Sewing Machine Porn - Featuring Roy Slaper

Dear God, please give me a workspace like the one Roy has.



I've featured Roy here before, and it doesn't seem like his machines have become less cool, since we last heard of him.

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Crafts - Selvage Denim Laundry Bag

Some time ago I bought several yards of selvage denim from Cone Mills in the US. I passed some on to a friend and the rest have just been sitting in the basement waiting for me to do something about it. Well, I haven't found the courage to make more jeans, though I have done that in the past and I will do so again in the future, so today I spent some hours making one handsome laundry bag with the caring guidance and help from my girlfriend. Or actually it was more of a collaborative effort.

I decided to make this piece out of necessity. I needed something to stow my laundry away in, but I couldn't find anything I liked. But I remember seeing some laundry bags from the American army or rather the navy which were made of a thin denim - possibly chambray. So they were the inspiration for me on this piece, which is why I will possibly add some stencils, once I get around to buying some stencil ink. I already have some amazing Hanson brass stencils, that I would like to use.

For the bag we used some selvage denim (broken twill of approximately 14-15 oz) from Cone Mills, some vintage nylon fabric (I think the term is beaver nylon), a couple of solid brass grommets, some good rope and it was assembled on the Singer 222, that I received some time ago. The same thread was used throughout the project and it was a Saba 50 by Amann - unfortunately not the Rasant type of thread, which I have had troubles finding a good source for.

I did most of the sewing, which is why the stitching isn't entirely straight, though it is pretty good, if I may say so. 

It was the first project I ever did on the 222, and I have to say, it has surpassed my expectations. It plows through whatever you throw at it, and it isn't even an industrial grade sewing machine, but I guess they just made some things better in the old days.

I wish I had taken more pictures of the process, but the light in the basement was poor, so I didn't bother taking that many. Furthermore I was too focused on keeping up with the pace of my girlfriend (who is a tailor's apprentice and has a degree in pattern making), that I found myself forgetting to document the process in pictures.

In short, the bag is made from selvage to selvage across the fabric. Then the grommets were set, but before doing so the leather reinforcements were put in. After that the drawstring hem was sewed, and the sides were connected. We intended to do a flat felled seam, but some miscalculations were made, so it was just a felled seam. Lastly the bottom piece was put in. I decided on the orange fabric because I felt it was a nice contrast to the denim, and orange colour had a navy-ish feel to it. Furthermore I'm sure it will last a bit longer, as it wears harder than the denim and it sheds water. I'm pretty sure that this bag will last a lifetime and improve with wear.

The rope was put in and the ends of the rope was secured with some melted beeswax. This is a very practical way of ensuring the rope doesn't unravel and furthermore it smells deliciously. What I hadn't anticipated was that the rope is already taken on some bleeding from the denim. I'm sure this will get beautiful in some time.

The design is basically too simple to be called design. It is very functional and it will carry a months worth of laundry and possibly more.

You can see the pics in a slightly better resolution on ATD's Flickr. 

And lastly, I would like to thank my girlfriend for the help and support - I'm glad you decided to give my old sewing machine a go, even though you are used to industrial grade sewing machines, which are probably a lot better and easier to use. You did one hell of a job here and I will treasure this bag for a long time and honour it by throwing my dirty clothes in it.

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Out and About - Picking Apples On a Sunday

Before you start reading any of this, I would like to apologise for the abuse of the Hipstamatic function on the iPhone. I didn't take any of the pics and my friend Anna apparently enjoys that function slightly too much. Secondly, this isn't my poor attempt to turn ATD into a food blog, but as the criteria for anything on this blog is being good, then this should be included.

The Hipstamatic pics don't affect my wish to document this day any less, as it was a great Sunday.

Let's start with the end. This is the product of a well-spent Sunday : 3-5 kg of stewed apples.

That much stewed apples don't come easy. First you need like 15 kg of apples from just as many different sorts. Luckily we got these apples for free, as we biked around town to some secret locations. The apples were picked using a perfect branch that I found in the nearby woods. 

That's some good fun and in no time you have a huge tote filled with delicious (some more than others), freshly picked (rather, violently removed with a thick branch), organic (I can only assume) apples.

When the picking is done, you have to peel them and slice them into smaller pieces, which seems like work Sisyphus wouldn't even do, as it is a huge task with that many apples. After the picking, the peeling and the slicing it gets easy. Just add some organic vanilla and some organic cane sugar, that you borrow from a roommate (which I promise, I will replace, Louise) and let it simmer until perfect. 

