recent projects

[John Fenna]

Well - work has been a bit slow recently ...so I have had a bit of time to spend on making things!
My shoe collection

The Una (?) style moccs I have had for a while (I made them while I still wrote for SWAT! and used then for Martial arts training...)but recently got around to making some African style flip flops and since the Moot made some Courans and Turn Shoes with instuction from that great teacher - Eric M!
Cheers Eric!
The Courans are from upholstry leather with a 3mm veg tan insole while the Turn shoes are all veg tan - thin an soft for the uppers with a hot waxed 3mm sole.
All are comfy to wear
A couple of years ago I got a double bed sized Merino blanket for 50p in a charity shop (it was dayglo orange - but dylon sorted that ) and I made a shirt from it

The remains - with some poly cotton for the outer - have just been turned into a Gilet/jerkin

Earlier in the year I made a smock from some fabric Topknot found ...a Ventile-ish cotton that is coated with a waxy treatment ...but it proved too snug for winter use when I want to be wearing multiple layers underneath.

So I made a bigger version

I have also been playing with a fold out FAK satchel in leather

as well as a wash kit based on a Throw-over style set of bike panniers (no photo_ to go on my camp gear rack and a leather padded camera pouch (no photo) and a bit of basket making...



Next up will be a canvas and leather daysack - the pattern is ready to cut and the materials are being sorted...

 

[Retired Member southey]

Brilliant! John would be willing to make a pair of the shoe third from left? if so how much would they be?

 

[John Fenna]

I could make you a pair....but they would cost you £100,000.99
I struggled with those and they needed several fittings to get them right
I suggest that you ask Eric ...he will be cheaper and better!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahahahah! no probs matey!

 

[Tank]

impressive John, the smock look great. wish i had the skills to make one for myself.

 

[Bushwhacker]

I'm diggin' the Gilet.
I just reckon it's screaming out for a big poachers pocket on the back of it though.
Nice work.

 

[John Fenna]

impressive John, the smock look great. wish i had the skills to make one for myself.

You do have the skills - you just have not developped them yet
Mind you it took me a while.... I started off with a hand turned machine, a bit of denim and a commercial pattern (about 30 years ago) moved on to addapting patterns and an electric machine then went to coll as a mature student and did a Btec fashion design course for 2 years, designed gear for Craghoppers and Snowdon Clothing for a while, wrote a couple of DIY clothing and gear books (out of print now) and now just play at making gear
If you want to learn to make gear - just try!
You may get the bug like I did
I love making things but sometimes they dont work out too well at first ... a lot of fabric/leather/thread ends up in the bin even today!

 

[shaggystu]

good looking stuff as always john, i'm with Bushwhacker on this, that gillet looks great but it's crying out for a poachers pocket on the back.

one question, why no storm flap to cover the zips on the jackets? is it just personal preference or is there some deeper logic to it?

stuart

 

[RonW]

I really like the FAK!
Looks a bit like the one I had initially planned myself, but now I am leaning more towards the idea of making a roll instead, which I can strap underneath my backpack...
I like the smock a lot, too.

 

[treadlightly]

Great stuff John, will any of those find their way into your Rough Close sack?

 

[Shewie]

Very good John

That shirt looks the business

 

[John Fenna]

good looking stuff as always john, i'm with Bushwhacker on this, that gillet looks great but it's crying out for a poachers pocket on the back.

one question, why no storm flap to cover the zips on the jackets? is it just personal preference or is there some deeper logic to it?

stuart

No storm flaps but there are drip strips on the inside
Storm flaps need fastenings or they... flap ... drip strips stay in place (or fold away) all by themselves

 

[John Fenna]

Great stuff John, will any of those find their way into your Rough Close sack?

Nope - but I will be using some of them!

 

[shaggystu]

No storm flaps but there are drip strips on the inside
Storm flaps need fastenings or they... flap ... drip strips stay in place (or fold away) all by themselves

cheers for that john

stuart

 

[Samon]

Brilliant job mate! You've clearly got some honed skills there, have you made any trousers?

Would my wife's standard sewing machine tackle denim, canvas and wool?

 

[John Fenna]

Brilliant job mate! You've clearly got some honed skills there, have you made any trousers?

Would my wife's standard sewing machine tackle denim, canvas and wool?

Simple answers
1/ yes - several pairs over the years but none recently (my fashion diploma final collection had shirt, jacket, shorts and trousers - all in Ventile!) except for some theatrical costume trousers.
2/ Yes - probably - My domestic machines will tackle everything from parasilk through to webbing belts - I just sewed an ex cargo strap from a military cargo plane to make restraining straps for a horse box on one of my machines and I have also used the same machine to sew hankerchief grade cotton
With thick fabrics you need to limit the number of layers you need to sew through ie at cuffs you need to press the seams that will be folded back on themselves open rather than all to one side so the layers are spread out and do not form one big thickness

 

[yomperalex]

great work.

Alex