been really helpful. It's an old-school fully mechanical Bernina, not sold any more but it looks to be similar to the 1008 model. Really nice machine, fast, quiet, has a ton of built-in stitches, a button-hole-maker, and easily interchangeable presser feet, but it's also way more expensive than I would spend if I had to buy my own. Unfortunately I don't have any recommendations for entry-level machines. But certainly it's worth it to do some research on what it needs to be capable of doing. For example,
basic equipment:
patterns:
I was lucky and happened to want to get started at the same time as McCall's was having a huge sale, so I was able to get a bunch for $3 each. But usually they're more expensive. Do some research; there are good patterns, and shit patterns. Also, the instructions that come with patterns are universally crap. And by that I mean they're optimized for a combination of the lowest-common-denominator of sewing skills, and a minimal amount of print-space. Definitely read them front-to-back before you begin, but also supplement the included instructions with an ample dose of youtube videos.
I tried starting with a dress shirt; that was a mistake. Very difficult. (It didn't help that the pattern I got for it fell into the shit category, and I ended up needing to make a ton of modifications. McCall's M6044. Do not recommend.). I'm currently in the middle of my third muslin and it's starting to come out okay, but I still don't feel comfortable giving it a go with the good fabric. Fleece is very easy to work with; I just finished one that come out actually pretty decent, using the Kwik Sew K4032 pattern. It's got some challenging parts, especially the directions for the zipper pockets weren't very good, but on the whole way more simple than a dress shirt.
supplies:
I had a really tough time finding good sources of by-the-yard fabric online. I ended up ordering from califabrics.com. I'm happy with everything I got, but it's kind of a crap-shoot if you don't order samples first. Would recommend sourcing fabric locally, if you can, or at least order samples before you commit to a bunch of yards.
I got my zippers from sailrite.com. As you can guess from the name, they're very focused on nautical stuff, but they have a good assortment of YKK zippers that are way less expensive than anywhere else I could find. Good youtube instructional videos too.
Otherwise, I got some stuff from Joann's (check online first, sometimes they have online-only sales but let you pick up in-store), and random sellers on amazon (muslin was cheapest there, but the stuff at Joann's was much nicer, almost good enough to actually wear if you wanted to).
resources i've found helpful:
Definitely. Pressing is part of the process and some of the problem may be that you haven't pressed so you can't see everything that's happening.
I know of many resources. Some of the books are expensive or hard to find. You may be able to borrow them from a library.
Online
Books
Some Japanese men's pattern books can be found here and here.
For Inspiration
I can't make a recommendation for menswear patternmaking books. I plan to take a class this spring and the teacher told me he was going to follow the basic format of a particular book, but he noted that the book had mistakes.
Dude here, though I've never called myself a 'dude' before, I'm more a 'guy' sort of guy. Welcome to sewing. I hope you enjoy it.
Here's what I did (in order):
Once I started quilting, I stopped making clothes, though once a year I make my partner and I new PJ bottoms, and I still do mending, tailoring, etc.
If you liked that article, you may want to pick up the book Shirtmaking. While it's not solely focused on men's shirts, it has a lot of interesting tips for upping the quality from your standard pattern instructions or RTW.
Shirtmaking is harder than it looks. If she wants to take a stab at it, here's a book on copying the pattern without taking it apart:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0823026663/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Qq7cAb3V68CVV
This is THE best resource on shirtmaking:
Shirtmaking by David Page Coffin
Both of these authors also have courses on Craftsy.com.
Is this the type of shirt we're talking about?
wrangler retro shirt
It may be tricky to find the right thin but soft and sturdy denim. It's a whole thing that high end Japanese manufacturers are buying old US looms to try to replicate the fabric weave of vintage US workwear.
Maybe the linked shirt is close?
I can personally attest that it is certainly possible to go from zero sewing experience to making mens' garments in a few years, but there is a huge, yawning chasm between home sewing from patterns and becoming a good enough bespoke tailor to garner a brand/reputation. From a basic "where do I get started" standpoint, I recommend having a go at some vests; something super simple at first (Simplicity 2346 is a great starter pattern) and then you can move on to patterns that add details like facings, darts, lapels and/or actual pockets. You get the satisfaction of a functional garment without a lot of complex technique.
When I first started sewing and thinking about how cool it would be to eventually make old-fashioned mens' clothing, I did a lot of googling for books, web tutorials, etc. on the subject... and came away frustrated because the overwhelming message was (and still is) "Fine tailoring is a trade that is still handed down from master to apprentice, and there is really no other way to truly learn it."
