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12 posts categorized “Sewing for men”

April 01, 2013

New Menswear Patterns Available!

After my Sewing for Men series and my Man Shorts I started getting discouraged by the lack of good patterns for menswear. Seriously. So I set to work and I'm so excited to announce my new menswear pattern line!! The Casual Man is the first pattern I'm releasing. It is made from knit fabric and the neckline is fully faced so no worries about messing with ribbing! No bias tape or swearing involved!


You can find the Casual Man pattern over at Go To Patterns. It's half off for a limited time so make sure you hurry to get your copy!! A pattern tour is coming and I'd love to include any and all of you. I can't wait to see all your men wearing the Casual Man!

*******

April Fools

P.S. I also released the Casual Lady yesterday. All proceeds support She's Worth It so there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't go pick yourself up a copy of that pattern! And that's no joke.

April 01, 2013 in Go To Patterns, Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

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March 01, 2013

Sewing for MEN: inspiration & what YOU made

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this Sewing For Men week but I'm so happy about the outcome! Monday's button up shirt, Tuesday's bike jersey, Wednesday's reversible pajama pants and Thursday's zip fly shorts were all so fun!

Thank you to those of you who added things to the flickr pool! There aren't many but I hope you keep adding things when you make them! I'll be featuring them from time to time and I'm thinking we're going to need another Sew For Men week in the fall! 

Sewing-menswear

Here is some more sewing for men inspiration to get you excited.

Sewing-for-men-1
This Simplicity 5581 by Threadsofgray looks like a great starter pattern.

Feather's Flights shows us how to shorten a sleeve on a button up shirt. Probably a more practical sewing project for most people.

Sewing-for-men-2
Running with Scissors made a Negroni shirt for her husband. 

Feather's Flights shares 6 steps for altering a men's suit.

Continue reading “Sewing for MEN: inspiration & what YOU made” »

March 01, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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February 28, 2013

Sewing for Men: Man Shorts

When I decided to sew something for my husband I considered something simple. Perhaps a tie. But I've made him one of those and he never wore it. And I already made him pajamas a few years ago. He still wears those a lot. Then I considered athletic shorts. But I didn't feel like searching for the right material. Then I decided to look for shorts patterns. And without much thought I decided to sew him some shorts. I still can't believe I sewed man shorts. 

Man-shorts

I used this BurdaStyle shorts pattern. The pattern is definitely for more advanced sewists. If you've never inserted a zip fly or a welt pocket I suggest a different pattern. 

What I liked:

  • The style of shorts is great. Flat front, zip fly, welt pocket. 
  • Great shape.

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: Man Shorts” »

February 28, 2013 in Home & Fashion, roundup, Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (34) | TrackBack (0)

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February 27, 2013

Sewing for Men: After Dinner Pants (aka. pajamas)

Today we have the wonderful Rachael from Imagine Gnats joining us for Sewing For Men! Thanks Rachael!

*****

hello, train to crazy readers! rachael here, and i’m so happy to be sharing my sewing for men project: after-dinner pants! you might know them as pajamas, but doesn’t after-dinner pants sound so much fancier? and we’re all about fancy in the gnats household… as long as it’s comfy, that is, and preferably handmade. you can check out more of our handmade antics on my blog, imagine gnats .

sewing for men: after-dinner pants

it’s been a while since i sewed up something for my husband, Nick (affectionately known as mr. gnats), and i’ve never actually sewn a garment for him. for last father’s day, i made him a sturdy apron from duck cloth with some help from our littlest girlie (you can check that out here). i’ve made him this nook cover, there was an echino messenger bag before that, and some roll-up tote bags.

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: After Dinner Pants (aka. pajamas)” »

February 27, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

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February 26, 2013

Sewing for Men: Men’s Cycling Jersey

Today's Sewing For Men contributor is Carolyn from Fake It While You Make It! She's sharing this awesome cycling jersey she sewed. Wow.

*****

First of all, I'd like to thank Andrea for inviting me to be part of this series.  I am constantly amazed by the fact that someone else would want to hear me babble on about my sewing projects.  So thank you, Andrea!  And I can't wait to see what the other ladies have made!


Of all the things that I've made over the last decade or so (and there have probably been hundreds), I've made only three things specifically for my husband. I blame this on the fact that I was probably a bit put off when Ben accidentally destroyed the very first thing that I made for him – a knit hat made out of some ridiculously expensive Italian merino yarn that he accidentally threw in in the washing machine thereby shrinking it up to about the size of a yarmulke.  Needless to say it was years before I made him something again and when I finally got around to it I was much smarter.  

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: Men’s Cycling Jersey” »

February 26, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack (0)

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February 25, 2013

Sewing for Men: Men’s Button Up Shirt

Welcome to the Sewing for Men Series! Kicking us off is Melissa from Melly Sews with this wonderful men’s button up shirt! It’s perfect and she wants to know if you want the pattern for it. Read on!

