Historical Tailoring Masterclasses
Historical Tailoring Masterclasses
Sometimes there can be some discrepancies between the two halves of the collar. Yikes, like mine – easy to get distracted when filming. So the best way to find the center of the collar for the buttonhole position is to fold it in half, aligning the front edges as closely as possible. Then press firmly …
Cut two 12″ lengths of stay tape, and lay them on the right side of the collar band, about 1/16″ below the seam line you just pressed. The stay tape should extend beyond the ends of the collar by about 1/8″. Baste the tape in place at each end for about an inch or two, …
Construction of the detachable collar begins with the upper part which forms the collar points. Take each pair and place them right sides together, carefully aligning the edges. I don’t baste these, but rather just sew them as is, as the pieces seem to be small enough that the friction of the fabric holds them …
Drafting your detachable collar is fairly straightforward, and can be done on a sheet of 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper. I’m using a regular ruler here for instructional purposes, which gives a collar that should fit just about everyone. You might experiment however with using a graduated ruler [advanced tailors only] for those with larger …
Here’s where we left off with the cravat. It’s now time to begin the process of turning and pressing them. Begin by carefully trimming the seam allowance to just over 1/8″ at both ends. I like to taper the cut to avoid any hard transitions. Here’s the completed end after trimming. Repeat for the other …
With the pattern drafted, it’s time to cut it out the fabric and start on the construction. Begin by laying your pattern on the doubled fabric with the baseline parallel to the grain in either direction. It’s probable that you’re using scraps to make your cravat so just place the pieces where they’ll best fit. …
Drafting a cravat is very easy and a great place to start if you’ve never drafted anything before. To begin, draw a horizontal line, 25″ in length, placing a mark at 0 and 25. Make one more mark, 3″ from 0. The exact length is up to you, I sometimes make them slightly longer, it …
The final task prior to hemming the trousers is to attach the buttons. Begin by laying out the button placement. I transferred their position on the fly first, setting their distance from the fly seam equal to the distance of the buttonholes from the fly edge. Next mark the position of the front suspender buttons …
A waistband was usually found in the back of trousers to help adjust the fit as well as take stress off of the top of the seat seam. Begin by cutting out two each of fashion fabric, lining, and optionally, linen. The linen is a good way to reinforce the belt, but is completely optional, …
It’s a good idea to reinforce various stress points with bar tacks, especially if you have not done so on machine. I’ll be adding a bar tack to each side of my watch pocket, the back of the trousers at the split in the seat seam, and the bottom of the fly. You could also …