Which sounds rather snobby on the one hand... but on the other I think the real issue is not that the knowledge can't be communicated by any other means than old-fashioned apprenticeship, but that it's just not really worth the time and effort it would take someone to write an extensive book/shoot a DVD containing it all; there's no way it would ever sell enough copies to be profitable, so nobody's ever bothered.^
I haven't gotten into production sewing garments yet, although I do make accessories; I don't think I'll ever make a living at it, but I've done OK on Etsy and at local shows. Over the last year or so I've been thought about targeting a niche market: vintage clothing enthusiasts, but come away discouraged. While I may know how to assemble a vintage style newsboy cap or flat cap, I really don't know anything about the historically accurate details (construction, materials, etc) that vintage people would be looking for; if I wanted to establish a strong vintage style brand I would need to invest a whole lot more energy in learning all about the market, which doesn't really interest me. Similarly, even if devoted the next 10 years teaching myself traditional tailoring (cutting, drafting, sewing, fitting) I would still be lacking so much general industry/marketplace knowledge that I'd be lost trying to compete at that level.
I don't actually mean to be discouraging - these are just my observations as someone who first touched a sewing machine five years ago with similar daydreams. You can certainly learn to sew and become very good at it, and even make some money if you can find that sweet spot where you can sell your products to enough people at enough of a profit to make it worth your time and materials. But establishing a fine fashion brand requires a whole other level of knowledge outside of the nuts and bolts of actual sewing, and without making the conscious effort to immerse myself in that world (and without having the background, connections, or money to afford my own products) it's not a realistic goal. So I spend a lot of time thinking about those niches where I do have both the sewing ability and domain knowledge to tap into a market. And I try to keep making new/more complex garments; that's the other thing about apprenticeship, you spent a lot of time doing basic, repetitive tasks over and over again, far more than most people would when sewing as a hobby. Hard to become a pro at something when you can only spend the occasional evening/weekend working at it on top of a full-time dayjob.
That being said, there are some books out there on the subject of tailoring... but all of the ones I've looked at assume a fair amount of sewing knowledge up front; I've never seen a book that starts with "This is how you use a sewing machine" and concludes with "Here is your custom-drafted three-piece suit." I'm trying to work my way towards drafting by way of sewing from commercial patterns, so I can get an overall sense of how garments are constructed before attempting it myself; once you have a grasp of both technique and construction, you can start to mix and match them to get the results you want. You should definitely check out three books by David Page Coffin:
David also learned to sew as an adult and in the introduction to Shirtmaking he explains that the book is an exploration of how to construct fine quality, bespoke shirts in a home-sewing context; that is, without a lot of the specialized equipment or assembly line techniques that a production shop would be likely to have. It's an astoundingly thorough book, but very accessible. Making Trousers for Men and Women takes a similar approach with pants, detailing the overall construction of trousers as well as the many variations and finishing touches that can be applied to them. And if nothing else it's encouraging to see how much a person can learn on a subject as an adult!
David Page Coffin's shirtmaking book and dvd are a good place to start for making shirts.
From your question, it sounds as though you've never sewn anything before. Are you a complete beginner? If so, you'll probably want to start by learning to sew and making a garment for yourself from a commercial pattern to see how patterns work, how the pieces fit together, and to pick up the skills and vocabulary you need to design and make things. You really only need a handful of measurements. (You don't need a highly accurate 3D model of a person just to make a well-fitting shirt.) There are measurement charts online that can help you get started. Basically, you'll make your prototype garment and then scale it up or down and make it again in the other sizes. It's not rocket science, but it is time consuming and requires attention to detail. It gets easier once you have basic pattern blocks in the sizes and shapes you need. You'll have to create your own standard S, M, L, XL sizes, make blocks for the pattern pieces you use frequently (they're these things), and then you can base future designs off them. Lots of work up front, but then you just need to take a person's measurements and tweak your blocks a little to cut a pattern for them.
Also, for the business side of things, take a look at Kathleen Fasanella's blog - should you want to produce an entire clothing line. If you're thinking more along the lines of small-scale, Etsy-type production levels and you plan to do the work yourself, the best way to start is probably to just get a machine and practice like crazy. Peter Lappin is self-taught, and now he writes a column for Threads or Vogue Patterns or something (I forget).
Check out Shirtmaking Essentials. I just got it because I took 12 shirts to a tailor and decided I should just try to make my own that fit right in the first place.
Have you seen this book?
It's very informative and was really handy for the men's shirt I made recently. It is quite old though and I think the author is releasing a new book this year.
As a menswear student, the best fitting pants and shirts that I have made have been from flat pattern making books. Although it uses centimeters this book is by far the best I have used with the clearest instructions. Also, this book is great for learning to make classic collared shirts...
http://www.amazon.com/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561582646
I cannot recommend this book enough as a very well illustrated and straightforward guide to shirt making/ adjustments. It's very easy to understand, even for someone with little to no experience.
If you live in or a near a big city with a respected fashion design school that offers classes for nondegree students, I recommend taking some.
Cutter and Tailor is an excellent website. Start with the [Basic Apprentices' Forum] (http://www.cutterandtailor.com/forum/index.php?showforum=26) The forum requires that beginners start with trousers, skirts, and shirts before being approved for jackets.
