It's SteveH's fault
06-07-2015, 06:13 AM
#12
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 8,122
KLO - the basic set includes four peices for making the bodice. There is a later version that has a longer front piece, and that one is in more demand.
The sleeve has an add on item, and has a seperate instruction booklet. So if you find one with all five, make sure it's got both manuals also. Though I've got both manuals and will make copies of them at some point.
You'll also want to make sure you get one that is not missing a lot of the nuts for tightening down the adjustments. I'm missing a few, and I think there are a few missing rivets on the Sleeve piece too. I'll have to compare it to one that has everything and see how that goes.
There may have been other "add on" pieces too - with all the bragging on how many sold in the sales info I got with mine, one would expect to see more of these around.
The sleeve has an add on item, and has a seperate instruction booklet. So if you find one with all five, make sure it's got both manuals also. Though I've got both manuals and will make copies of them at some point.
You'll also want to make sure you get one that is not missing a lot of the nuts for tightening down the adjustments. I'm missing a few, and I think there are a few missing rivets on the Sleeve piece too. I'll have to compare it to one that has everything and see how that goes.
There may have been other "add on" pieces too - with all the bragging on how many sold in the sales info I got with mine, one would expect to see more of these around.
06-07-2015, 09:22 AM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2,576
The photo of all the attachment boxes made me smile, for just an instant I was a toddler again being allowed to peek in the black shiny box lined with purple velvet with silvery things inside. Maybe I'm entering my second childhood today?!
06-07-2015, 11:35 AM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: North Central, NC
Posts: 2,741
Originally Posted by Macybaby
KLO - the basic set includes four peices for making the bodice. There is a later version that has a longer front piece, and that one is in more demand.
The sleeve has an add on item, and has a seperate instruction booklet. So if you find one with all five, make sure it's got both manuals also. Though I've got both manuals and will make copies of them at some point.
You'll also want to make sure you get one that is not missing a lot of the nuts for tightening down the adjustments. I'm missing a few, and I think there are a few missing rivets on the Sleeve piece too. I'll have to compare it to one that has everything and see how that goes.
There may have been other "add on" pieces too - with all the bragging on how many sold in the sales info I got with mine, one would expect to see more of these around.
The sleeve has an add on item, and has a seperate instruction booklet. So if you find one with all five, make sure it's got both manuals also. Though I've got both manuals and will make copies of them at some point.
You'll also want to make sure you get one that is not missing a lot of the nuts for tightening down the adjustments. I'm missing a few, and I think there are a few missing rivets on the Sleeve piece too. I'll have to compare it to one that has everything and see how that goes.
There may have been other "add on" pieces too - with all the bragging on how many sold in the sales info I got with mine, one would expect to see more of these around.
Cathy, Thanks for all the great info. Think I had better print this out just in case I ever find this system somewhere so I'll know what I am looking for. So there were a lot of them sold. Interesting to hear. SteveH needs to do a posting on how he made out using the system. Don't think there are too many others who would or have actually used it. Not sure why I am so fascinated by this but think I'll blame it on SteveH for his original posting of it also.
06-07-2015, 04:51 PM
#17
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Colorado
Posts: 193
Originally Posted by Macybaby
with all the bragging on how many sold in the sales info I got with mine, one would expect to see more of these around.
06-08-2015, 08:47 AM
#18
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
HA! Blame me... I have wide shoulders, I'll take it!
They work great. We have been sorting out the wedding and honeymoon pics, but once done with that we will sort out the pics of Heather's wedding dress (not used) that was made with the McDowell set. My Frock coat was totally Dever's method (because it is male oriented)
I am still looking for the McDowell Sleeve Machine, so we had to "loft" (draft) the pattern for the sleeve from the Dever's tailoring book for ladies.
They work great. We have been sorting out the wedding and honeymoon pics, but once done with that we will sort out the pics of Heather's wedding dress (not used) that was made with the McDowell set. My Frock coat was totally Dever's method (because it is male oriented)
I am still looking for the McDowell Sleeve Machine, so we had to "loft" (draft) the pattern for the sleeve from the Dever's tailoring book for ladies.
06-09-2015, 07:03 AM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
Back in the old days a lot of men's clothing was custom tailored. There weren't many commercial patterns made for men's clothing like there were for women's. Even now patterns for men's clothing are few and far between compared to the variety available to women.
There were a lot of tailoring systems developed in the 1800s. A device like Steve's or yours would have been in good demand as a way to make men's clothing easier to make.
Rodney
There were a lot of tailoring systems developed in the 1800s. A device like Steve's or yours would have been in good demand as a way to make men's clothing easier to make.
Rodney
06-09-2015, 09:25 AM
#20
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
Originally Posted by Rodney
...There were a lot of tailoring systems developed in the 1800s. A device like Steve's or yours would have been in good demand as a way to make men's clothing easier to make.
Rodney
Rodney
Actually, it is kinda the opposite. A seamstress making a ladies dress did 2-3x the amount of work, but received 1/5th of what a Tailor made for a mans suit. The reason the McDowell system was created was to try to give seamstresses a fighting chance in the market. (It is actually written in the documentation for the device)
Lofting/drafting a man's suit is relatively simple in comparison.
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