Sewing a pork chop
I imagine you’ve heard of a tailor’s ham, the cushion-like pressing tool – maybe you own one or have even made one.
But a tailor’s pork chop? It’s a pressing tool I happened across by Daniela of @doctorstitches on Instagram. You can get a copy of the free pattern by joining her facebook group here; the pattern is in the “files” section.
The pattern is very simple, essentially a small cushion with darts. It’s a good, quick “instant gratification” project.
The instructions are clear and simple to follow.
The shape of the pork chop is very rounded with a small and big end. I made mine with plaid wool on one side and calico on the other, and interlined both with the same calico, for strength. Daniela used cotton canvas for hers.
The pork chop has 10 darts in all, 5 on each side. The points need to be smooth and tapered so the finished shape is rounded rather than angular.
While pressing the darts I felt like I needed the tool to make the tool!
I stuffed it firmly with wool tops from my feltmaking phase. As is always the way, it took a lot more stuffing than you’d guess would fit in there.
I can see some good uses for this – pressing shoulder areas, armholes, sun hat gores, large darts, anything very rounded.
Thanks Daniela for an interesting and easy pattern!
Cheers!
This is rather interesting. I’ve got a couple of hams but don’t feel as though I’ve ever mastered them. Maybe I need a pork chop!
Maybe you do – I’m hoping for a breakthrough in my pressing life!
If you have a bit of fluffy wool fabric around, it is very easy to make pressing “hams” for any need. I have covered tin cans to get just the curves needed for particular projects.
That is a good tip! Thanks Carol 🙂
Oo,I need to make one of these – I can fill it with my scraps and it will make pressing my shoulder/arm seams much easier. I don’t have any wool fabric though, just some wax print cotton. It’s quite stiff – would this work do you think? I’m going to be calling mine a Tofu Chop, since I’m veggie!
Yes, make one! They’re really handy. I use mine all the time – more than a tailors ham – and I tend to only use the cotton side, so probably could have made both sides cotton. Unsure about the wax print – have you washed it to see if it gets any softer? It would make a pretty groovy pressing tool!
I finally got round to making my pork chop – it looks great with the wax print fabric and I used up a whole pile of offcuts from my overlocker to stuff it. Thanks for sharing the link to the pattern. Need to make some clothes now, so I can use it!
Excellent! Thanks for reporting back 🙂