Tailored Waistcoat Personal

Tailored Waistcoat

After making the jacket and then the pants I wanted to make a matching waistcoat for my jacket. I started working on this in July of 2024 and finished it up just before new years of 2024. I am supremely thankful to Mary Logan for helping me with the draft, fittings and mentoring on proper construction techniques. This vest is far from perfect but overall the fit is good and I'm proud of it as a first attempt. I can't wait to improve on the next one!

Fist draft of my waistcoat, the drafting system I used didn't have good instructions for adjusting for corpulence, but that was corrected in V2 after my first fitting with Mary.

Muslin of the second draft, moved hem dart to a belly dart with a welt pocket covering the dart convergence. Extended the hem and CF by about 2" and adjusted CF line to compensate corpulence.

Canvas was shrunk and dart taken out in preparation for marrying to the fashion fabric.

Pattern chalked out with inlays on flannel, ready to mark stitch.

Mark stitched front with chalk cutting line for belly dart

Constructed pocket bag for front pocket. After talking with Mary I was informed its not a best practice to have the pocket bag folded and bottom, since this can show through the front over time/with pressing, will make pocketbag with separate pieces from now on.

Progress shot showing the canvas basted. Fronts, hems and armholes taped, and the facing and hem stitched to CF and catch stitched down to the canvas.

Silk Crep De Chine was used for the linings and back pieces. For my next vest I would avoid using such a light weight silk, I didn't consider how translucent it would be.

Back pieces cut and pieced together, leaving sides and shoulders open for attaching and bagging out the vest

Image showing the basting work for the vest.

Basting removed

Side View after bagging out

Back after bagging out.

Welt pockets were pick stitched and a hand bartack was done at the top corners to reinforce pocket from wear.

Buttonholes marked and basted.

Buttonholes were sewn around the perimeter on the machine at low stitch length to help control the edges, then punched with a round and then a chisel to provide a clean opening. Finally I used Fray-Check on raw edges.

Handmade buttonholes. Ordered some Gutermann gimp from Cloning Couture and used Gutermann silk thread. At this point between my first jacket and practicing my buttonholes for this vest, I've done about 20 buttonholes. As you can tell they're pretty bad even from a distance but practice will continue to make perfect.

Fit pic of vest from the front. I'm planning on making a pair of flannel trousers next so I'll have a complete 3pc suit, so this vest was made for high waisted pants in mind, which is why it looks odd to be wearing with the pants pictured.

Fit pic left side.

Fit pic back.

Fit pic right side.