Month: September 2014

On Facebook, I’m part of a private active sewing group, that keeps me inspired with the amazing creations that are shared. We have many within the group that are tailors, pattern drafters, costume designers, etc.,

Continually checking in with this group, keeps me focused by the amazing garments I see, and it inspires me to keep myself in the sewing equation. Recently, one of the members posted an online course titled, The Savile Row Coat. Savile Row is a street in London noted for it’s bespoke tailoring.

Bespoke tailoring is custom hand made outfits. This is not ready to wear or off the rack clothing. The clothing is custom designed for one person only. Several fittings are normally made in order to achieve the perfect suit.

The instructor for this class is Andrew Ramroop!Ramroop is originally from Trinidad. He’s was the first black tailor on Savile Row. I think he looks a lot like Michael Stephen Steele.

Here’s some information about him…

…Ramroop came to London in 1970 with a dream and a couple of homemade suits. His handiwork quickly earned him a back-room job in a tailoring shop on Savile Row. Long years of discrimination followed, he says. Less-gifted white colleagues were regularly promoted ahead of Ramroop. But his talent eventually prevailed.

Andrew Ramroop’s bespoke tailoring shop is called, Maurice Sedwell.

I must say that I’m really looking forward to taking this course. Here’s some information about the course…

• Over 30 hours of video instruction and written tutorials, plus regular exercises to keep you on track
• Individual feedback from Savile Row master tailor Andrew Ramroop
• Support from a thriving network of like-minded professionals

At $2060, this course isn’t cheap but the knowledge acquired will last me a lifetime. Since my schedule is tight, an online bespoke sewing course is the closest I’ll be getting to learning from a master tailor. I’ll be taking this online course along with some of my sewing pals who love detailed sewing as much as myself.

I’m pleased to say that I’m almost finished the top I was making. The neckline ruffle has been trimmed and now I like how it looks. I do think I need to move up the shoulder seam a tiny bit. I’m also undecided it I should add a matching ruffle around the sleeves. But thankfully, I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Hooray!

I’m still designing/sewing that shirt and I must say, that’s it taken longer than I expected.

It has nothing to do with it being “hard,” I’ve just changed my direction as I started sewing. For example, since the shirt was so plain, I decided to make a few adjustments. I made it more fitted at the waist and I decided to add

a ruffled neckline

I measured, cut and sewed several yards of fabric. Afterwards I gathered and serged the ends.

The ruffle is the same fabric, I just reversed so the “wrong side” is actually the “right side”. While I like the contrast, the neckline isn’t right and it has everything to do with that ruffle. It’s much too big for my taste and so I’ll remove it from the neckline and make it smaller. This is a easy process to do since the ruffle is not permanently attached; I secured it to the neckline with a basting stitch. I’m actually thinking of adding some embroidery to this shirt also.

What started out as a “simple project” has become a bit more labor intensive and I’m perfectly happy with that. I’ll be sure to post pictures of my progress and me wearing the shirt once it’s complete.