I'm a Bro and I Sew... Who else is with me?

[Increditastic]

I am a bro who likes to sew.
I prefer leather but I started on a sewing machine. One of my first commissions was a Babydoll costume (construction pics) from the movie Suckerpunch.

The customer made a Fanvid using the costume and holster. See it here.

It was making the holster for this costume that made me fall in love with leatherwork.

I currently own four sewing machines. Two of them are vintage Singer Model 91 that are direct drive geared motors for my leatherwork.

Here is a pic the customer sent me in her costume at Megacon 2011.

I have also made Halloween costumes for my kids and clients. I have also included some of my leather work which includes sewing.

 

[Broken Hourglas]

I'm a Bro that cannot sew...I can however knit. Nothing costume related just yet, just stuff for the rest of life like gloves, hats and a couple sweaters.

 

[cavx]

I am also a bro learning to sew. I can use a machine, but to be honest, I prefer hand sewing. So far I have made a pair of NIKE MAGs out of leather (but stuffed the clean toe) and now I playing around with a cool mesh for different spin (way lighter) on the same prop.

 

[Canobi]

Great thread :thumbsup


I'm a bro and I sew, mostly by hand, but I can use a machine. I'm constantly repairing soft toys for my kids, or fixing garments. I attempted my first costumes for myself and my wife a couple of years ago (my avatar is mine), and can't wait to start my next ones. I'm saving up for a decent sewing machine, I have a fair few on my list for the family, and it's not getting smaller :lol

I count myself one of the lucky ones, mum used to make us costumes as kids, and even helped me make ghostbusters suits to go with the packs I made for me and my bro when the film first came out (thanks mum :love), I must have been about 9-10 ish, and though they might not have been anywhere near accurate, I was proud as hell. I got realy interested in sewing at that point, so she taught me all I wanted to know

 

[Ayo]

I'm a Bro who is just learning to sew. I have a vintage Singer Featherweight 221. Great little straight stitcher. Going to add a Serger to the mix soon.

 

[Ralph]

Yo, another Bro here
I cant knit too - 2mm fencing wire wrapped around a spindle cut up into rings.. then linked together to make a suit of mail.. its called knitting! It counts!
Nothing better than sitting down at my old Singer industrial machine, the ones with the 1/2 horse power motor under the table and a big belt to run it! Its set for heavy canvas at the moment as i have repaired a few caravan anexes and the like. Also made half a dozen ninja costumes, a lined denim cloak, a medival dress (for a friend) etc.
Nothing to the calibre of you lot, hence no pics.
I use a Spotlight Special for light work (or other stitches, the industrial is straight or straight) and a dodgy overlocker that doesnt get used much.

 

[winterg]

I'm a bro and I sew!

My grandfather was a third generation Master Tailor for 65 years and I learned a lot from him. For the past 20 years or so I have been mostly involved with medieval and Roman period reenactment focusing on historical accuracy. But lately I have switched to Sci Fi, which I love just as much. I love knowing my way around the textile arts and I have a whole room set up as my sewing room that would make Rosemary Ingham proud.

But I have also always wanted to learn more about the molding, casting and "hard" arts of costume making and that is how I found this forum!

 

[Darth Mule]

I am a bro who likes to sew.
I prefer leather but I started on a sewing machine. One of my first commissions was a
It was making the holster for this costume that made me fall in love with leatherwork.

I currently own four sewing machines. Two of them are vintage Singer Model 91 that are direct drive geared motors for my leatherwork.

Here is a pic the customer sent me in her costume at Megacon 2011.

I have also made Halloween costumes for my kids and clients. I have also included some of my leather work which includes sewing.

Very cool stuff! Loving the babydoll!

I'm a bro and I sew!

My grandfather was a third generation Master Tailor for 65 years and I learned a lot from him. For the past 20 years or so I have been mostly involved with medieval and Roman period reenactment focusing on historical accuracy. But lately I have switched to Sci Fi, which I love just as much. I love knowing my way around the textile arts and I have a whole room set up as my sewing room that would make Rosemary Ingham proud.

But I have also always wanted to learn more about the molding, casting and "hard" arts of costume making and that is how I found this forum!

Awesome! I tailor as well. Would have loved to have someone in my family that I could have learned from, but I'm mostly self-taught with a few tips from one of NYC's premiere tailors and a heavy support from my training as a cutter/draper/technician from grad school.

I can't believe you namedropped on Ingham. Most people here don't even know who she is. I have both the designer's and technician's handbooks on my shelf.

