My latest project to complete is a vest woven from linen and dark wool.
Although a seemingly simple garment, I tore my hair out over for hours trying to understand how to get the back neck and shoulders right. I drafted it from the same book that I got the jacket formula from but there is obviously something wrong with it.
I managed to plow through and get it done but I need some help before doing this again.
First of all, the narrow flap that goes around the back to make the neck line did not lie properly and I had to futz with the shape till it did.
The main problems were in getting the front and back shoulder seams to meet at the correct angle, join neatly at the edge and not cause rumples in the back. Again, the shape of the draft was not correct and I had to do a lot of fudging, basting and rebasting.
I got most of the bugs out with the army blanket "muslin" but some of them didn't translate well to the back material.
Other than that, just a lot of work but it's fun work.. the other stuff is frustrating.
The end results are great, but you shouldn't have had such trouble. The back neck facing is traced off the back, rather than drafted from scratch; then, if it's cut on the bias, it will fit easily around the neck. Pressing with lots of steam also helps to shape it. This piece should be added to the back before the fronts are sewn to it.
Try finding a book that shows you how to draft a tailored men's shirt. This is what is used in industry as the basis for all menswear tops. You would then always start with the correct slope at the shoulders. The basic shirt does not have yokes, collar or front bands; these are all details that are made from the basic shape, and are drafted from your personal measurements. To design, you simply trace around the template to get started, then add the details desired.
The buttons are beautiful. I hope you're putting labels or some other documentation on all your pieces, not only your clothing projects, but everything. All will someday will become valuable heirlooms.
Indeed they do! I get mine from a company in Washington New Town, Tyne & Wear (up near Newcastle), called Dainty Supplies. They print what I want on them, they last longer than the garments, and I get my details and washing/cleaning instruction labels, fabric content &etc all printed for less than most places. They'll print as few as 25 of any one type of label.
Another idea is to try making up labels on the computer and printing them on an inkjet printer onto specially prepared and mounted fabric. You can buy the fabric blanks at places that sell sewing supplies. Quite a lot of quilters use them, though I haven't done so yet myself.
Hm... Looks like the slipery lining/back fabric slid and grew in the cutting process. Best thing is to make sure right and left shoulders of the FRONT are exactly the same, stay-stitch them, and then trim the back, back lining, and front lining to match. Forget, at this point, that they may no longer fit the pattern you drafted, or match the shape of the toile. What they need to do is fit YOU and each other!
Another thing I like to do when making a waistcoat from a heavy fabric is make the back weigh as much as the front, so the weight of the front doean't pull at the neck and shoulders when it's being worn. This can be done by using a heavier weight of back fabric and interlining the back with something like hair canvass. If this isn't quite enough, but you don't want to add more bulk, then you add weights! Literally! pennies are good, as are tap washers, curtain weights, whatever. Coco Chanel used to weight the backs of jackets with chain stitched to the interlining just above the hem. With the chain, just gently catch stitch it to the interlining on the body side. With the pennies and so forth, make up little bags of cotton or lining fabric and catch stitch them to the interlining... Pennies are flatter than chain and will be more comfortable than chain for leaning against when wearing.
If I understand what you are saying, this is not the way this one works. The back neck is an integral part of the front... sort of like a long handle. Incidentally, very wastefull of hand spun/woven fabric.
Interesting... now where is that book?
I toyed with that but seems like I have to invest big bucks in a computerized sewing machine to make them. I suspect someone out there makes custom labels for peanuts by comparison.
I posted a picture of the left shoulder that pretty much says it all. The right looks fine and if I scrunch around when putting it on the problem goes away, more or less but it does not hang properly by itself.
This is where pressing and steaming to shape the piece using a tailors ham come in.
I must admit, I've never seen a vest with that construction at the back previously! All the ones here in the UK (called waistcoats) that I have seen have the complete back made out of either the same fabric as the front or an alternative slippery material - they don't have this neck band. I can certainly see why you had problems - it doesn't look like a pattern construction I'd want to tackle (but then I'm still learning myself....). Maybe you should try a different pattern for the next one? I've turned out a couple of vests with solid backs for my DD and DB and they've come out without any problems in the neck / shoulder area.
That could be another thing that might not have helped - did you use army blanket as the "muslin" for the main back piece? In which case the alterations wouldn't have been quite right as it wouldn't have behaved like your actual material. Your "muslin" needs to be similar to the type of material to be used - so if the back is a slippery soft material, then your practice piece needs to be similar.
I know how you feel - when I made my posh frock earlier this year, I ended up making 2 muslins to get the fit right and still had a couple of fiddly bits to tackle when I made the real thing!
I notice Kate has given you some excellent advice on how to deal withyour vest back, so I shan't repeat it.
Enjoy the weaving and sewing - I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next.
There is a book called Professional Patternmaking for Women's Wear and Casual Menswear by Jack Handford. I used it in the classroom for years, and it was the basis for the instructions I wrote for computer-aided design patternmaking. Although most of the book is devoted to women's wear, the instructions for menswear are among the best that I have ever seen. They're easy to follow, and once perfected, will serve as the basis for all of your clothing. You would start with a shirt and pants draft, and then progress with your own designs, using these drafts as templates. There are suggestions in the book for jackets, and you can follow the instructions for women's wear to enlarge the templates for coats.
If you have a drawing program in your computer, you can make life-sized patterns from the instructions in this book.
While I agree that a piece cut on the bias in hand-woven fabric seems wasteful, you should be able to find a small piece cut from the sides of the body pieces that would be large enough. Say, the armhole leftovers or the fronts above the buttonholes? This "handle" feature was present in almost all of the historic pieces I've observed, and I think its purpose was so that the cheaper back fabric could not be seen under a jacket.
I tried the computer printable fabric that was supposably washable, but in just a few washes they were almost completely faded. The hold up for quilts since they are not washed frequently. Don't know if dry cleaning has the same effect.
Funny you should mention that. I have two vests that I pondered while doing this one and I never even noticed that one of them had no neck band of fashion fabric. Now that I look at this, it is obvious that this would have been a much easier design for a beginner.
I had an embroidered label in mind. BTW most ink jet ink runs with the least bit of moisture. Just walk to the mailbox in the rain sometime. You would have to find an oil base type.
Jack, I think she may be referring to fabrics that have been specially treated to prevent this running. They are sold in 8.5 x 11" sheets at quilt stores, possibly WalMart too, although I don't know. Anyhoo, it's white cotton fabric that has been treated, and then adhered to a thin page of paper such that you can run it through your printer. I have used it with no problems in my HP printer.
By the way, I ran across your postings here by accident and it was deja vu all over again. ;) I found your sausage page a couple of years ago and used your recipes to make my first fresh sausage. YUM!!! Didn't realize you were into so many other things.
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