So this blog post is a little different
than my normal and rather than showing you what I have made recently, it will
hopefully inspire you to take on a sewing challenge! You must have noticed my opening image?
Let me explain. A few weeks back I asked my
Twitter followers what I should make for my next sewing project and one reply
from Janene @ooobop caught my attention
and got us ‘talking’ via the ether of social media. Janene suggested I make a
man’s blazer with bound lapels (the ulterior-motive being for her to pick up my
‘hot tips’). Now as you all probably know I love making jackets and coats so
this would be a good excuse to make another jacket!
Now this is where things took a bit of a
turn….Although I love making menswear I am in the minority. I just don’t see
many others making clothes for men and it’s a shame. So championing the cause
for more people to make menswear I suggested Janene made a jacket too, well a
bit of a ‘sew-off’ really.
So #Blazerof2016 was born!
Starting today and finishing in June we
want you take the challenge and sew a piece of menswear, in particular a man’s
blazer! I know we see many such sewing challenges throughout the year but they
are always for women clothes. With this challenge we are trying to raise
awareness of sewing for men and also trying to get people to think about the
limited range of menswear patterns available: Did you know that menswear
patterns account for less than 6% of all the commercial patterns available!
I know many of you will be a little wary of
such a challenge, being a little different and edging into the realms of
‘tailoring’ but really, making a jacket isn’t that hard: Although I have been
sewing for years, I only made my first jacket about a year ago! (I’ve made a
few more since though!).
We want you to take the challenge use the
hashtag #Blazerof2016, tag us in your tweets @ooobop and @maledevonsewing to
share your progress, problems, cries for help but above all share the finished
garment.
Janene has created this fabulous badge and
we want you to use it too. Add it to your blog, share it with others in your
sewing network and lets get the word spread for #Blazerof2016.
The ‘rules’ are simple:
- Make a Man’s blazer/jacket
using any pattern of your choice or draft your own?!, it MUST be a piece of
menswear though!
- Your choice of fabric suitable
for a jacket.
- Can be fully lined, part lined
or unlined (although if unlined the seams need to be suitably finished).
- Must have some sort of pockets
(your choice again: Patch, Flap, Welt).
- Your choice of vent at the
back, either single or double.
- Your choice to have
opening/buttoned cuffs or not.
- Jacket to be completed by June.
That’s it really; we want you to be as
creative as you can. We want to see jackets with flair, bold colours or
patterns but above all we want you to try something different. Have a go and
you might get the menswear-sewing bug. Here's a few ideas...
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| Pinterest.com |
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| Aliexpress.com |
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| Kingblazers.com |
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| Aliexpress.com |
Leave a comment below or with Janene if you are 'in' and use
the badge to promote the challenge. Don’t forget to head over to Janenes blog
at ooobop.com and see what she is saying
about the challenge. Remember this challenge is for fun. Take your time and enjoy the process!
OK time for me to go and pick some fabric!
Until next time….Happy sewing
Labels: #Blazerof2016, Challenge, jacket, Sewing
