Sew What? - Albion Chieftain

Final instalment of the short series of working out the reproduction 1930s German trouser pattern. I'm happy to report that since the recording, I've worn these trousers quite a bit and found them very comfortable and practical. I've worked on the car, driven the car, gone to the shops, and done all the ordinary day to day stuff one does without issue. They're more comfortable than any of the other trousers I own and even look presentable enough to be seen in public wearing them. Definitely worth the trouble of making them.

I've got a nicer pair to make now based on the mistakes and lessons learned of this mock-up pair. With a few more goes, I should get quite good at this particular pattern and I can see me making quite a few pairs of these in different fabrics to replace the other pairs as they wear out.

After the trousers, I've got a waistcoat pattern drafting exercise. See, the nice thing about clothes is that you can pretty much reverse engineer them to get what you want and I've got a modern waistcoat that fits the other half really well but he wants it in a heavier fabric, and fits me really well except for being a bit too long for my torso. So I'll be showing how to take a garment, make a pattern, and make two different garments out of it as a result. That should be a fun little project.

The woodwork projects are on hold indefinitely at the moment on account of the weather since both need the outdoor space to be dry and available, which the rain is determined to ensure it isn't.

Date for your diaries coming up since the 15th of June is going to be the first Sew What? video that isn't sewing! Instead, it's going to be a garage door makeover turning this crusty old thing...



...into something altogether more interesting. An ambitious adventure for sure and I can't say more than that without spoiling the surprise.

One of those answers are correct and you know full well if I had the right sort of garage the door would be covered in buttoned velour and framed with plush drapes with bullion fringe that drew out of the way, stage fashion, for the most dramatic of entrances and exits. Maybe a little automated fanfare of tiny trumpets too.

Excellent mate

I have an elderly but, I’ve been given to understand, very high quality Brother sewing machine. I have to finish repairing and restoring the wooden base, but once that’s done I’m hoping to teach myself how to use it. My dad could drive a sewing machine, and had a huge industrial one that he used to repair tents and tarpaulins. I still have a couple of bags he made. I’m sure if he could manage it then I should be able to. 🤣

Just a quick one, no video, since it wasn't involved enough a job. Took an old heater-light-fitting out of the bathroom that had been in there probably since Argos sold them new in the 70s. Stripped out all of the stuff that made it switch the light and heater element on and off, and dismantled it. We didn't want to use it in the bathroom, and the heater element part was broken anyway.



The whole thing is modular, with the switch and heater element removed it was a series of interlocking pieces that could be reconfigured very easily into a lampshade. It has a steel supporting frame that the aluminium disc screws to, then the copper disc fits with a lift-and-lock system and that in turn holds the tapered white glass shade. The only modification required was to convert it from a flush fit ceiling fitting, to a pendant fitting, which was done by simply cutting and filing a suitable hole in the middle of the steel bracket. Then just fit like a normal pendant shade.






It looks far better than it has any right to, really, like I've gone out and spent actual money.

Really difficult to film/photograph curtains due to exposure. Just a couple of snapshots from the video for you.






In no particular order, projects currently in the works are:
- Tool roll
- Table drop leaf repurposing
- Simple summer top
- Office chair cover
- Waistcoats, including drafting and altering your own pattern
- Pullover, specifically copying and making a replacement for one that's falling apart.
- Shopping bags. Ages ago I made some shopping bags out of fabric to replace a bag-for-life. The resulting bag has been more durable than any of the bag-for-lifes we've got so I should definitely put a how to together for that since it has proof of concept now.
- Oak drop leaf table restoration

There's more stuff I want to do, just a case of finding the time. Suffice to say we're not short of content here and it's going to be a good mix of useful stuff. I'm also always open to suggestions for things you'd like to see and know how to do, if it's something I can provide info on through a video of my own, or someone else's, I'm happy to do so.

I have actually been trying to find some suitable fake sheepskin to make some front seat covers for the Lanchester. As yet, I haven't been able to find the right sort of thing, I'm being very fussy on how the fur looks and feels, it has to look right and that's tricky because I'll only know it's right when I see it. I'd like to have a go at a motorbike seat cover at some point, they look nice to do, but motorbikes and I don't really get along.