 

[winterg]

I can't believe you namedropped on Ingham. Most people here don't even know who she is. I have both the designer's and technician's handbooks on my shelf.

No costume makers bookshelf is complete without the Technicians Handbook! I recommend that book to anyone no matter what level they want to make costumes at. Her and Liz Covey do an amazing job to take a lot of the mystery out of the process, even how to choose your sewing machine needles. And the section on how to draft a sloper (block pattern) awesome because it is one of the few books that has the process for a male form instead of just female.

 

[NormanF]

No costume makers bookshelf is complete without the Technicians Handbook! I recommend that book to anyone no matter what level they want to make costumes at. Her and Liz Covey do an amazing job to take a lot of the mystery out of the process, even how to choose your sewing machine needles. And the section on how to draft a sloper (block pattern) awesome because it is one of the few books that has the process for a male form instead of just female.

Added to my Amazon wishlist. I'll get it before my next costume.

Sent from my Etch-A-Sketch

 

[CaptainMarvel]

No costume makers bookshelf is complete without the Technicians Handbook!

Link to the book on Amazon ???


opcorn

 

[winterg]

Link to the book on Amazon ???
opcorn

Here you go.

Amazon.com: The Costume Technician's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Amateur and Professional Costume Technicians (9780435086107): Rosemary Ingham, Liz Covey: Books

 

[NormanF]

Here you go.

Amazon.com: The Costume Technician's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Amateur and Professional Costume Technicians (9780435086107): Rosemary Ingham, Liz Covey: Books

When I did my search yesterday I found a few different people sell different editions. I also saw someone recommend an older used version because most of the updates are in the sections on setting up professional shops.

Sent from my Etch-A-Sketch

 

[TracynOrdo]

I'm a bro, and I sew. I tend to prefer doing the hard armour costumes, for the most part, but I can sew. My mother is good at sewing and taught me from a young age, and at the start of this year she gave me her Bernina 830 machine as she was getting a new one. It's about 30 years old, and goes remarkably well.

 

[HeatherShepard]

Steampunk Batman: Going to revisit the cowl and cover those ears (a point of contention that I ceded on). Linen suit, suedecloth cape. Bringing this to D*Con this year again.

You're going to DragonCon?!

I will be on the lookout for Steampunk Batman! :love

 

[Contec]

I'm still a bro that sew...
My next costume project is to make Doc Brown from bttf 2
Because of the lack of reference picture on the real costume i am using the reference from the costume used in 2011 Air Mag commercial instead.

I dyed the Red fabric and used Fabric colors to stamp the symbols on the fabric.

Made the stamps from hand cut foamies. Been a real PIA to cut all of them out...

Mine on the left and commercial screenused one on the right.

Also made the transparent Tie

Next up the Yellow pants and Gold coat.

 

[jme3]

Sometimes I wish I had mastery over a sewing machine. I've a plethora of Ralph Lauren herringbone blankets that need turning into those pesky Jawa robes and no one to do it!! And a certain Dark Lord of the Sith cape and tunic that need making...

 

[robinhood jw]

I'm a long-time SCA member (medieval historical re-enactment, for those who don't know), and since you can't really go out and buy 800 year old style clothes without going broke, I learned to sew.

In the last 10 years, this has led to MUCH better Halloween costumes (Musketeer, Dread Pirate Roberts, Jedi, Errol Flynn's Robinhood, etc. etc.), and eventually to steampunk. I kinda got stuck at steampunk honestly .... to the point that it's started to pull me away from SCA a little.

Eventually, steampunk will probably run out of steam (so to speak, haha) and SCA will get me back full-time.

Anyway, yes - I'm a dude, and I sew. And I'm good at it.

For SCA, numerous tunics, pants and hoods, a wool cloak, plus leatherwork like pouches, belts, quivers, shoes. And on and on...

For steampunk, I've sewn a regular cloth vest, and leather one from a re-purposed leather jacket. A full pair of tall leather engineer boots, and a copy of a Victorian frock coat.

 

[Darth Mule]

Diggin the Doc Brown progress.

Glad to see this thread still going! I wasn't really expecting such a turnout to my response to the "boobs" thread.

Anyway. A little something I felt like sharing, but didn't feel the need to start a whole thread on it. Commission for another RPF member.

 

[Mean Obiwan]

Some really awesome stuff here. I too do a bit of sewing. No where near good enough to make clothing or anything, though I want to. I did sew up some sleeves on a shirt tonight. And I have sewn up clothes for 1/6 scale figures.