Gentlemen, show us what you've made!

[Hepville]

Making a collar pattern.

Very, very nice jacket! Cheers for that good work Quirrel:cheers1:

 

[Shangas]

I'd appreciate some advice here.

A couple of years back, I purchased a light grey waistcoat. It fit me perfectly, but the silk backing had some unremovable stains on it. I've been telling myself for ages that I should replace it.

Anyway.

I've got some darker grey fabric to act as the new backing and lining. I've removed the old backing and I'm using it to try and trace out the outline so that I can cut the new cloth.

My question is, does anyone have any tips or tricks on how to neatly stitch the backing onto the shoulders and sides of the front of the waistcoat?

Also, most waistcoats I've seen have a seam that runs down the middle of the back, between the shoulderblades. Is that something I need to be able to replicate? Like, do I cut out two half-backs, stitch them onto the front, and then sew them together in the middle?

Photos:

Waistcoat in question:

This is the paper template/cutout that I've traced and cut. I'll be using this to cut out the cloth that will eventually become the backing for the waistcoat:

You may notice it's slightly larger than the outline of the waistcoat. I did that deliberately, to give a few milimeters of extra cloth for the stitching of seams and whatnot.

Does that outline look accurate enough to cut the cloth against? Or does it require refinement?

Any tips on sewing the backing/lining onto the shoulders and sides of the coat?

 

[Gin&Tonics]

Very crafty, Shangas! I bet that keeps the old feet warm on cold winter nights. Well done!

 

[Shangas]

I assume you're talking about the pouch that I stitched up for my bedwarmer/hot-water bottle, and not the waistcoat that I'm trying to resurrect, huh, Gin&Tonics?

I honestly didn't think I would be able to do this, because it was such a difficult shape, but I guess I proved myself wrong. I was certainly surprised by what I was able to achieve!

It's lived up to every expectation that I had of it. It doesn't rip open (thanks to my foresight of double-stitching) and the drawstring opening works really well.

It's a wonderful comfort to be able to cuddle up to this thing on cold nights and stay nice and snuggly warm, but without the risk of burning my hands!...or other vital parts of the male anatomy.

 

[Gin&Tonics]

I assume you're talking about the pouch that I stitched up for my bedwarmer/hot-water bottle, and not the waistcoat that I'm trying to resurrect, huh, Gin&Tonics?

I honestly didn't think I would be able to do this, because it was such a difficult shape, but I guess I proved myself wrong. I was certainly surprised by what I was able to achieve!

I was indeed. I think the material is very fitting; it really has that old Shanghai feeling to it, like something that would originally have been made for the lovely hot water pot you have there. Do you know what period it is? It looks fairly old. My guess would be late 19th, early 20th century, though it would be just that, a guess.

 

[Qirrel]

Any tips on sewing the backing/lining onto the shoulders and sides of the coat?

First rip the original backing off (including the centre seam if there is one), then trace around and cut the four pieces you need. If there is a back seam, sew it together now, making sure that when finished, the seam allowances will be hidden between the two pieces of the back. Now take one back piece, lay it out in front of you with the right side up, then place the front part (cloth part) on top of that. Then put the other back piece on top, right sides down, so that the vest front is now sandwiched between the two backs. Now you can sew the seams. Sew the shoulder seams, then the side seams, and then, being careful not to catch the vest front, sew together the two back pieces at the armhole. Again not catching the front, sew the back pieces together along the bottom. This is a method called bagging, and it should be self evident why, as the front of the vest is inside the "bag" made by the back. Carefully pull the front out through the hole in the neck, then tug on the neck an shoulder seams to make then neat, and with your hand through the opening in the neck push out the other seams so that they lie neatly, too. Finish by turning in the raw edges at the neck and stitching them together with a machine or hand stitch.

 

[Shangas]

First rip the original backing off (including the centre seam if there is one), then trace around and cut the four pieces you need. If there is a back seam, sew it together now, making sure that when finished, the seam allowances will be hidden between the two pieces of the back. Now take one back piece, lay it out in front of you with the right side up, then place the front part (cloth part) on top of that. Then put the other back piece on top, right sides down, so that the vest front is now sandwiched between the two backs. Now you can sew the seams. Sew the shoulder seams, then the side seams, and then, being careful not to catch the vest front, sew together the two back pieces at the armhole. Again not catching the front, sew the back pieces together along the bottom. This is a method called bagging, and it should be self evident why, as the front of the vest is inside the "bag" made by the back. Carefully pull the front out through the hole in the neck, then tug on the neck an shoulder seams to make then neat, and with your hand through the opening in the neck push out the other seams so that they lie neatly, too. Finish by turning in the raw edges at the neck and stitching them together with a machine or hand stitch.

