The 2018 collection

[John Fenna]

I have not made much in the way of new kit this year - I am in the throws of losing a bit of weight and have mainly been altering old kit to fit and do not want to risk making clothing that I will then have to alter (I have so far lost over 5 stone...) but I needed a summer jacket so altered my smock pattern and made this -

 

[Tiley]

Great stuff, as ever!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Looks good.

 

[John Fenna]

6" taken out of the width of my old pattern....
This was meant to just be a toile to check the new sizing - fabric from Eric M years ago that was just waiting for a project - but it worked so well I had no need to buy other fabric to make a "final" jacket

 

[John Fenna]

Thanks to the sale of my surplus kit (and my crafts) at the Moot, I have just bitten the bullet and purchased 10m of Olive Ventile to make a single Ventile version of this jacket.... not much change from £350.00!
Oh - the cost of losing weight!
I have also bought 10m of a "bark" brown cotton twill to make an every-day version - £30.00.
I should have plenty of both left over for other projects - yokes on wool blanket "fleece" jackets and body warmers etc
Now all I need is the time to get sewing!

 

[John Fenna]

I have recut my Blanket Hoody or Bushshirt (as seen in my Avatatar)
It is still loose to go over warm layers - but smaller than it was to fit my slimmer body.
I have also added Ventile cuffs and some pockets...

The original version ...
[

 

[Klenchblaize]

Looking good as indeed are you. Congratulations on losing so much weight. It must have taken incredible willpower.

All the best

K

 

[John Fenna]

The original photos were taken 4 years ago...
If you think I look good then you at odds with my wife who says I look old and ill - but then she says I have no will power, so she is not always right (despite what she claims)
So far I have lost a grand total of 5 stone 8 pounds and still have 8 pounds to go to get to my target weight and a "Healthy" BMI (down from "Very Obese").
I have lost over 6" in girth!
I do 1 hour physio exercise every day and 1 hour down the Gym on Tuesdays ... and am always hungry!
The main benefit has been that I am no longer in pain from my duff knees, can walk without using a stick, go up and down stairs with ease, my Blood Pressure is 120/80 and my resting heart rate is 62bpm: I turned down a knee replacement in July as I do not feel that I need it just yet - back to the bottom of the waiting list...
The only down side is the cost of replacing all my clothing and the fact that other projects (primitive tech - flint knapping, making gut thread to sew a fur blanket, making a good Iron Age costume for work at Castell Henlys Iron Age Fort - making camp furniture, making a Steam Punk outfit, extending my Base Camp in the woods etc etc) are on hold until I sort out a full set of clothing!
I am aiming at making
1 x Wool "Fleece" jacket - from blanket wool
1 x Wool body warmer - from blanket wool
2 x Wool shirts
2 x cambric shirts
1 x Ventile Jacket
1 x Cotton twill jacket (started)
1 x Ventile trousers
1 x Cotton twill trousers
1 x "Pocket Vest" from canvas

I still have to draft and do mock ups of the trousers, shirts and the blanket wool items!
I have had to wait (and use "disposable" charity shop clothing as I slid down the size scale) until I had an idea of what shape I would end up before comitting to making my new patterns!

other stuff will have to be either Charity Shop or Surplus shop buys... or recut old kit.
So far the sale of some of my old kit has funded (in part) buying the new fabric for the jackets and trousers but new fabrics are expensive if I want quality kit!

 

[Billy-o]

I look forward to seeing all that couture and congratulations on shedding the mass

 

[Zingmo]

I'd say you were looking good: less reminiscent of Henry VIII and more of Col. Faulkner.
The new gear is looking good too.

Z

 

[Robson Valley]

I think you look better for it. Your body is giving you good numbers.
The clothing is all very nice but this is far more than skin deep.

 

[sgtoutback]

Great job I like the tailored version of your blanket Smock!

 

[John Fenna]

Winter is coming - so I need some warm wear!
I have been busy (but need more yet) and this is what I have made recently
A Brushed Cotton Twill version of my SAS Smock

sized to go over warm wear and made from fabric from our local market

A Blanket and Ventile off-cut body warmer - the blanket was dyed down from ... Pink! It was a "Dormy Silver Seal All New Wool" that I picked up in a House Clearance sop for £4!
Bag pockets inside also from Ventile, zips from an old, oversize, fleece jacket.


And a Blanket and Twill body warmer - same blanket - different dye and a complete outer instead of a reinforced yoke...

Sewn through pockets - they only pucker when I stuff my hands into them!

 

[snappingturtle]

Dam John! you have some real talent with needle and thread!

 

[bigboned]

Have to say John, you look fantastic, really well done on the weight loss- apart from the excercise, how has your diet changed? I need to loose 6st myself.
The last 3 pics look like store bought clothing. I take it you rate ventile then?

 

[oldtimer]

You look five stone + lighter and five years+ younger.

Has it helped with the mobility problems? Age is getting to my joints and I wonder if weight loss would help.

 

[TinkyPete]

very nice looking stuff John

 

[John Fenna]

Have to say John, you look fantastic, really well done on the weight loss- apart from the excercise, how has your diet changed? I need to loose 6st myself.
The last 3 pics look like store bought clothing. I take it you rate ventile then?

Diet - unchanged...just less of everything
And yes - I rate Ventile
I own no synthetic waterproofs at all at the moment... except a poncho!

 

[John Fenna]

You look five stone + lighter and five years+ younger.

Has it helped with the mobility problems? Age is getting to my joints and I wonder if weight loss would help.

You bet it has!
Last year I was hobbling around on a stick and dreading stairs.
This year I ENJOY short walks, dance up stairs and turned down knee replacement (it took 14 months to get to the top of the list) in July - when I had only lost about 4 stone.
The weight loss has improved my mobility no end!

 

[bigboned]

Diet - unchanged...just less of everything
And yes - I rate Ventile
I own no synthetic waterproofs at all at the moment... except a poncho!

That’s great John, thankyou for the reply