Movember Is for Men: Craftsy's Men Who Sew

In case you think sewing is for women only, think again! There are some fabulously talented men in the sewing world, and we are lucky to have some of them here at Bluprint. In honor of Movember, I thought it would be fun to introduce you to three of our fabulous guys.

Kenneth D. King

Kenneth D. King believes that the ultimate goal of sewing is “to produce clothing that is beautiful and beautifully made, enhances one’s appearance and is both a joy to look at and a pleasure to wear.” He loves to create unique, custom “made-to-measure” evening wear for special clients, as well as dabbling in accessories and even furniture. His latest book is Cool Couture: Construction Secrets for Runway Style, and he has authored several other books on designs for embroidery and couture designer tips for home sewists.

Kenneth is a gregarious, engaging,and very knowledgeable instructor. I have been lucky enough to have taken several classes from him in person, but you can enjoy the benefit of his teaching from the comfort of your couch. If you have a pair of jeans that you just love, and would love even more to re-create, RUN to sign up for Kenneth’s amazing Jean-ius: Reverse Engineer Your Favorite Fit class. Bluprint member Dorinne Dawes says, “I just loved this class. Although I have made jeans before, you can always glean new information, and this class is full of that.”

Pockets might seem utilitarian, but Kenneth always find a way to add a little pizazz to all of his work. Check it out for yourself in the his Designing Details: Pockets class. You will learn so much, and as Bluprint member ParadiseGirl says, “I am spellbound by the beauty of his work, and the excellence of his instruction. I have so much to learn from this gentleman.”

Don Morin

Don Morin lives and works in Toronto, and is the both the design talent and instructional voice behind the blog Bag’n-telle. Asked where he gets his creative inspiration — his answer is everywhere! I especially love that he views creativity, innovation and designing as problem-solving. Totally agree! In addition to bag-making, Don has a varied and full background as a clothing designer, patternmaker and educator, and has designed everything from swimwear to fur coats for many private-label Canadian manufacturers. Now, his passion is helping train the next new generation of design hopefuls for the garment industry.

I have made a few bags in my time, but have always been afraid to tackle leather. Not anymore! Don breaks it down into manageable steps, and with just a few tools and products a beautiful leather bag is totally achievable. Jump into his Making Leather Bags class for all the details, and get started on your own custom creation.

Paul Gallo

Paul Gallo has loved fashion his entire life; he was drawing clothing almost as soon as he could hold a pencil! By age 11, he was designing complete collections with fabric and color stories. Paul graduated from the Fashion Design Program at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and has worked in the fashion industry ever since.

If you just mention the word “draping,” the next thought is automatically “couture.” Starting with fabric and a body or dress form and then moving to a paper pattern is a foreign process to most of us. But tackle the basic concepts with Paul’s Fashion Draping: Dressmaking Basics class, and then move on to the exciting looks you can create with the bias grain in Fashion Draping: Bias Design class. Bluprint member sooolution said about her experienced in Paul’s class: “Draping has been a mystery to me which is now beginning to be revealed with the clear and concise instructions.”
[box type=”shadow”]Don’t forget, November is Movember Crafting Month here at Bluprint! Are you a man who sews? Or, are you sewing a special project for a man in your life? We want to hear your story! More details can be found on our post, Movember at Bluprint.[/box]
Be sure to come back to the Bluprint blog tomorrow for this week’s edition of Free Pattern Friday!

Have you taken any classes with these wonderful instructors?