Thanks VERY much, Qirrel!!

After a bit of checking and measuring and double-checking and more measuring (as they say, measure twice, cut once), I've satisfied myself that the paper template is as accurate as it's ever going to be.

I've already removed the backing from the waistcoat. Right now, I'm cutting out the cloth according to my paper template. I've cut out the left half and the right half of the inside lining, with plenty of cloth spare for the actual backing.

Now I need to pin those two parts together and stitch them together, to make the first center-seam.

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated. I've been studying the construction of the old backing to see just how the stitching needs to go together. I'm not gonna throw it out until I have my new one to replace it! I'm using the old one as a guide.

I wish I could dig out my grandma's old singer and use that. But God knows WHERE it is, hidden downstairs with all the other crap we have. Although I'm loathe to call a Singer sewing-machine 'crap'. It was a real beauty.

One day, I'll bring it out into the light again.

---EDIT---EDIT---

This is in reply to G&T, whose message I didn't see previously.

I'm not sure WHY I picked red for the bedwarmer-cosy. I just reckoned that it would go well. It's already such a dark object that it seemed ridiculous to have it in any kind of bright colour like blue or white or yellow. Plus, something like dark red won't show any staining or water-droplets as prominently as some other colour might do.

I've NO idea how old it is at all. All I know is that it was made in China and that it's an antique...that, and the fact that it'll keep you toasty warm for a good 9-hour snooze in bed!

I suspect that it was probably made in Republican-era (ca. 1910-1949) China, or it might even have been made before then, during the Qing Dynasty. The patterns and characters on it are probably mostly for decoration, so maybe, it might've been an export-market piece. Like a souvenier or something. If that was the case, it was possibly manufactured, or at least sold/bought in a place like Peking, or Shanghai, both Chinese cities with considerable Western expatriate communities.

This is all pure speculation. It may not even be true. I have no idea!! But it would be nice if it was.

I'm making good progress with the first stitches on the backing of my new vest. I'm pleasantly surprised at the straightness and neatness of my stitches, and the seam that's forming behind them.

Taking advtange of the fact that my grandmother was a professional tailor, I'm rifling through all her old stuff to see if I can find anything that'll help me.

So far, I've commandeered her...

- Measuring tape.
- Supplies of thread and needles.
- Clothing-pins with big, colourful pin-heads (for holding cloth steady during stitching/cutting).
- Chunk of tailor's chalk (for marking out the outlines of clothes).
- Needle-threader (although I've always been very good at threading needles without one - I did it frequently enough for grandmother when she was still alive!)
- Tracing wheel.

The only things I don't have from her supplies, which I wish I did, are her seam-ripper (I know she used to have one, I used to play with it as a child...yes, she was a very responsible and careful grandmother. Giving me sharp things to play with), a decent pair of long-bladed scissors, and almost laughably - I can't find the most essential of all her tailor's tools - A thimble! I wish I had one. Poking that needle around with bare fingers can hurt sometimes...

 

[Shangas]

Progress Report​

I'm sticking as closely as I can to Qirrel's instructions. For doing this entirely by hand, I'm surprised at the progress I've made since my last posting. I'm always terrified that I'll cock something up and that it'll be a mess when it's finally done. But I have the *confidence* that this will turn out at least reasonably good-quality.

So far, I have...

... - Measured, traced and cut out the four pieces required for the back of the waistcoat.
... - Stitched the pairs together to create the inner lining, the outer backing, and the two center seams.
... - ***Currently*** Stitching the armholes and bottom together before attaching the sides and shoulders to the front of the waistcoat and stitching the whole thing together.

As a double-precaution, I'll be reinforcing all the stitching before I put the thing together at the very end.

One of the finished um...pieces:

I've made a duplicate and I'm now busy stitching the two together.

Another Update​

I've finished stitching the backing and the interior lining together, at the space between the shoulders, and along the armholes.

Currently reinforcing the stitches of the two central seams. Then I'll stitch up the bottom, then pin it to the front of the waistcoat and begin the whole Frankenstein thing.

Here are some photos thusfar:

One of the center seams pinned together ready for sewing:

"We've got it pinned down, cap'n! Time to tie it up..."

A closeup of my double-stitching. I do a simple loose stitch first, then I got back over it again, looping over the top to give it tightness and strength. You can see the diagonal loops in the photograph.

The complete piece! It still needs to be double-stitched along the inside of the central seams, at this point, though.

Yes, I know the measurements at the bottom are a bit weird. That was due to a mistake on my part, but it's easily rectified and shouldn't be evident in the finished product.

