« September 2009 | Main | December 2009 »

November 30, 2009

the flood....

(this will keep me quiet)

The winter sun has finally returned to poor old rain battered Cumbria. My lovely county has had a pretty awful couple of weeks with rain and floods. When I returned from the United States I had to meet clients in London and hardly seemed to have caught my breath since I left home. We had a super trip, all went well and we've been blessed with plenty of work to keep me quiet on these dark winter nights. It's going to take me the next few weeks simply re-cutting the work that I tried on whilst on my trip. It takes longer than you'd think to check my notes re-cut the clothes and check every pattern. Cloth is like fluid but if you're diligent with it you can eventually get it to work your way.

I know some of my clients may gasp with worry when they see this apparently random pile but worry not. These clothes are far stronger than you think and believe it or not I do have an order to this collection of sartorial commissions.

Left alone I'll slowly but surely get through this and enjoy every minute of it. I really don't think I'd care to be working full time in London any more. To try to concentrate with all sorts of distraction just wouldn't work for me. Of course the fellows on the Row manage fine and like everything in life, what must be done, will be done. I'm glad to be in our little tailoring haven here in the quiet north.

(spots before your eyes)

I thought you may like this picture. Paul is making a fitting for a local client here at the Hall. As you know we match the checks and stripes on our jettings. This we also do even on plainer fabrics as we are here with this birdseye. It's totally unnecessary and matching those dots isn't easy, that's all Paul will see when he's trying to sleep tonight.

(even with the darts it looks lovely)

I know this extra effort will be scoffed at by the words finest tailors but to Paul and all of us here it matters. I suppose that's why we are English Cut.

Posted by tom at 5:29 PM | Comments (1)

November 2, 2009

back in the USA....

(wouldn't like to get the fit of his suit wrong)

Our first stop in Chicago went very well and now we’re on route to San Francisco as part of our Autumn USA visit.

Business was brisk and the diary’s looking good, so God willing we should have a good trip. This was my first experience of Halloween in the USA and I’ll doubt I’ll forget it. Certainly, if Chicago’s anything to go by, Halloween is quite a party. I thought I’d time travelled to the 31st of December.

(all new to me)

It’s always nice to experience something new. And even more comforting to discover our friends this side of the pond don’t need an excuse for a party. What a very civilized nation.

Lucy and I will get down to business over here and as usual time will fly and we’ll soon be back home.

If anyone would care to meet up with myself or Lucy please let Jenni know at and she’ll do her best to help.

Posted by tom at 4:25 AM | Comments (0)