Men's Button Up Shirt by Melly Sews

Hello, Train to Crazy readers! Today I’m here to talk about the fun and challenges of sewing for men.

I’m Melissa, and I blog over at Melly Sews

Continue reading “Sewing for Men: Men’s Button Up Shirt” »

February 25, 2013 in Home & Fashion, Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)

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February 24, 2013

Sewing for MEN: a miniseries

I'm very excited for this week. We're kicking of a special Sewing for MEN series. Four bloggers sewing for our husbands. If you google "sew for men" or search on Pinterest you won't find much. So we're going to create content! We're sewing for men. And we want you to join us. Read on…

This week's posts so far:

men's button up shirt
men's cycling jersey
men's after dinner pants
*****

Our lovely contributors this week:

Kicking of the week on Monday is Melissa! She blogs at Melly Sews and is an amazing pattern designer. You can see all her designs at her store, Blank Slate Patterns. If you haven't had the privilege of sewing one of Melissa's patterns then let me tell you, they are very good. You'll never be sorry you purchased one. She thinks of every detail! 


These are 4 of her patterns. The green dress is the Little Bow Pleat dress. The little boy is in the Trendy Tuxedo Pants and Shirt as well as the Blank Slate Blazer. The purple dress is the Tiny Bubbles dress. With Easter coming you'll want to snap these up! How do I know she does impecable work? Because you can buy any of these at Go To Patterns and I don't allow bad patterns in my shop!!

Melissa's blog is FULL of wonderful inspiration. She also is great about sharing free tutorials and patterns. I'm not sure how she gets it all done!! Some of my favorite tutorials:

  • Color Blocked Draped Shirt for women (with free pattern)
  • Gatsby Hat (with free pattern)– Is anyone else super excited about the movie??? I cannot wait!
  • How to Dye Fabric– She dyed the fabric in those dresses above. Aren't they gorgeous??
  • Twin Needle Tips– I have to say, there is really only one thing that makes me run screaming into the other room when it comes to sewing. And that is twin needles. This is a must read post.

Melissa drafted a men's button down shirt for her husband and I CAN'T wait to share it with you am so glad I could share it with you. She's AMAZING! Thanks for being a part of this series, Melissa! If you don't already follow her blog please go do so. You might also want to follow her on Pinterest.

 

Next up is Carolyn from Fake It While You Make It. She sews a lot for her two adorable daughters and herself. I pretty much drool over everything Carolyn makes. They're all perfect and I always love her fabric choices. But it was THIS shirt that earns her a gold star in my book. And that post earns her husband the Blogger Husband of the Decade award. I hope you clicked over to see it. If you didn't. Go see it now. It's here. In case you missed it.

Now, wipe the tears from your eyes. What did you think?

And she knits.

(your ovaries just did a little flutter didn't they?)

And she quilts.


On Tuesday Carolyn will be showing off showed off the cycling jersey she made for her husband. Say what?? That's right. You won't want to miss this! If you haven't added Carolyn's blog to your blog reader yet go ahead and do that. You'll be happy you did. And follow her on Pinterest too while you're at it.

 

Wednesday we have the prolific and always hilarious, Rachael, from Imagine Gnats. Rachael made men's "after dinner pants" for this series. Definitely go see. You've most likely seen Rachael's sewing around the web. She's now famous for her Raccoon movement. We had a bit of a discussion last year about how fun it would be to start a new trend and I'm pretty sure Rachael has single handed-ly done it. These raccoon elbow patches are probably my favorite. Rachael sews a lot for herself, home and her adorable girls but she's also really active in the sewing community. She's a guest and contributor everywhere and is currently hosting the Covert Robin gift exchange. There's still a couple days to sign up if you are interested!

She has tons of free tutorials but this Madeleine Bag is one of my favorites. Simple and lovely.

A handful of my favorite projects on Imagine Gnats:

  • The Cathedral Window Remix quilt block tutorial. If you quilt you'll want to see this.
  • Dottie Dino– a taggie softie that is just perfect for any baby. You'll want to make a few as gifts.
  • Her first cross stitch pattern– Is there anything she doesn't do??
  • When I met Rachael at Sewing Summit she was wearing THIS Washi Dress. It's the best Washi I've seen yet.

If you aren't following Imagine Gnats yet, please go do so! You can also follow her on Pinterest.

 

Thursday I'll be sharing! I haven't started yet but I'm making some shorts. Let's all say a quick prayer that they go well. I work best under pressure but this is cutting it a little close!