A glimpse into the future? I pinned the shoulderpieces to the shoulders of the front part of the waistcoat just to make sure I got everything right. For all my worries, the fit is surprisingly close to the original backing (okay, my neck is a half-inch shorter...). But as the original waistcoat was a bit of a looser fit, maybe this new backing will draw things in a bit and make it fit a bit more comfortably.

Well. Another...Seven or eight steps to go. Then it should be finished!!

Wish me luck...

*Confidence* "The self-assured belief of complete mastery of a subject which one has absolutely no experience with at all, upon the outset of a particular endeavor"

 

[Mario]

HBK - I'm dying to see a photo of you wearing that suit... *hint*

 

[Nick D]

A closeup of my double-stitching. I do a simple loose stitch first, then I got back over it again, looping over the top to give it tightness and strength. You can see the diagonal loops in the photograph.

This is a running stitch and a whip stitch. The correct stitch is a back stitch, which resembles machine-stitching on one side. It's a sort of double running stitch. By whipping over the raw edges you've made it impossible to press the seam open for a clean finish, and all pressing should be done as work progresses, not once everything is done.

Here's a backstitch:

 

[Nick D]

A closeup of my double-stitching. I do a simple loose stitch first, then I got back over it again, looping over the top to give it tightness and strength. You can see the diagonal loops in the photograph.

This is a running stitch and a whip stitch. The correct stitch is a back stitch, which resembles machine-stitching on one side. It's a sort of double running stitch. By whipping over the raw edges you've made it impossible to press the seam open for a clean finish, and all pressing should be done as work progresses, not once everything is done.

Here's a backstitch:

 

[Shangas]

Hi Nick, I tried my best. I'm no tailor (that's evident), I'm doing this mostly because the front of the waistcoat is too nice to just waste. But my parents say it's not worth the while to get a new backing professionally made for it by a proper tailor; it's be too expensive or something. So I'm going the cheap way and making a homemade one myself. If it's even half-decent, I'll be satisfied with a job well-done.

 

[Shangas]

Despite a lack of skills and experience, I have finished the backing!

Now, to attach the two front halves of the waistcoat to it. I'm doing this one half at a time, to make things easier. Starting with the sides, then the shoulders, last.

Left underarm seam is complete!

 

[Hepville]

Here is something I didn´t made so far but it´s on the scedule:

Obvious influences I guess... but there aren´t that many options for a classic denim jacket.

 

[Qirrel]

Progress Report​

A closeup of my double-stitching. I do a simple loose stitch first, then I got back over it again, looping over the top to give it tightness and strength. You can see the diagonal loops in the photograph.

[/I]

That method of sewing, i.e. whip stitching the fabric pieces together (albeit with more closely spaced stitches) was actually a common way of sewing in earlier times. From the outside it looks like a regular seam, and it has the added benefit of finishing the raw edges on the inside.

 

[Qirrel]

Got some time to work on the green jacket today. As I may have mentioned, I had to cut up the trousers to get fabric for the sleeves. A shame, as I quite like they way they turned out:

Anyway: Marking and adjusting the sleeve.

Basting:

Attaching the lining to the sleeves. The stitches are put in with basting cotton but are permanent, to keep the sleeve lining from twisting etc.

Here is the sleeve with the lining turned to cover it:

The cuff, with a piece of canvas sewn in to make it firm and crisp. I did not have enough fabric to make functional cuffs, so I will go for applied buttons and "sham" buttonholes instead."

Finally the lining is turned in and felled:

 

[Shangas]

Thanks for the feedback on the stitching, Qirrel. It's a technique that I remember my grandmother using when I was a child.

 

[herringbonekid]

this is the action-back jacket mentioned in the 1923 fabric swatches thread, made from Isle of Mull silver twill / Russian twill tweed (woven on a 1958 Dobcross Loom).
i made it over two years ago.

my jackets always have that 'crink' in the sleeve when viewed from the back because i cut the under-sleeve higher than standard to give greater ease of movement.
it looks less clean on a dummy when you do that, but looks fine when on.

the high gorge peaked lapel was inspired by this 1922 suit of Harold Lloyd's:

 

[Rudie]

Awesome job.

Are you a tailor or is this a hobby of yours?

 

[herringbonekid]

Awesome job. Are you a tailor or is this a hobby of yours?

thanks.

no, definitely not a tailor as i only make stuff for myself; if someone of a different size and shape asked me to make something it would be quite a struggle.
my girlfriend is a professional tailor and has helped me a lot but i do everything on my own garments... apart from the buttonholes which she does.
i still haven't mastered the hand done buttonhole.