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Feb 13, 2017

New Sewing Project, New Pattern, New Sewing Machine!


Well, more like a new-to-me sewing machine.

Michael found it in the trash over the weekend.  I believe it's a Singer 128, a model that had a vibrating shuttle (missing here) instead of a bobbin.  This one clearly also had Egyptian sphinx decals, badly eroded.  While there's rust everywhere, the machine isn't totally frozen.  That said, it had no place in our home.  It did not spark joy.

Still, it was nice of Michael to bring it upstairs and it was fun to photograph.  I can't save all the discarded sewing machines in the world!

Moving right along, I've started a new sewing project.  This time I'm using a men's shirt pattern from one of my Japanese men's pattern books, this one entitled Shirt.  (You can find a copy on Etsy here.)


 I'm making what looks like a classic 1920's shirt without a collar, just a simple band.  In fact, I have an authentic 1920's Butterick pattern with a very similar look.






I spent a few hours today tracing all the pattern pieces in a size Medium.  I'm wondering, however, if maybe I shouldn't have traced a size Large.  I fear it's going to be snug.


My fabric is a beautiful gray and white cotton stripe.  The stipe looks like it was painted by hand, a cool effect. 


In other news, I found what I think is going to be Cathy's comeback outfit.  It's from 1964, perhaps not fashion's most memorable year (the dying days of postwar elegance), but I think the jacket, at least, is smashing.  It should arrive later this week.


And that's it, readers!  I hope to make some decent progress on the shirt in the coming days.  I know Japanese patterns run small, but how I could possibly be a Large anywhere but Munchkinland is a mystery to me.

Have a great day, everybody!

23 comments:

  1. When I saw that machine I thought: that's going to take forever. Glad you let it slide. I get the sewing machine collecting but a machine's beauty lies in it's usefulness IMHO. Thanks for posting the picture though, it must have been something to behold in its prime.

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  2. At least when I was living there back in the late '80s, Japanese clothing was tiny. I was still a relatively lithe and lissome young thing, and I was lucky to squeeze into XLs (XXLs simply didn't exist most places), and I never could find trousers to suit my slightly, ahem, Teutonic lower half. I think they were about two sizes off, actually, so that our small was their large. Seems like perhaps not much has changed.

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  3. I think you ought to rethink and trace off the large!! You can always reduce the size. Yikes!! Don't cut that cool fabric til you're shire!!

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  4. I agree with Muscato. A couple of years ago, I ventured into a Japanese dress shop that had HUGE signs posted all over saying not to try on anything that wasn’t at least two sizes larger than your own. Everything was VERY narrow, so they were afraid of people ripping the fabric.

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  5. Will your shirt have a detachable collar(s)? Do you like detachables for variety?

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  6. Large is better. I made a shirt from Shimosaki's book in large and it is snug. I take a small in KS patters, for reference. Next time I'll make an XL. But I love the pattern!

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  7. Try measuring the chest on any of the sizes. Compare to your chest, the pattern should be at least four inches more. If not, try another size, or alter the pattern to fit. And when the pattern is adjusted, don't forget to make a muslin to ensure a good fit.

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    Replies
    1. Now why didn't I think of that! ;) Thanks, John!

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  8. A men's Japanese pattern.....suddenly I'm silenced.

    SO looking forward to Cathy's comeback.

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  9. At one point those collarless shirts came back in style. I think it was the 80s or maybe the 90s. I liked them. So now when a collar is too worn to wear, I simply remove it and re-sew the band.
    http://blog.geneblack.com/2010/07/manly-sewing-or-sewing-for-your-man.html

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  10. I love collar less shirt. It always looks nice. the jacket on the P Cardin looks real nice. Can't wait to see it

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  11. Do you think these Japanese mens shirt patterns are small enough (like 32in chest) to double as women's patterns? Sometimes contemporary women's shirt patterns are just too busty for me.

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  12. Looks like a Singer 27 with the low bobbin winder and the tab below the tension. These machines will come back to their sewing life with a bit of effort and patience.
    I have two Singer 27s from the same serial allocation in 1902. The pretty Pheasant decal machine is noisy. The worn Sphinx/Memphis decal machine sews beautifully and quietly.

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  13. Yay! Cathy's coming back! Is she bringing Simplicity? lol

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  14. I agree with the others....retrace the Large. You can always take it in if need be but if you cut it too small, there is not much you can do after that. Look forward to seeing that jacket!

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  15. Very exciting to hear that Cathy is coming back! I miss her.

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  16. I have a singer model 28 with the vibrating shuttle. It sews beautifully. There's litterally thousands of them out there so if you wait another one may well find you. I hope Michael didn't throw his back out carrying it home for you.

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  17. Oh, that jacket. I let out an audible gasp when I saw it. To die...

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  18. I'm sorry to see the machine was rusted up so badly. I just ran into a 127 I picked up that stitches perfectly. Your right you can't save everyone. Nice Michael was looking out for you though.

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  19. The 128 is a very good machine, but you seem to have found one being held together with rust.
    The first version of this machine is a VS2, which has a fiddle base and these normally have beautiful decals (I fell in love with mine).
    Oh and they *do* have bobbins, they're just long bobbins.

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