This fantastic short documentary goes behind the scenes of Martin Greenfield’s custom suit factory in Brooklyn.

Lessons from a Tailor. Directed by Galen Summer from Ed David on Vimeo.

Martin Greenfield Clothiers is one of the last surviving old school custom hand tailoring factories in NY. Read more about his story of working his way up from an entry level job at the factory to eventually owning the place. He has a fascinating history of working behind the scenes with high end designers and custom clients worldwide. I hope to pay this man and his factory a visit one day!

In honor of Earth Day this year, Anthropologie collected corks for use in their store window displays.  As someone who has been saving corks from my wine bottles for years now, my interest was piqued. I haven’t yet decided what to do with my collection, but now I’ve collected some great inspiration! Of course, it takes time to collect enough corks to make much of anything, and now my collection of dozens (maybe a couple hundred?) looks tiny compared to some of these large scale cork projects. So, I doubt I’ll be making a Corkxedo (yes, really, a tuxedo made of corks) anytime soon!

After Anthropologie breaks down their cork window displays, the corks will go to Cork ReHarvest where they will go on to become fishing bobs, brand-new flooring, paper pulp and more.

Cork is a green resource and is 100% natural, renewable, recyclable and biodegradable.  “Trees are not cut down to harvest cork, rather, the bark is harvested by hand every 9 years. Cork oak trees can live up to 300 years, so they are very sustainable resource! Approximately 6.6 million acres of Mediterranean cork forest extend across Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia and France. These oak forests support one of the world’s highest levels of forest biodiversity, second only to the Amazonian Rainforest.”  -Cork ReHarvest Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been sewing alot of suits lately, and these two jackets were a delightful diversion from the more standard styles I regularly put together for AJ Machete & Sons Custom Clothiers.  I’ve been itching to post these pictures since I finished these pieces a few weeks ago now, but I’ve been so busy with other projects that it hasn’t been high enough priority.  Until today. I’m taking a break to share these completely custom jackets with you.

Lining and Interior Pocket - Rockabilly Blazer, Custom Tailored for AJ Machete & Sons, 2010

Do you love the zebra print charmeuse lining?!  How about picturing a full band, all in matching “Rockabilly Blazers”?  I think that’s the costumer in me coming out…picturing the clothes on a stage where the contrast details would really show up.

Rockabilly Blazer, Custom Tailored for AJ Machete & Sons, 2010

What other kinds of contrast fabric and color details can you imagine on a custom blazer?  Pick your fabrics and styling, we’ll make a cotton muslin mockup first to develop a custom fit pattern, and then construct beautiful garments just for you.  Great fitting clothes will give you confidence in your appearance and help you be sharp and stylin’ at weddings, shows, themed conventions, or other special events.

View the Etsy listing for more info on AJ Machete & Sons’ “Rockabilly Blazer” here.

The next project has captured my attention with ideas for future gear-themed appliques on clothing, pillows, bags, and more….now if I can just squeeze some time in for some new designs!

Custom Applique Tailcoat: Leather Gears on brown linen. Jessica Montoya for AJ Machete & Sons, 2010.

A soft, contrasting brown leather gear on the back… Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wondered what the inside a blazer looks like? Here’s a few shots of some typical inner construction details you will find inside a suit jacket.  The front of the jacket is interfaced with a hair canvas backing, fusible in this case.  Weft fusible is used in addition as a softer stabilizer at the shoulder/chest area.  Sleeve caps are supported by shoulder pads and sleeve headers.  The front welt pockets are supported by a muslin strip connected to the armscye.

I just finished making this “Rockabilly Blazer” for MacheteNSons.etsy.com – stay tuned for pictures of the completed blazer!

Here’s a recently completed Machete & Sons project: a custom Uncle Sam tailcoat that will be worn this weekend in celebration of the 4th of July.  Hope everyone has a safe and fun filled Independence weekend!