Hackney mermaid fabrics

Went to pick up some fabric for my new waistcoat today in Hackney. You might not even notice they have suiting materials cause its downstairs and the lights were off but the guy brings you down and there’s tons of stuff down there. I know I’m getting ripped off but still not sure how badly. I did bargain with him but later thought I got a shit enough deal. I don’t know, its too soon to tell

Congratulations, it’s a waistcoat

Was thinking I had miles to go on the waistcoat still but then it all just suddenly came together. The two fronts had been separate this morning, and I was just after putting the back together. Then you sew it all together but leave a gap so you can pull it out and all of a sudden its finished. It’s like a new born baby when it comes out. It was a real special feeling, I had been getting a bit fed up at this stage and then out of nowhere a full waistcoat pops out all sewn up like magic. Everything in tailoring is done upside down and inside out but this took a minute to get my head around what just happened cause I thought I had to turn it inside out a few times to get it right. Just a couple of stitches left to do now and the buttons and buttonholes.

Basement watch: day whatever

His new thing is to put his tv on static and whack the volume up as loud as possible. I’m not even sure if he has a TV, never heard voices on it before but he has something down there and he spends his days and nights with static absolutely blaring it. I’m on the ground floor and for some reason the noise climbs the walls and is louder in my room than right outside his door so that’s what I go to sleep to now.

Today he came home and the beard was gone and his hair was dyed a very very very pale blonde, almost Malfoy like. Teachers don’t do stuff like that. He’s up to something, I think he’s about to go crazy Joe Davola on us.

Billingsgate

Cannot over emphasise how great billingsgate fish market is. Just had my first trip there since February. Got up for 6.30, took about half an hour to cycle out. Got two pieces of salmon which were the cheapest so far at £11 each. Cycle home, chop them up and that’s 17 dinners taken care of.

Took part in some sport for the first time in college so far. The first thing I checked when I signed up for the course was what was the story with the basketball team. I checked it out one Wednesday and it was just five vertically challenged guys running around looking shit. Checked out boxing there last week and it was 7 or 8 kids running around punching each other. No ring, no head guards, no proper coach. Feared the worst for the swimming lessons but they were great. Finally figured out how to breathe correctly. No more relying on the back stroke for me

An enjoyable article from Prince Charles

here

No sweat

I’m going to a wedding a week after our course finishes and I’d like to have made my own waistcoat to wear to it by then. The one we’re working on now has to be handed in so I need to make another one. Plus the first one is just a standard size 40 so I’d like to make one that fits me perfectly. I saw one on this girls blog that I’d love to try and make myself. Will be a bit of a race against time to get both of them completed and all the rest of my projects in on time but it looks savage compared to normal vests so really want to make one. I drew a picture of it.

I’ve met her a couple of times so figured I’d get the pattern off her and just change it to fit me. But at the same time I don’t really know her and its like a year and a half since I saw her last so it could be a bit awkward.

When I first moved over I was looking for a place and my mate told me she was looking for someone to move in with her and her two fellow cheer leader friends. He told her about me and she said theres someone coming to view it and if they don’t take it then its mine. Imagine, I was just fresh off the boat, got a job sorted in about 3 hours, realised my life long dream when I saw Kournikova playing at Wimbledon a week later, and now I might be moving in with 3 cheerleaders. London was looking good so far. Unsurprisingly the other guy took the room.

Most shops on Savile Row are a bit daunting when you first walk in. I know a few people in two places and I’ve been into Henry Poole a couple of times now so I’m alright walking in there too but I’d be uncomfortable walking in anywhere else. She happens to work in the most intimidating of the lot.

It was a hot day when I strolled up and knocked on the door calm as you like. Then as the owner came to answer I suddenly thought what the fuck am I doing here, I cant just walk in here and ask some person I barely know for a pattern. It was hot but not so hot that I should be sweating as much as I instantly was. I asked could I go talk to her but then she looked a lot different to what I remember so I awkwardly asked her if she was who I thought she was. She had a look on her face that I thought said I really shouldn’t be in there and I’m going to get her in trouble so then I really started pumping sweat. I got major awkward, started repeating myself, probably mumbled a lot so she couldn’t understand me. She didn’t want to give me the pattern but said she’d be happy to show me how to make it up but in my awkwardness I said not to worry about that, I’d figure it out. Which I wouldn’t cause I didn’t really know where to start. Twice she offered to show me and twice I declined. I really don’t know why. Then I hurried out and headed off. A couple of minutes later it hit me that I should have accepted that help

Waistcoat Masterclass

Went into Henry Poole for a waistcoat masterclass. We’re already a good bit through ours now so she didn’t show us too much that we hadn’t already covered but got a few handy ideas for doing things differently. I noticed this little wooden thing that she uses for opening seams and really want to be able to make those sort of things for myself. The lads at home have all the tools and there’s plenty of wood lying around so will get on that one day.

I just want to learn everything now, keep seeing courses I want to go on all the time. There’s a shoe making course at the end of the summer that looks good, would like to learn embroidery, go on a shirt making course. It’s just endless, there’s so many things that would be good to learn. That’s the beauty of the trade, everything you learn you might not use in your job but you could use it at home, making things for yourself or other people. All the courses are pretty accessible too

basement watch day 41

Was out in the conservatory late at night drinking a few beers on the couch with Joey and Mark. The glass on the back door behind Mark was reflecting all the way through the kitchen and the front room as far as the door to the basement. One second I was talking to Mark and in the reflection behind him the door was closed. The next second basement guy was standing in the doorway. Scared the shit out of me.

Plain sailing

Garment construction has been pretty much plain sailing since I found the dream machine, everything is just going together without any issues. Can throw away my unpicker at this stage. We’re practicing a few things now that we will put together by the end to make a full skirt including darts, half skirt with vent, zip, half skirt with vent and zip

Kokoro: The Art of Horiyoshi III

Went into another art exhibition while I was in town, this Japanese tattoo artist guy called kokoro. If I was writing this in real time I’d tell you to go in cause its free and right in the middle of town but its probably over now

basement watch day 33

Theres been a few more sightings recently, he really just comes up to go to the jacks. Its annoying knowing how many times someone goes a day, wish he would just put the roll in his pocket or something. Theres no way hes a teacher cause I’ve been around during the day and seen him, that was a total lie.

The vest

A waistcoat is known as a vest. We just started making one. First day was a bit complicated and everything went a bit over my head. It was all going so fast that I had time to take no notes and zero pictures so I cant really do a step by step. Its just a standard size so you just cut fabric out from a block. You need a front x 2, an inside back x 2, an outside back x 2, straps for the back x 2, and another piece of lining for the inside front x 2. Also need two pieces of linen to support the fronts. Everyone used check or pinstripe but I was the only one who went for the genius move and used plain fabric. Its complicated enough starting off without having to worry about things matching up.

This is the earliest pic I have, a fair bit has happened by this stage

I hadn’t used this fabric before so I quickly made a welt pocket out of a piece of fabric to see what it was like. It took no time and came out seriously sharp but then when I went to make the real thing I just couldn’t get them as good. Was super careful and everything, very annoying.