The Crafty Side of Life: A promise is a promise is a promise (making the Black Snail Patterns' tailored waistcoat)

I promised literally years ago, that I will show you, in detail, how I make those late victorian/early edwardian waistcoats and here you go.

I made this back in the fall of 2023, even made photos of most of the steps, but then, never really photographed the finished item, though it did appeared in this post, where it was only an accessory, the emphasis was on the split skirt.

I found the fabric in the usual place (I Love Textil). It was only a small piece, just a bit more than a meter, and it was black (yeah, you do remember correctly. I don't do black that much - or so I thought back then), with tiny white stripes. I had no idea what could I do with it, what could I use it for, still I bought it. Why?

Because it was LINEN! I was hiding in my linen stash for years, when I made my first late Victorian waistcoat, and then I started thinking about historybounding and steampunk-ish stuff and it hit me. The piece of black striped linen is perfect for a waistcoat.

I used the striped linen for the fashion fabric, a linen that looks grey, though actually its warp and weft threads are white and black (don't actually know which is which by now), and a strong thick canvas in place of horsehair canvas for interlining (no fusible interface in historical sewing, at least up until the 1940-ies, and I try to avoid it as much as possible even in my modern sewing (the same goes for zippers - not because I cannot sew them, I can, but I prefer not to).

As for the techniques I used: I already said here many times, that though I someimes read through the instructions, I rarely actually need them. The techiques I used here most probably a good mix of the instructions that came with the pattern, historically accurate methodes, the (industrial) ones I learned many decades ago, and the ones I developed to myself by sewing for more than 45 years, thus there are bound to be points where I differ from the pattern's instructions.

Printing, taping the pages together and cutting the pieces:

Adding horsehair canvas to the front facing. Though I did not do the padstitching (as I should have), I did try to shape the collar by folding it while basting.

I have no picture of it, but I basted, sewn and pressed the shping darts.

And then basted the canwas interlining, and then sewn the welt-pocket (for the watch).

There is a detailed description in instructions about how to do this pocket in the fully historical way, but since originally I only wanted this waistcoat for historybounding purpouses, I used the method I learned in the factory, back, when I learned dressmaking.

Seamed, turned and ironed the little belt kind of things that go on the back to adjust the size.

Adding the facing to the front and the shawlcollar.

Then I clipped the edges, turned the collar out and then basted again, while folding it to the shape I wanted. Also added the edging to the bottom hem.

Pinning in the front lining:

And then sewing it in, by hand, with tiny prick-stitches.

Then making a sausage... LOL. Actually, with the right sides facing together, I pinned the edges of the armholes, while the rest of the front piece is rolled up, inside.

The seam is sewn...

... clipped...

...turned out...

And pressed.

Up close:

From the right side:

All that ~~jazz~~ basting...

Sewing the back lining to the back piece at the hem. Originally/according to the pattern, the waiscoat's back is not lined, but I added a lining. Just because.

Then pressed the seam open, so it would be neater, when folded at the seam.

Folded and pressed hem of the back:

I did cut the lining slightly bigger than the fashion fabric, just to be sure.

It was then time to cut it to the exact size.

Adding the belt to the back.

Pinning it to the side:

This is where/how the side of the front and the back meet:

Sandwiching the assembled back between the lining and the fashion fabric of the front (with the right sides together).

Pinning it:

See, how the edge of the back is encased between the fabrics, and how the lower corner sits:

Then continue to pin together the fashion fabric and the lining at the armhole:

Sewing it down:

Clipping the corner:

And the edges of the armhole:

Turning it out:

Pinning and sewing down the shoulders, with the sandwich technique, similar to the one used at the sides:

Pinning and sewing together the collar at the middle of the back (opened up):

With the collar folded, now there is only a small hole where the collar should be sewn on to the back's neckline.

Pinning outside of the collar to the neckline:

Sewing it down:

Now we need to turn under the last seam, between the collar and the neckline:

Pin it down and sew it by hand, with those tiny prick stitches,

Give the thing a good press, mark the place of the buttonholes, sew the buttonholes, and then the buttons, and add the buckle to the back. I took out all the bastings during the work, bit by bit.

Between the time I made this waistcoat and the time we managed to take proper pictures, I lost about 15-18 kg, and it shows. You can se in this older picture that it did fit me pretty well back then.