
Waistcoat,
2009
The waistcoat of the mid 18th century suit for Jarno.
The suit project began with the breeches. Those being almost
finished I turned my attention to the waistcoat. Originally I
had planned the whole suit to be of the same black woollen
material, but at this point Jarno, whom I had imagined to like a
simple, masculine black suit, asked whether it was going to be
all black without anything colorful? It's true what they say,
even after years together you won't be able to read your
partner's mind. Or imagine him listening what you explain...
though with my sewing rants, who can blame him? Anyway, I
suppose I will eventually find some use for the extra black
wool, as there was probably too much of it in the first place (I
usually buy too much just in case), and now I can ruin a cuff or
two without running out of material.
So I was off for the fabric hunt again. I was originally planned
to go period and use only wool and linen, but now I could not
find any wool suitable for the waistcoat, and considered silk
not only too expensive but also hard to clean - and heavier
silks aren't to be found easily anyway. But I did find a very
pretty, stiff viscose that we both liked. For the back and the
lining I used thin black linen.

The pattern is based on the modern waistcoat pattern I made for
Jarno at school. I updated the measurements and then spent a
long time turning it into a 18th century waistcoat. My research
sources included paintings, well costumed films, the priceless La Couturiere Parisienne,
the Helsinki
Town
Infantry
uniform
patter used by The Olde Militia Of Helsinki, and Norah
Waugh's "The Cut of Men's Clothes 1600-1900" (of which I'm
ashamed to confess owning a pirate pdf file - I placate my
conscience with the fact that I have bought the Women's clothes
version). The challenging part in the pattern drawing was not
only that I know next to nothing about men's clothes
pattern-wise, but also all my sources were several sizes too
small, so I had to figure out the proportions - especially
lengthwise it was a bit tricky, and I'm still not sure if I got
everything right. I made several mock ups to test the cut and
fit.
I did consider making the back laced as was often the authentic
way (though you seldom see it in films), but perhaps just out of
laziness I didn't do it after all. If Jarno's measurements
change too much I'll think of some other way to enlarge the
waistcoat, and I can always take it in pretty easily. The truth
is, I put it together in a hurry to get it finished in time for
the 18th century weekend in Suomenlinna, since I
didn't begin early enough.

I begun by making the pocket flaps and embroidering the
buttonholes. Having already abandoned the plan to stick to
period materials I had the luck to find a shiny crocheting
thread that matched the color of the fabric pattern perfectly,
again in viscose. As it was thicker (and cheaper, too) than
silken buttonhole thread I finished the buttonholes much faster
than I had thought. The one downside was that it sometimes kept
twisting most annoyingly, which also contributed to my decicion
not to use real buttonhole twist stiches this time, but the
plainer version. I don't know how strong the buttonholes will
be, but part of them are only decorative, and if the thread will
wear out some day I have plenty of it to replace them if
necessary.

After
finishing the pocket flaps I cut rest of the pieces. This was
the first time I used hand-fastened interlacing, stiff linen
instead of iron-on one, and I had some doubts about how it would
work and perhaps show on the outside, but to my surprise it
seemed to work very well and not show. At the front edges the
hand stiching over the edge fastens it.

I made the pocket bags and inserted them along the basted lines,
and handstitched the pocket opening all around. I had left the
upper edges of the pocket flaps open, and now I sewed them on
their place, exept the lining. Then I turned the seam allowance
down under the lining, and sew the lining to the seam allowance.

As I had been happy with my final mock up, and as there was not
too much time to fuss with it, I for once put the rest of the
waistcoat together without interruptions and without a single
fitting. Everything is happily bag lined in a most period
uncorrect way. Luckily it ended up fitting very nicely. 
Then
it was time to sit down with a needle again. I reinforced the
back- and side slits, and stiched the front edges, leaving the
rest of the edges for a less busy moment. Then I made the front
buttonholes. The two top ones are just decorative, but the
working ones I reinforced with sewing thread before finishing
them with the thicker thread.

The last thing left now was to get the buttons. I wanted fabric
covered ones, but realized that the ones you can order have a
black plastic backing, not quite period, and what's the use of
making your buttonholes by hand (even in viscose thread) if your
buttons look modern? So, with none too much time left, I decided
to try to make them myself. I had imagined covering buttons to
be a lot more slow and tricky, for some reason, than it really
was in the end, after a bit of experimenting and finding
suitable buttons for the base. I carried the buttons and the
pieces I had cut with me, and made the buttons during a few days
at bus and on coffee breaks at work. How long they will hold
remains to be seen, but like with the buttonholes, they are not
too hard to replace.

The waistcoat was finished just in time, and moreover I'm quite
happy with it. There are some small things, though, I still
can't decide whether I should still add one buttonhole for
example, but it will probably be settled by my never getting
around to make it anyway. We also noticed that carrying anything
of any weight in the pockets will cause too much strain on the
fabric. It also seems that the lining is too large at the lower
edge of the front piece, I thought to leave some space for the
pocket bags and anything they might be filled with, but as it
is, I have forbidden Jarno to use them anyway. So I might try to
take some of it off later.
I still remain undecided whether the waistcoat is even a good
attempt towards period correct or more a cliched and theatrical
thing, but aesthetically I like it very much and Jarno is also
pleased with it.