Garment Sewing

Nathan asked for assistance with a Halloween/game con costume. I said I wouldn't make it for him but I'd be willing to show him how. "Sure, how long can it take?" I estimated four hours.

There were two pieces to be made. We went shopping Friday night, that took an hour and a half. We cut out the pattern pieces, fitted them to his 6 ft 2 inch height, laid out and cut, that took an hour and forty-five minutes.

We went for a hike in the hills, came back, had lunch and 'closed our eyes' for twenty minutes.

Then the real effort began. I sewed, he sewed, we worked in tandem.

We got the pattern markings transfered, the neck edges stay-stitched, the sleeve caps gathered, the interfacing fused on all appropriate pieces, the collar created, the collar and placket attached and the shoulder seams sewn. It was four in the afternoon.

"Ya know... this isn't really a simple, first garment to learn sewing on."
"No, I'm getting that idea..."

When we came back we got the sleeves attached and it was finally worth trying on.
"It looks like a choir robe."
"Yeah, it sorta does..."

At this point we'd been at it all day and we *still* had to sew the sideseams, gather the sleeves into cuffs and make buttonholes at the neckedge. Nathan said, "Why can't we just make a hem thingy on the sleeves and thread elastic through to draw up the fabric? Would that work?" What a great idea! We broke for dinner.

When we came back we decided there was too much to do to finish this in one day *and* begin the outer vest; another weekend sew day was needed. With the pressure off, we pushed on. It was at the point where only one of us could sew on it at a time.
"Here, let me do that. I can do it quicker at this point."
"Sure. I'm not gonna fight cha for it!" =)

More than eight hours later we had a Buccaneer blouse. Come on, try to look *mean*.

ARgh!