Tailor Made Clothes – Your New Year’s Goal?

Happy New Year – Have you included tailor made clothes for yourself as one of your 2021 goals? 

You’ve had a few weeks to think about it even though we got off to a rocky start, but…

We made it!

It’s officially 2021 and the start of what we all hope will be a better, safer, healthier and prosperous year.  I’ve intentionally waited until the third week of January to give you time to look back at 2020.  Have you given any thought about what you want to accomplish this new year?

I know a new year typically comes with creating a list of goals you plan to achieve without interruption.  If we learned anything from 2020, our plans can be disrupted immediately due to no fault of our own.

Consider Tailor Made Clothes As Your 2021 Goal

In addition to eating better and exercising more, I hope you’ve included tailor made clothes as one of your 2021 goals.

I’ve spent my time quietly reorganizing my sewing studio and reflecting on what I didn’t get done last year.  

There’s something about converting your office to a fully functional sewing studio that causes you to do some really deep thinking.  Especially when you need to box up all the things you no longer need.

Do You Use A Planning System To Set Your Goals?

I don’t know about you, but I find setting goals and creating a list of resolutions extremely challenging for me.  So I often refer to the Franklin Planner training resource to help me get through it.  If you create an account, you can take the course for free.

When I was working in the corporate world, I consistently carried my planner with me every time I moved.  But, I strayed away from it doing my sewing.  Recently, I realized my  productivity was low even though I always seemed to be very busy.  I found out that’s called the Runaround Dilemma: 

This is a predicament that occurs when we fail to establish our priorities. It goes like this:

Because we don’t know what is really important to us,

everything seems important.

Because everything seems important,

we have to do everything.

Other people, unfortunately, see us doing everything,

so they expect us to do everything.

Doing everything keeps us so busy,

we don’t have time to think about

what is really important to us.

Start The New Year With A New Challenge

I want to start this year differently by taking on a new challenge of sewing tailor made clothes.

And since I have loved sewing since I was a child, I have decided to sharpen my traditional tailoring skills that I learned in college.  It’s been a few years since I’ve done any real custom tailoring techniques; I love the feel of molding and shaping a gorgeous piece of wool fabric to my body shape to create a classy coat for myself. 

I pulled out my old tailoring book and sewing books to freshen my memories of days long past.  The Vogue Sewing Book is a very good reference book for anyone sewing their own clothes.  Both of these are vintage sewing books from the 70’s, but there are many versions of The Vogue Sewing Book as it has been updated over the years.  However, I could only find one newer version of Today’s Custom Tailoring by Ethel K. Wyllie.

And researched other references for any updated methods and techniques to tailor your own clothes.  I found the Classic Guide To Sewing The Perfect Coat on Amazon, and the other two at a local Half-Price Bookstore, but the Singer’s Tailoring is also on Amazon.  Both books, The Classic Guide To Sewing The Perfect Coat and the Singer Tailoring, are the same inside; they have only been published with different covers.

It’s Time To Dress Classy Again

I guess I’m just missing the routine of dressing up; everything has been so casual lately.  We have been in our PJ’s and joggers for almost a year.  But, when I saw this OOP Vogue Vintage Coat Pattern 2204 by Claude Montana in a sewing group, it created a yearning to dress up again.  I could not get it out of my mind. The simplistic constructional details and other design features including the long princess seams and overwhelming collar, all screamed classic to me.  

Now I know that a beautifully, custom-tailored coat or jacket includes a notched collar and lapels, welt-pockets with flaps, bound buttonholes, 2-piece sleeves with vents that resemble those worn by men.  But, this coat pattern captures your attention using a softer, flared feminine style with a dramatic oversized collar, side front pockets without any buttons. I searched the internet for weeks to find this out-of-print pattern and finally found a smaller size on Etsy.  

Patterns With Detailed Tailoring Features

It’s the perfect pattern style for introducing some of the tailoring techniques and methods without going hardcore.  If you love the finished results of this beauty, you’ll have just wet your appetite for the details of bound buttonholes, welt pockets with flaps and 2-piece sleeves with vents as in some of the Vogue Patterns below:

But, no matter your sewing goals, you’ll learn something from following my process to tailor my coat, that you can transfer to your own project and enhance your sewing skills.

And, when you’re ready I will create an individualized sewing  program tailored to address your unique needs.  Your goal to be a better sewer is my goal, too.  Here are a few Vogue and Butterick Patterns similar to the out-of-print Vintage Vogue 2204 since it is so hard to find:

Experience The Power of Tailor Made Clothes

I am committed to getting you the personal attention you need to be successful at achieving your 2021 sewing goals.  So, if you’ve had disappointments or setbacks, it’s time to get stronger and build your confidence.

I’ve made it easier than ever for you to receive the training you need in the most convenient way for you.  Do you learn better using Facebook, YouTube, FaceTime, Skype or Zoom?

Experience the power of creating and tailor made clothes.

Send me an email, thelma@sew-it-yourself.com to get started and Happy New Year!