How about you?? Will you take the Sewing For Men challenge and make something this week?? I'd love if you'd join us! You're not behind, considering I haven't started yet. Sew it up then write a blog post or email me a photo and I'll feature it on Friday!

UPDATE: I've started a Sew for Men Flickr group! If you'd like, join the group and add photos of anything you've sewn for a man so we can all get inspiration! Find the Sew for Men Flickr group here.

February 24, 2013 in Sewing , Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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December 16, 2011

DIY Leather Wallet Tutorial

Ever wanted to sew a wallet? Need a gift for a guy in your life? Sewing this leather wallet is easy! Check out my easy tutorial!
Leather wallet tutorial

This simple leather wallet is great for the back pocket. Slim so it doesn't wear out pockets and easy to access money. You may omit the "money clip" elastic and store the money in the middle pocket if that suits your style.

Gather Supplies:

  • leather (I bought an old leather purse at a thrift shop)
  • clear vinyl
  • leather sewing machine needles
  • upholstry thread
  • 1/2" wide elastic to match your leather

 Sewing with leather can be scary but you may find it isn't as you thought! A few tips:

  1. Use the correct needle and thread
  2. Go slow
  3. Do not start right on the edge of your leather
  4. Use a scrap piece of leather to check your tension

Leather wallet 1

Cut leather:

  • 3" x 4.5" (cut 2)
  • 3" x 3.75" (cut 2)
  • 3" x 3" (cut 1)

Cut vinyl:

  • 3" x 3" (cut 1)

Leather wallet 2Cut a "window" out of one piece of 3' x 3.75" piece of leather. I use an exacto knife for precision.

Leather wallet 3Line the vinyl up behind the window and sew the top together. You may also use an appropriate glue if you'd rather to attach the vinyl to the leather.

Leather wallet 4Cut slits for the elastic. Line the elastic up near the top of the 3" x 3" piece of leather. Cut a slit about 1/4" inside the leather on each side. The slit should be just as wide as the leather.
Leather wallet 5Tuck the elastic into the leather as above.

Leather wallet 6Stack your wallet together. The window piece should be on top of one of the largest pieces. This will make one side of your wallet.

Leather wallet 7The elastic piece should go on top of the mid sized piece and then on top of the other largest piece. This will be the opposite side of the wallet.

Leather wallet 8Line your pieces up so the edges are straight. You can't use pins so I used binder clips. Sew the sides and bottom of the wallet. Do not sew the top! 

Leather wallet front and backYou're done! Now fill that wallet or give it as a gift! 

Have you worked with leather before? It's not as scary as you might think!

December 16, 2011 in Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for men, Tutorials | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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September 22, 2011

Handmade Dress Up: DIY Potato Head Costume Tutorial

Welcome to the Handmade Dress Up Series! Like what you see? Support the guests by pinning their project or stumbling it!

 Photobucket

Welcome Alison! Thank you for the Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head Costume Tutorial!
Hello friends!
 
 My name is Alison.  My blogging home is Oopsey Daisy.
I am thrilled to be here!  You see, I’ve been riding on the Train to Crazy for quite a while… Because I am the queen of oopsey daisies!  πŸ™‚ I like to sew, modpodge, craft,
decorate, photograph, hammer, paint, teach, and create.  Most of all, I love to
create things for the people I love. 
Fall is my favorite time of year, and I’ve been itching for Halloween for months!  In our house, we only watch one movie:  Toy Story.  So naturally, this year we are all dressing up as Toy Story characters!
 
And guess what?  
We’re actually re-using the costumes we wore in February!  When my Little Man turned two, I threw him a Toy Story birthday party.  He dressed like Buzz Lightyear, and we asked all of our guests to dress like Toy Story characters, too! Mr Potato Head_collage 
Mr. Oopsey Daisy and I dressed up like Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head!
 
 I sewed our costumes in 1 afternoon, and they were a piece of cake.  Are you ready to learn how to make your own?
Let’s get started!
I did a few measurements on my husband including:
*Distance from shoulder to shoulder
* Waist circumference
*Distance from neck to knee
 
I purchased 2 1/3 yards of tan felt–that’s 84 inches!  
Once I folded it in half lengthwise, I had my Mr. Potato Head!  He just needed a little trimming!  So I followed the measurements above to cut out an A-line shape.  Mr potato head_head
At the top of the fold, I found the center, and I cut out a 6-inch semi-circle to create the hole for the head. 
 
Next, I cut out Mr. Potato Head’s eyes, nose, mustache, mouth, and ears from felt.  (I studied pictures of Mr. Potato Head while I did this.)  I pinned these on to the front of Mr. Potato Head.
 
Next, I sewed the facial features right on to the front. (Be sure to unfold the felt at this point.)
 
Then I pinned the right sides together.  But before sewing the sides together, I folded up the bottom edge by 1/2 inch.
 