You'll know when you hit perfection.

Special thanks to Anna for filling the gap for my much-missed girlfriend and making this a very pleasant Sunday.

In case you are wondering, the tote is from Engineered Garments. I was also wearing an oxford shirt from Brooks Brothers Black Fleece, jeans from LVC (1954 501z), shoes from Yuketen and a vintage jacket from Fjällräven (not pictured). I forgot to mention that my underwear are from one of the last - if not the last - Danish producers of underwear. I'm trying to set up a visit to them, which will hopefully materialize soon.

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The Much Awaited Singer 222

As announced I have something very special in store for you. Something I have been wanting for a very long time. It is enclosed in this small black box with Bakelite handles.

When it comes to sewing machines I like them old. Very old. It isn't something that I base on aesthetics, although I would be lying if I said, that sewing machines weren't more handsome in the past. I like old sewing machines because they were built much stronger and much simpler. Sewing machines weren't some disposable junk that you would buy twice in a lifetime. It was an investment and a big one.

I'm not a skilled sewer. I sew alright, but my needs are pretty basic, which is why I have used and loved my Singer 221 ever since receiving as a late birthday present from my sister some time ago. Even though you can't do a million different stitches and you can't programme it on a computer, you can do everything that you would ever need to make. If that isn't enough there are still a lot of different accessories for the Featherweights widely available and there are helpful and passionate people like Graham Forsdyke, if you ever need any help or advice. But the part is that the Featherweights sews perfectly. The stitches are just so damn beautiful.

I can't remember when I first read about the Singer Featherweight, but again who would remember that?

I do however remember when I knew that I HAD to own a Featherweight - The 29th of August 2010 to be exact! I know the exact date because that was the date, when Tommy of This is Naive posted pics of her 222. I instantly knew that it was the machine I needed because it was small, handy, strong (like a mustang!), beautiful and somehow very manly.

If I had the space for it, I would probably be buying (old) industrial machines, but when you are a student and you have limited space, there is very few machines that can compete with the Singer Featherweights.

As mentioned before I already own the original Featherweight, the 221. But I sometimes miss - and need - the free arm function of the 222 - the older brother to the 221. Therefore I have been looking for a 222 that I would be able to pay for, which wasn't on eBay or online, as they fetch very high prices there. Fortunately I was lucky enough to find one in descent condition here in Denmark and I bought it for a very reasonable amount from an old lady named Agnethe.

The machine came with a lot of different accessories. I had most of them already, from what I have seen, but it is always nice to have substitutes and spares. It is in desperate need of some oil, which I couldn't find in my mess, so I'll have to drench when I get the chance to buy some new oil tomorrow. Lastly it needs a good clean-up, a new belt and some rubber feet, which I will be buying from Graham.

Thank you Agnethe. I promise to look after it and use it frequently with care.

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Crafts - Leather iPhone 4 Case

Today was spent in the basement workshop with a good friend and long time supporter of my crafts, Anna.

Anna wanted something to protect her newly acquired and much loved iPhone 4. So I helped her make a case for it in some 3-4 mm (6-8 in total!!) thick vegetable tanned leather.

In the past I have made wallets, card cases, billfolds and different cases but never a case for an iPhone, so I spent some time yesterday drawing some sketches for a possible design. But it was still tricky making the pattern just right for it. But for a prototype I think we nailed it pretty much. I think, it will be a bit easier the next time around - at least I hope that is the case. So if anybody wants one, let me know (at info.afterthedenim@gmail.com), and we can sort out a price.

The process was pretty straightforward, but it always involves a lot of steps. First you cut the leather, then you soak it in water to make it easier to work with. After that there is some more cutting, some more preparation, and some hand sewing. Finally you burnish it, and you burnish it hard and you burnish it good.

Finally you give it some conditioner, in this case pure neatsfoot oil, which always darkens the leather slightly. I decided to use neatsfoot oil because this case will probably be put under hard use and abuse.

* Disclaimer. I didn't do the sewing - I just assisted - my sewing is usually just slightly more straight and clean. But Anna still managed to do a pretty awesome job. Bravo.

** Second disclaimer. Pictures were taken with her iPhone in artificial lighting, while it was pitch black outside. So remember, it looks way better in real life.

*** Third disclaimer. This iPhone case is pretty damn good, so actually it doesn't need any disclaimers. Sorry.

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