Have you seen our new Parkland Collection photos yet? Let me show you!
We began work on the Parkland Collection over 5 years ago when Thread Theory was still just an exciting idea for Matt and I. We wanted to create casual menswear sewing patterns that would allow sewists to create the same comfortable and modern styles that they would buy ready made from a shop.
Since we still stand by that concept of sewing practical garments to fill a man’s daily wardrobe, we figured it was high time to refresh the fabric choices, styling and location of our website photos! We photographed several examples of the Newcastle Cardigan, Jedediah Pants, Strathcona Henley and Goldstream Peacoat at Rathtrevor park two weeks ago with my Grandpa, Dad and Matt as models.
I’ve been dying to feature my Grandpa on our website because he has the most wonderfully friendly face you will ever see!
Plus he looks exceptionally dashing in Variation 2 of our Newcastle Cardigan with the extra large shawl collar. I sewed this Newcastle from a sage green wool blend knit that I purchased at one of our retailers, the Makehouse, in Victoria, B.C. It’s thick and cozy but quite breathable so it is a great choice for the fluctuating spring weather that we’ve been having.
My dad has always been our go-to model since he is so easy to photograph and always willing no matter how uncomfortable photo shoots make him. I made him a Strathcona T-shirt since he wears out tees at a rapid pace and always needs a fresh one or two in his wardrobe…he’s never been enthusiastic on the idea of changing in to ‘work clothes’ before embarking on a messy project. I guess I got that trait from him since I have been known to garden in dresses and hike in my favourite blouse!
This particular Strath Tee is made using our bamboo and cotton stretch jersey which I will ALWAYS stock in our shop in a variety of colourways (as long as it is available for me to purchase). As I’ve mentioned before, it is my favourite fabric and I happily dress myself head to toe in it! It’s the perfect combo of silky smooth, extremely strong and fully opaque. My dad reports that this t-shirt is really comfortable.
I also made a Strathcona Henley for Matt, this time Variation 1 – the proper Henley.
He needed a crisp white shirt that could be layered under button-ups or worn on its own.
The crisp and shockingly white fabric that I used was the 100% cotton jersey t-shirt knit from our shop. It was very easy to sew for a knit! It is stable and does not curl and shift very much. It’s also the exact weight and style of knit that Matt prefers to wear – he tends to choose thin jerseys over plush interlocks for a daily t-shirt.
To pair with his new Henley, I also sewed Matt his favourite Jedediah shorts. He has worn a few pairs out now over the years!
This fresh minty green pair features buffalo check bias binding in navy blue to match some navy blue loafers that he just purchased…I think he’s going to look pretty coordinated this summer. 😉
While we were at it, I attempted to take some fresh photos of the grey cotton twill Jedediah Pants that I sewed for Matt about three years ago. They have worn so well and remain a constant in his wardrobe but I have never properly photographed them so I felt they deserved a little bit of attention!
Here he’s paired them with the white Strath, his favourite Fairfield Button-up and his new navy blue loafers. It’s a really smart look and I wish I could show you more photos but I am terrible at operating Matt’s camera and missed the focus on all of them. 😦 Next time we do a photoshoot I will try again!
Last but not least, we took the opportunity to photograph my Dad in the gorgeous Goldstream Peacoat that my mom tailored for him. She wrote a blog post about her experience sewing this coat three years ago.
As you can see, her tailoring efforts have held up to a few winters of wear beautifully!
She purchased the highest end wool she could find at our local fabric store and I think this was a great choice because the Goldstream that I made for Matt around the same time period has long since pilled horribly and headed for the scrap bin. It was a wool blend with, I think, very little wool actually in it. I have some gorgeous Pendleton wool cut out for Matt and I REALLY need to make him a Goldstream as smart as my dad’s version!
Thanks, Dad, Grampie and Matt for handling the pressures of modelling so well! As many of you who blog your creations must know, it can be a lot more challenging than you might think to remember how to smile (without it appearing as a grimace) or how to hold your hands (without clenching them in to tight fists) after 50 photos have been taken of you!
I think my family did a wonderful job (if I do say so myself) and I am so proud that they wear the garments that I make them with such enthusiasm.
To celebrate these new photos and Father’s Day I’ve put our Parkland Collection on sale!
Head to our shop to purchase any Parkland Collection pattern at 20% off (PDF or tissue pattern!). Use the discount code: FRESHPARKLAND The sale expires at the end of Father’s Day Sunday, June 18th.