[Male Pattern Boldness] (http://www.malepatternboldness.blogspot.com/) is a blog by a man who makes men's clothes and women's clothes for his camp alter-ego, "Cathy." He has a sidebar with links to other men's sewing blogs.
You need to learn to sew (make up clothes) before you can do much. Then study pattern making.
Added: This is a post I put about an FIT shirt making class. http://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/1mdddz/hilarious_article_about_fit_shirtmaking_course/
Added: [Mike Maldonado] (http://www.mikemaldonado.com/) is a good site for shirt making. Some of the videos are free. The course is $400, but you get the videos and I hear it's very good. David Page Coffin's ShirtMaking book is decent.
Some other posts I've done:
http://www.amazon.com/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561582646
http://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/1m3s1m/how_to_press_garments_during_construction/
http://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/1n3gpb/beginners_pick_an_easy_pattern_get_it_fitted_sew/
Looks good! You mention that English is not your first language, but if you feel confident in tackling a book in English, this book on shirtmaking is a fantastic resource.
New Complete Guide to Sewing for general sewing techniques.
For tailoring men's clothes, Classic Tailoring Techniques (and women's.)
For pattern drafting, Winnifred Aldrich has a great line of books.
There's also Fundamentals of Men's Fashion Design, casual and tailored. As well as Patternmaking for Fashion Design.
For corsets, Waisted Efforts and The Basics of Corset Building are good.
For making shirts, Shirtmaking.
For learning to sew stretch/knit fabrics, Sew U: Home Stretch is pretty good.
And for just having a bunch of fun with patterns, the Pattern Magic series is plain awesome. I think there's three of them out now.
Edit: thought of more!
The Art of Manipulating Fabric is great. And www.threadsmagazine.com as well as the corresponding print publication.
A great book you might be interested in is - Shirtmaking by David Coffin. Started to read it myself. It's really well written. He's great at explaining things.
I couldn't find my old posts (weird), but here's a progression. Do not jump to the next step until you can do a really good job at your current level.
I realize it may not be possible, but look for classes or seminars.
Man's cotton shirt with collarband, collar, tower sleeve placket, curved hem.
Man's trousers in wool.
Man's vest in wool and lining fabric.
Skills related to a man's jacket (double piped pocket samples, pocket flaps, vents, pad stitched lapel sample).
Jacket.
Books:
Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing (general sewing)
Classic Tailoring Techniques for Men: A Construction Guide
Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket
Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing
Online:
Mike Maldonado's shirt making videos and his video courses
The Cutter and Tailor forum (Read the section on how to teach yourself tailoring)
The Bespoke Cutter and Tailor forum (less strict than the forum above)
Rory Duffy's online videos (They are beautiful, but not in-depth enough to teach yourself).
The Notebook, a blog by Anderson & Sheppard, a Savile Row firm.
Made by Hand, a blog by Jeffery Diduch.
Also, I'm assuming you've seen this book? http://www.amazon.com/Shirtmaking-Developing-Skills-Fine-Sewing/dp/1561582646/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IK71TVPT97LQV&colid=19HI58IWE9MFY
I've heard this book is good but have yet to buy it.
I just hand templated mine from an existing shirt
Generally, most pattern drafting books tell you how to draft a sloper (or template of your body,) and then tells you how to manipulate the sloper to get finished designs. You can start with any sloper (from any book or website) that fits you well and jump right to the sloper manipulation part from any book you like.
For womenswear I recommend “Pattern Drafting and Dressmaking” by Dorothy Moore . It’s much, much cheaper than other books, and offers a really good, simplified set of slopers despite the book being so old. When I started drafting, four years ago, I used this book to create a dress shirt with princess seams, as well as trousers, for my wife and her co-workers assumed that they were from Banana Republic. Don’t worry though, the book also has sections on dresses, coats, jackets and even a bonus formula for a contemporary man’s dress shirt.
On a side note, you can draft anything you want, but you have to know how to put it together and most of these books do not give you construction advice. I like Kwik Sew’s instructions because they use simple construction techniques, ¼” seams and teach good habits. If you don’t know how to assemble something you’ve drafted, borrow the instruction booklet from a KwikSew pattern that is similar to what you are trying to make and write down the construction steps. In addition, you’ll see it mentioned here a lot, but "Shirtmaking" by David Coffin offered invaluable tips on how to get the collar, cuffs and yoke assembled in a non-conventional way.
Some of the other books I recommend:
“Patternmaking for Fashion Design” by Helen Armstrong, is an odd book. As a pattern drafting book, I feel that it fails, as it is too big and tries to cover too many bases. But as a reference book, those qualities make it exceptional. This is not something you’ll ever read straight through… you’ll start at the index and jump to the morsel of information that you need, e.g. dart manipulation, or collar variations. Really expensive though.
“The Practical Guide to Patternmaking” by Lori Knowles and “The Practical Guide to Patternmaking for Meanswear” by Lori Knowles are both great. Where Moore’s book looked a little dated, this one has contemporary designs.