I pressed the fold to create the casing for the elastic.  Here is a quick run-down… Mr potato head_elastic casing 
Once I had the elastic sewed in, I sewed up the sides. Mr potato head_ears
I left the top 13 inches unsewn for the arm holes.  Just underneath the arm holes, I sewed in ears on each side. Mr potato head_velcro
In the back, I cut a 4-inch slit and sewed on Velcro to close it up.  This gives a little breathing room for slipping it on and off.
 
I think this Mr. Potato Head is pretty handsome!  πŸ™‚
 
And here is my Mrs. Potato Head version!
So our family is all set for Halloween, and I can’t wait!
 Andrea, this has been so much fun.  Thank you for having me!  I hope you’ll come stop by Oopsey Daisy and say hello!

Check out the other Handmade Dress Up tutorials!

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September 22, 2011 in handmade dress up series, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls, Sewing for men, Sewing for women, Tutorials | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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August 16, 2011

DY(S)B: Sewing Patterns for Teen Boys (& Men too)

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If sewing for grade school aged boys is tough then sewing for teen boys is nearly impossible. For the brave, here are some patterns that are appropriate.

Sewing patterns teen boys
From top right:

New Look 6321, Mccalls 5538, Kwik Sew 3506

Burda 7381, Burda 7734, Jalie 2918

Kwik Sew 3815, Burda 8187

Have you sewn for a teen boy? What did you sew?? Any pattern recommendations? Talk to us!

Previous Dress Your (School) Boy posts:

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August 16, 2011 in Dress Your (School) Boy & Girl, roundup, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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April 20, 2010

A lunch bag

Three weeks without a computer but now I can finally upload pictures to my NEW computer!! It is very exciting. 

Last year I made my husband a lunch bag. It looked like mine, only black. It lasted about a week before he busted the zipper by over stuffing the bag. I had thought about taking the bag apart and and putting in a new zipper but I knew the same thing would happen. 

It has taken me quite a while to finish another one. I started one at Christmas that was to be his present but it turned out too small for a big lunch. I am happy to say that I finally completed this one for him about a month ago. It fits the bill perfectly.

IMG_4642
No zippers, just a roll down top that can accommodate a large lunch. It is lined with canvas as well and there is a layer of heavy stabilizer in between layers. The inside pocket has a special purpose. 

IMG_4645
It says "from our hands to your heart." This is where the girls put their artwork to send with daddy to work. His office wall is covered with it. 

I didn't post about how to make this bag but if there is enough interest I will. Just let me know!

There are going to be some changes around here as I rework the look of the blog. So if you stop by regularly you might notice things changing until I figure out what I like. 

Make It Wear It will be back on Thursday! Stop by and link up the things you've been making to wear!

Linked to: Talented Tuesday, DIY Day, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, Show & Tell, Make it Yours Day

April 20, 2010 in Sewing , sewing for house, Sewing for men | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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January 29, 2010

A neck warmer and a new link up PARTY!

UPDATE: Don't forget that the Clothing Sew Along starts today!!

It is no surprise that it is cold here in Boston. Really cold. Colder than I like. Thankfully we have modern gear and can be toasty warm without the bulk of the 1990's puffer jacket. You know what I'm talking about. You had one. Perhaps you still have one… At any rate, this new technology is lovely. 

I like scarves too. But for kids, scarves are annoyances. They fall off, they drag on the ground, they drive them crazy. The problem is, scarves serve a very good purpose. Neck warmth. 

Enter the neck warmer!IMG_3715 It keeps you warm without adding bulk and it won't fall off!  Now, you could go out and spend $15 on one of these or you could take a square piece of fleece (this one is about 13 X 13 inches), sew right sides together along one edge and then turn the open ends under and sew. Voila! A neck warmer in 5 minutes for way less than $15. You could use an even smaller piece of fleece if you wanted. This one is rather "tall" so it can be pulled up over the chin and mouth when it is really cold and windy.

For a child size, use a piece of fleece that is about 10.5 square. 

And did someone mention a party? Why, yes, I did! Starting next Thursday I'm taking the plunge and hosting Make it, Wear it. I'm creating a link-up for exclusively things made to wear. This can include clothing, accessories, shoes, anything that you can wear. I suppose you can even wear a handbag. So, drop on by next Thursday and link up!

And feel free to grab this button to display on your blog to spread the word!

make it wear it

See you Monday for the Clothing Sew Along! I'm so excited!

In completely unrelated news, I just bought the OK to Wake! Children's Alarm Clock and Nightlight and I'm hoping it is going to change my life. I'll keep you posted.

This post is linked to Sew & Tell, Just Something I Whipped Up,
 

January 29, 2010 in Sewing , Sewing for kids, Sewing for men, Sewing gifts | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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