Custom (DIY) pocket square

[JoeG]

A little overdue, but here it is. This my third square from my first shirt, and it is definitely the best so far. As i continue to make these the more comfortable and faster I am getting.


Personally I do not like the loose roll on many of the squares I have seen in person and on the web. It looks sloppy and lazy to me. I am trying for a very tight and consistent roll. In inspecting this square I find that if I do not pay close attention to the thickness and tightness of the roll it will throw off the straightness of the outside edge.


I am still getting some dimpling on the inside of the square from the stitching. I am not certain if this is due to my over tightening the thread, or the stitches being too far apart. Hober suggest 5-10 stitches per inch, and using the pattern as a guide I only managed three.

[ajk170]

@JoeG- Wow! That looks better than what I can do! I like doing things myself as well (home brewing, carpentry, re-modeling, auto mechanic, gardener, cigar rolling, photography, and cooking) but tailoring is a mystery to me and I'm impressed and respect those that are able to do it! I hope you're looking to take orders since it seems you've found a market over here! I'm excited to see how your next one comes out. After doing three of these, do you have a new respect for the cost of pocket squares? Makes me think of when made maple butcher boards for the extended family one year when everyone wanted the oversized Boos Boards that retail for $75-$100 bucks (which are slightly overpriced). I figured I would do similar quality but with some custom features... after the tenth board I realized why they cost a lot - labor. On the upside, it helped "pay" for my tools (my beer-math counted the savings of a Boos Board towards the cost of my woodworking shop - had to justify it to the wife somehow!)

Thanks for sharing your interest and showcasing your skills! Not a lot of people are willing to put them out there like that.

[JoeG]

@JoeG- Wow! That looks better than what I can do! I like doing things myself as well (home brewing, carpentry, re-modeling, auto mechanic, gardener, cigar rolling, photography, and cooking) but tailoring is a mystery to me and I'm impressed and respect those that are able to do it!

We are men cut of the same cloth. I have a woodworking shop filled with old-world hand tools. The only power tools I own are a sander and drill. There is something very satisfying about learning new skills and constructing something with your hands.

I hope you're looking to take orders since it seems you've found a market over here! I'm excited to see how your next one comes out.

I am actually entertaining the idea of expanding this into a small side business. I am not sure if it would be having others send me their shirts and tailoring the squares for them, or finding lightly used cloths myself and repurposing them into pocket squares. Possibly both? If I do go with the latter I would want to make sure and have a large inventory before offering them to the public. I work full time, and I am a full time student which limits my time. I would hate for there to be long gaps between times when product is available. What say you Dappered community? Would you be interested in purchasing hand rolled/stitched pocket squares made from repurposed material?

After doing three of these, do you have a new respect for the cost of pocket squares? Makes me think of when made maple butcher boards for the extended family one year when everyone wanted the oversized Boos Boards that retail for $75-$100 bucks (which are slightly overpriced). I figured I would do similar quality but with some custom features... after the tenth board I realized why they cost a lot - labor. On the upside, it helped "pay" for my tools (my beer-math counted the savings of a Boos Board towards the cost of my woodworking shop - had to justify it to the wife somehow!)

It most definitely does. For the hand rolled/stitched squares especially. I understand the fabric used on some of the higher end squares are costly in themselves, but the stitching is . . . . . . lazy.

Thanks for sharing your interest and showcasing your skills! Not a lot of people are willing to put them out there like that.

Thanks for the kind words!

[JGL]

That's some really great work. Color me impressed.