After much ado, the outseams are done up and felled. Zack the Pfaff was being *fussy* about the tension with this Mara 30 thread. I’m gonna have to go back and hand pick the area around the bottom of the hip pocket attachment. No amount of shimming the foot was able to keep that stitch as straight as I want when it goes over that inner seam. #sewing #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch #lgbt #artist

I'm trying to get better about making these time lapse videos from the workroom as I get ready for the Elfkin debut trunk show later this autumn.

Here's yesterday's adventure with the four zipper pockets on Ernesto's fancy fatigues. #sewing #ElfkinLaunch #MenWhoSew #lgbt #artist

https://www.elfk.in/videos/v/putting-zipper-pockets-into-the-fancy-fatigues

These 3mm pink welts on the side slant pockets of the fancy fatigues are everything I hoped for. #sewing #MenWhoSew #lgbt #artist

The pocket bags for the zipper pockets are all closed up and overlocked, and I’ve got the welt and inner bag of the slant pockets ready to stitch in the morning. These fancy fatigues are still a palaver to make, but removing the back pockets and convertible leg from the design has made them faster to sew. #sewing #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch #LGBT #artist

All of the fiddly little bits (belt loops, pockets welts, fly shield, and inner phone pocket) are done up. Tomorrow I can start putting these fancy fatigues together! #sewing #MenWhoSew #LGBT #artist

With a good staystitching of all of the curves, the fancy fatigues are officially underway.

For those wondering, that's tear-away embroidery stabilizer you see me wedging under the corners. It lets me stitch right up to the edge on corners without the machine mangling the fabric after the corner is turned because it gives the feed dogs something to grab onto.

#sewing #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch #lgbt #artist

The extra bits are cut and marked for the fancy fatigues. Off to the shop for zippers! #sewing #ElfkinLaunch #MenWhoSew #lgbtartist

After considerable hemming and hawing, I’ve decided to center the toile’s tableaus on the thighs of the front and back pieces of Ernesto’s fatigues. The slant pockets are cut to match (you can just see where they underlay the front pieces in the photo). The cargo pockets will be cut on-the-fly to match across the outseam.

Related: I always feel like a monster when I cut pieces from big print fabrics. So much extra fabric is leftover. #sewing #ElfkinLaunch #MenWhoSew #lgbtartist

It needs a wash and a good pressing, along with the snaps on the pockets and epaulettes, but Ernesto’s military shirt is otherwise done. There is a 100% chance I spent most of the afternoon faffing with the collar stand’s topstitching. (The eagle eyed among you will notice the Frixion pen guide dots I ended up drawing on.

Now to make the accompanying cargo pants. #sewing #MenWhoSew #lgbtartist

The side seams are all done up and topstitched on the (super queer) military shirt for Ernesto. Some cuffs, a hem, and buttons are all that’s left! #sewing #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch #lgbtartist #lgbt

Sleeves and epaulettes are attached and topstitched (to within an inch of my sanity) on the military–inspired shirt for Ernesto‘s trunk show look. #sewing #crafting #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch

Yokes are in and sleeve heads are pressed and ready for attachment on the military shirt for Ernesto. At the top there is the pistachio and magenta toile de Jouy of which the accompanying cargo fatigues will be made, which I think helps makes sense of my topstitch color choices. #sewing #crafting #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch

I could continue to obsess over and redo some of this topstitching on the front pockets of the military shirt, but I need to get on with things. If it’s still bugging me after the shirt is done, I may go back and repick the topstitch by hand. Maybe. #sewing #crafting #MenWhoSew #ElfkinLaunch

Feeling 3/4 human today, I was able to get some work done on Ernesto’s military shirt. Sleeves are ready to be attached, all of the little extra bits are topstitched, front plackets and buttonholes are in, and darts are shaped and topstitched. And I am tuckered out! #sewing #crafting #MenWhoSew

I made nice progress on my Rainbow Tree this morning. I decided to embellish it with metallic gold, silver and bronze thread, then a different gold thread for the canopy. I'll be adding the yarn ground tomorrow. #menwhosew #fabricarts #RainbowArt #menwhoquilt

I decided to unveil my new decorative stitched tree early. The Rainbow Tree. The idea came to me last week. The tree was handcut and the small limbs are 'thread painted.' All of the sewing is done with utility stitches. There's still more work to do. #menwhosew #handmade #fabricarts

New on Instagram: Today’s view from set.
#setlife #trailer #tailor #menwhosew #behindtheseams #bernina https://instagr.am/p/CltN7y2uORw/

New on Instagram: Not hating this view on set today.
#tailor #menwhosew #bernina #behindtheseams https://instagr.am/p/Clq5dd0OFCX/

I'm a very structured, symmetrical, kind of person. It took a great deal of effort to learn color & design to develop new ideas.

I found a class that intrigued me. These decorative stitched trees are the opposite of structure. From the tiny strips of fabric to the running, varied width stitching - it's all free form. For the canopies, you reduce the machine tension and go wild. There are no rules and it's so liberating.

#fabric #artwork #sewing #menwhosew #artquilt #fabricartist

I stumbled across an interesting technique from a very talented quilted named Katie Pasquini-masopust. She takes acrylic painted canvases and cuts them and then stitches them together and quilts them.

Over the years I've taken it in my own unique way. Some all all painted canvas and some combine fabric.

#artwork #quilter #mixedmediaartwork #artist #smallbusinessowner #handmade #lgbtq #creativity #menwhosew #newwhoquilt