Sewing Grand Champion

[Silver Creek Slim]

Guess what won Sewing Grand Champion at the County Fair?


Slim

[Dr. Bob]

Cool!

Did you sew it, or your lovely wife???

[Silver Creek Slim]

I did. My better-half entered it for me without my knowledge.

Slim

[River City John]

Good on you, Slim!!

But I think you got your fabrics turned around. That beautiful pink print should have been the outside, and that dun fabric the lining.

(I suppose this will explain why you're always seen wearing that blue ribbon on this vest when out and about the town. )

RCJ

[Silver Creek Slim]

Thanks, RCJ.
BTW, the pink print came from Kayleen. 

Slim

[Forty Rod]

Very nice.  Does this signal a career change in the near future?

[Silver Creek Slim]

Very nice.  Does this signal a career change in the near future?

Nope. Just a hobby. 

Slim

[panhead pete]

Howdy Slim,

Very nice work indeed!  Looks period correct as well as being nicely finished.  Did you use the Simplicity pattern?

Good to see others using a needle and thread instead of a platinum card!  I have made 4 shirts and two pair of pants.  I made a vest as well but it is very heavy wool.  Good for the winter and fall shoots here in Michigan.  I just finished a Confederate battle shirt.  I still need to hand sew the buttonholes.  Perhaps I shall post it when finished.  My wife and I bought a sewing  machine so we could make projects together, but I seem to use it 95% of the time.  I would like to make her a Victorian dress one of these days.  That's what winter is for is suppose.

Congrats again!

Yours kindly,

Panhead Pete

[Silver Creek Slim]

Howdy Slim,

Very nice work indeed!  Looks period correct as well as being nicely finished.  Did you use the Simplicity pattern?

Good to see others using a needle and thread instead of a platinum card!  I have made 4 shirts and two pair of pants.  I made a vest as well but it is very heavy wool.  Good for the winter and fall shoots here in Michigan.  I just finished a Confederate battle shirt.  I still need to hand sew the buttonholes.  Perhaps I shall post it when finished.  My wife and I bought a sewing  machine so we could make projects together, but I seem to use it 95% of the time.  I would like to make her a Victorian dress one of these days.  That's what winter is for is suppose.

Congrats again!

Yours kindly,

Panhead Pete

Thanks, pard.

It is Simplicity 5037. The following is the picture on the front.

It is not on the Simplicity website. Another site says it is out of print. I have made a pair of braces and pants from this pattern also.

Post pictures of all the period clothing you have made. Others would like to see it.

Slim

[Forty Rod]

Nope. Just a hobby. 
Slim

Dang.  The last thing I sewed (sowed) were my wild oats and the 'birds' got my entire crop. 

Got a fine lady, Cactus Concha, out of Las Vegas country who does some quality work with a foot treadle sewing machine, and I have about a half dozen shirts by Shotgun Shell over in Cortez, Colorado.  Guess I'll shop around closer to home.

[Texas Lawdog]

Slim, I like that "Hot Pink" lining in the vest. I bet the lining looks "cool" under a black light.  Good job on the vest.

[panhead pete]

Howdy Slim,

Yup, that's the pattern.  I bought it at Joann Fabrics a while back.  I have a Civil War Pattern (Richmond Depot Trousers) from County Cloth.  Chas. Childs carries Civil War, but his fabrics and patterns work well for the Old West Period.  Mi Amigo Monterey Jack Brass advised me to slash the pockets on the Richmond Depot Trousers to update them. 

Happy Trails,

Panhead

['Monterrey' Jack Brass]

Slim - nice job on the vest, I'd say you've definitely got the knack for making good stuff.

All - I thought I'd post a picture of items made from the Chas Childs County Cloth pattern that the good PHP (Panhead Pete) mentioned in his post. This makes the typical loose-fit type trousers of the era and is sold as the "Richmond Depot Trousers" pattern. Though the mule ear pockets are period to the 1860s/70s as seen in some photographs of the era, a simple modification to the pattern can be made to create slash front pockets in the style of California pants. I've made six or so pair of trousers from this pattern, it's straightforward and easy to use.

Following are a couple of pictures of items made from the Chas Childs Richmond Depot Trousers pattern, the buttons on the overalls are repro hard rubber Goodyears from 'The Blockade Runner', the buttons on the right pair of trousers are of the period:


On the left are brown canvas overalls*, based on army-issue bottoms and photographs from the era, made by adding about 1.5 inches to the seam allowance on the Richmond Depot pattern all the way around, making the waist band a single piece with no provision for a fabric back belt or pockets.
On the right are brown jeans wool California type trousers with the slash pocket modification.


*Note on overalls: 'Overalls', as perhaps a general term in Victorian era usage, captures several types of over-sized, loose-fitting heavy cotton garments intended to be worn over one's clothing to protect it from being soiled or otherwise damaged. Research indicates that overalls can include canvas tops & bottoms separately, one-piece items that can be referred to as 'jumpers', and aprons. The terminology of these items being generically labeled as 'overalls' is supported by their grouping as such in both the 1895 Montgomery Ward (pg 269) and 1897 Sears & Roebuck (pg 178) catalogs, though only 'overalls' and 'jumpers' are listed for sale on pg 39 under 'Clothing', less any apron or specific tops/bottoms references, in the 1875 Spring & Summer Montgomery Ward catalog. The term 'overalls', therefore, can lead to uncertainty in period written references as to what type of 'overall' is being referred to; a one-piece type or bottoms only, for example. References from 1876-78 in F. E. Conrad cashbooks and ledgers (of the G. & B. Robertson Collection) show that overalls were sold through his merchant activities. Overalls references are also found in several reminisces and diaries of commercial hunters of the 1870s as items of purchase (per Encyclopedia of Buffalo Hunters and Skinners Volumes I & II, 2003 & 2006 respectively, by M. Gilbert, and Getting a Stand also by M. Gilbert, 1996). Regarding some details of 1870s era commercially available overalls, they were available through the Montgomery Ward (in 1875) where both 'overalls' and 'jumpers' were offered in brown duck, unbleached duck, and blue denim.

[Skeeter Lewis]

Hi guys. Do you hand-sew just the button-holes or the whole garment? Or do most use a machine for the rest? Sorry for the newbie question.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Hi guys. Do you hand-sew just the button-holes or the whole garment? Or do most use a machine for the rest? Sorry for the newbie question.

Most of the vest was sewn on a Franklin treadle machine (sold by Sears). The button holes were sewn on a modern machine. Some hand sewing had to be on the lining and the pocket welts.

Slim

[Skeeter Lewis]

Thanks, Slim. I've got an old-ish Singer. I'm gonna put it through its paces.