Kenneth is offering private lessons in his New York studio.

 

Kenneth offers private lessons on the sewing or pattern drafting subject of your choice, by appointment. If you’re interested, email him for details!

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NEW ZOOM CLASSES FOR FALL/WINTER 2023

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These zoom classes operate with prepared video and Q and A.  The sessions will be recorded, so if you need to miss one, you can catch up. After the class, I email a link to the zoom recording as well as the videos contained within it. The links remain for the forseeable future.

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A Tale of Two Jackets

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For those who love vintage details, and how those details can be adapted and made modern, this is a class you will love.

 

Based on an article Kenneth wrote for Threads Magazine, this three-session, lecture/demonstration class will show you how to draft the pattern for the double peplum shown in the article.  After the pattern is drafted, we will cover the construction, so you can build a jacket with this marvelous detail.

 

The reason this class is called “A Tale of Two Jackets”, is because of the second application of this idea. Some may not like to wear a peplum jacket but would love to wear this idea adapted to a cuff for a tailored jacket or coat.  The second part of this class shows exactly that—patternmaking and construction of this excellent cuff detail.

 

The jacket pattern we will be using for the demonstration is the Closet Core “Jasika” jacket. It isn’t required-you can use any three-panel jacket body for the body peplum, and any two-part tailored sleeve to generate the cuff.

 

So—join us! The classes are three Saturday afternoons, 12:00 Noon Eastern time, October 7, 14, and 28. The cost for the three sessions is US$225.00.

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To sign up, send the class fee through Paypal to this email address: kennethdking@earthlink.net

 

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PEAKED LAPEL TAILORED JACKET CLASS

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The old-school bespoke tailored jacket is regarded as the “Mount Olympus” of sewing. But with this three-part series of classes, you will be able to work in stages to complete your jacket. These three sections run for six weeks, with one class session each week. 

 

There will be a few weeks between the sections, so you can work through the information and complete the tasks, setting you up to continue the next section.

 

Session 1 will include an office hour, so we can make sure the jacket muslin fits properly before any other work can begin.

 

Along with the classic techniques of old-school tailoring, in this class series you will learn:

 

      Drafting and constructing a peaked lapel

      Drafting all of the corollary jacket pieces based on a well-fitting shell

      Drafting and constructing lining and side vents with a vent stay

      Drafting and constructing a surgeon’s cuff

      Drafting and constructing a hidden lining pocket

      Constructing a hand-set collar

      Constructing double welt pockets with pocket flaps

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This is the outline for the three different sessions of the class:

 

Peaked lapel tailored jacket, session 1:

September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25, and November 1

$250.00

Class limited to 20 students

Dates: September 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25, and November 1, 7:00PM Eastern time

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To sign up, send the class fee through Paypal to this email address: kennethdking@earthlink.net

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In part one of the jacket class, we begin with the pattern. For our example we are using the Closet Core “Jasika” jacket. However, if you have a favorite three-part tailored jacket pattern with a two-part sleeve, these techniques will adapt to that as well.

 

There will be an office hour included for each student in Session 1, so we can make sure the jacket muslin fits properly before any other work can begin.

 

 

The initial class is an introduction, with a Q and A on the process. There will then be a video of the hand stitches required for this class.

 

Once fitted, we will drafting the peaked lapel, as well as drafting the other jacket pieces onto the fitted body.

 

After we have all the pattern pieces, we will cover the materials needed, proper cutting and proper marking.

 

Once the fabrics are cut, construction begins with sewing the sleeves.

 

Constructing the lining, adding the piping and hidden pocket follow.

 

Once this is complete, we will prepare the front facings, the body canvas, and the body back and side vents.

 

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Peaked lapel tailored jacket, session 2:

Dates TBA

$250.00

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In session 2, we continue construction:

 

First, we assemble the fronts, and we learn what a donlon wedge is and how to construct it.

 

Once the fronts are sewn, the pockets are next. We first sew the single welt and pocket flaps for the double welt pockets—they all construct the same way.

 

Once the single welt and pocket flaps are done, we install the single welt chest pocket

 

After sewing the chest pocket, we install the double welt pockets with pocket flaps over the donlon wedge.

 

The hand-set collar is next. We will learn pad stitching the canvas to the undercollar, shaping the undercollar, and installing the upper collar to the undercollar.

 

Finally, we will install the body canvas to the body front.

 

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Peaked lapel tailored jacket , session 3:

 

Dates TBA

$250.00

 

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Finally, session 3 completes the jacket:

 

We install the front facings to the body fronts.

 

Once the facings are installed, it’s time to sew the body sections together, and do the initial installation of the lining. The side vents are finished and vent stay installed.

 

The next session has us sewing the shoulder seams, and hand-installing the collar to the body.

 

Once the collar is installed, we set the sleeves, install the shoulder pads, and sleeve heads.

 

Now the sleeves are installed, we finish sewing the lining, and add the sleeve linings.

 

The final class has us taking care of final finishing details, pressing, and buttonholes! A final check-in and show-and-tell is planned.

 

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