jacket and pants

collar and sleeves

The undercollar is linen canvas and felt stitched together and shaped.

The exact proportions don’t have to be decided until it’s on the jacket.

The top collar is cut to shape as it is basted and stitched to the undercollar and lapel.

The shoulder pad is sewn to the canvas before the sleeve is put on.

The whole sleeve is made, with the lining, and attached.

canvas and facing

Basting holds the canvas in place during the process of fixing it to the jacket.

The canvas is layers of different materials, including haircloth and felt. I usually buy readymade ones several sizes too big, and customize to fit.

Of course, there is no hand sewing like this in an off-the-rack jacket. Even what is called a “custom” or “made to measure” jacket these days is unlikely to have any handstitching on it at all, except for the buttons.

I use quite a lot of vintage silk thread, made in Canada. There’s also synthetic ‘silcora’, white cotton for basting, heavier silk for buttonholes, cotton “gimp” for inside the buttonholes.

On this jacket, the pickstitching and arrow tacks are Gutermann, just to get the right colour. I use various kinds of new poly thread for the machine stitched seams.

The facing finishes the front edge and makes the lapel. It’s set up and held in place with more basting, and attached to the canvas on the inside. Ease and tension on the cloth is used along with handstitching and pressing to build the shape exactly as it should be, a process that begins with a customized pattern and continues with fittings as the jacket is constructed.

I always use bemburg lining, which is made of rayon. It is slippery and kind of hard to work with, but there’s nothing else like it.

Another try-on at this stage will make sure the armhole is just right. The high armhole in a true bespoke suit like this gives better movement when the sleeve is on. That is really good for guitar players like Steve, who will be wearing this jacket very soon!

piping and tacks

Almost ready for the canvas.

embroidery patterns

I’m working on a new suit.

Decoration is one of the distinct components of a western suit.

I like flowers, and so does the person it’s for, but this one needed something more. I did a lot of samples that weren’t working.

I happened to be admiring this Japanese jacket, with its big scroll pattern, as I made test after test of vines and flowers I didn’t like.

more sampling

and making patterns

Full time embroiderers, who worked for western tailors like Rodeo Ben, Nathan Turk and Nudie, had books around they would use for reference. They also were not tailors–they were embroiderers. Tailoring and embroidering are really different skills.

blue flowers suit

No More Blues

Daniel Romano with Aaron Goldstein on steel guitar, last night at the sold-out Starlight in Waterloo.

No More Blues

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Tomorrow night, they’re at Massey Hall in Toronto.  And there’s more shows after that in Canada and the US , including SXSW in Austin.

 

 

Daniel Romano at Crow’s Nest

at Crow’s Nest Barber Shop, Kensington Market, Toronto. February 2013.

Photo by Moe Doiron

Looking forward to Daniel’s show with Whitehorse this Thursday at the Starlight in Waterloo.

come cry with me

Out soon on Normaltown Records, advance single “Middle Child” is already getting played around, like on WXPN 88.5 Philadelphia.

a day in the life of Rusty Ford

Wearing his new suit, Rusty Ford sets out for another day in the life of a country singer.

A diner breakfast heals the night before.

What waitress doesn’t prefer a serenade to a tip.

No such thing as a bad gig for Rusty.

Perfect weather for late afternoon busking.

Contemplating the honky tonk life….

there’s no tears in this beer.

 Rusty’s heading for Nashville next month, so watch out for him down on Lower Broadway.

All photos by Ruby Woods.